Amycus
Savage king of the Bebryces who challenged all visitors to a boxing match and was defeated by Polydeuces
The Legend of Amycus
Amycus was the king of the Bebryces, a people dwelling along the coast of Bithynia in Asia Minor. He was a son of Poseidon and the nymph Melia, and inherited his father's immense physical strength. Amycus had a cruel custom of forcing every stranger who landed on his shores to fight him in a boxing match, and he killed all who accepted. When the Argonauts stopped in his territory during their voyage to Colchis, Amycus issued his customary challenge. Polydeuces, the divine boxer and son of Zeus, stepped forward to face him. Despite Amycus's brute power and fearsome reputation, Polydeuces was the superior fighter, using skill and speed to overcome the king's raw strength. He struck Amycus a fatal blow behind the ear, killing him and freeing the region from his tyranny.
Parents
Poseidon and Melia
Symbols
Fun Fact
Amycus invented the brutal practice of fighting with leather-wrapped fists weighted with metal studs
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