Pyraichmes (Aitoler)
Pyraichmes ( Greek Πυραίχμης , Latin Pyraechmes "the fire lance") is a figure in Greek mythology .
Pyraichmes was an Aitolian during the reign of Oxylos , a descendant of Aitolus . Aitolus was once king of Elis , but was banished from Elis. Oxylos tried to recapture Elis with the help of the Heraclides and an army composed of Aitolians. According to Ephoros von Kyme , when the two armed forces met, following an old tradition, the two armed forces agreed to determine the winner through a duel. While the Epeier , the inhabitants of Elis, appointed Degmenos as deputy, Pyraichmes stood for the Aitoler.
Expecting to meet a heavily armored opponent, Degmenos chose a bow as a ranged weapon in order to defeat his opponent from a distance. But Pyraichmes, who learned of the ruse, chose a sling. Since there was an even greater distance to be overcome with the sling than with the bow, Pyraichmes defeated Degmenos and in this way secured Elis the Oxylos and the Aitolians, who drove out the Epeier.
literature
- Otto Höfer : Pyraichmes 2 . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 3.2, Leipzig 1909, Col. 3334 f. ( Digitized version ).