Polydamas de Skotoussa

Polydamas de Skoutoussa is one of the most famous Athlète S Greek of the Antiquité.

Polydamas de Skotoussa is champion of the Olympic Games of Pancrace in 408 av. J. - C.. This athlete enjoys a great fame and its exploits were often compared with those of Héraclès. He faces in particular a Lion with naked hands on the Mont Olympe and leaves victorious a challenge launched by Large the Darius while being essential, back-to-back, against the three best champions Perse S.

Here the text of Pausanias.

Deliver VI, CHAPTER V

Ἐνταῦθα ὁ Πουλυδάμας λέοντα ἐν τῷ Ὀλύμπῳ, μέγα καὶ ἄλκιμον θηρίον κατειργάσατο οὐδενὶ ἐσκευασμένος ὅπλῳ. Προήχθη δὲ ἐς τὸ τόλμημα φιλοτιμίᾳ πρὸς τὰ Ἡρακλέους ἔργα, ὅτι καὶ Ἡρακλέα ἔχει λόγος κρατῆσαι τοῦ ἐν Νεμέᾳ λέοντος. Ἕτερον δὲ ἐπὶ τούτῳ θαῦμα ὑπελίπετο ὁ Πουλυδάμας ἐς μνήμην. Ἐς ἀγέλην ἐσελθὼν βοῶν, τὸν μέγιστον καὶ ἀγριώτατον ταῦρον λαβὼν τοῦ ἑτέρου τῶν ὄπισθεν ποδῶν, τὰς χηλὰς κατεῖχεν ἄκρας, καὶ πηδῶντα καὶ ἐπειγόμενον οὐκ ἀνίει, πρίν γε δὴ ὁ ταῦρος ὀψέ ποτε καὶ ἐς ἅπαν ἀφικόμενος βίας, ἀπέφυγεν ἀφεὶς ταύτῃ τῷ Πουλυδάμαντι τὰς χηλάς. Λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὡς ἄνδρα ἡνίοχον ἐλαύνοντα σπουδῇ τὸ ἅρμα ἐπέσχε τοῦ πρόσω. Λαβόμενος γὰρ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ τῶν χειρῶν ὄπισθε τοῦ ἅρματος, ὁμοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἵππους πεδήσας καὶ τὸν ἡνίοχον εἶχε. Δαρεῖος δὲ Ἀρταξέρξου παῖς νόθος, ὃς ὁμοῦ τῷ Περσῶν δήμῳ Σογδιανὸν καταπαύσας παῖδα Ἀρταξέρξου γνήσιον, ἔσχεν ἀντ' ἐκείνου τὴν ἀρχήν, οὗτος ὡς ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ Δαρεῖος (ἐπυνθάνετο γὰρ τοῦ Πουλυδάμαντος τὰ ἔργα) πέμπων ἀγγέλους ὑπισχνούμενος δῶρα, ἀνέπεισεν αὐτὸν ἐς Σοῦσά τε καὶ ἐς ὄψιν ἀφικέσθαι τὴν αὑτοῦ. Ἔνθα δὴ κατὰ πρόκλησιν Περσῶν ἄνδρας τῶν καλουμένων ἀθανάτων ἀριθμὸν τρεῖς, ἀθρόους οἱ μονομαχήσαντας ἀπέκτεινεν. Ἔργων δὲ τῶν κατειλεγμένων οἱ τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ βάθρῳ τοῦ ἀνδριάντος ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ, τὰ δὲ καὶ δηλούμενά ἐστιν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπιγράμματος. Ἕμελλε δὲ ἄρα τὸ ὑπὸ Ὁμήρου προθεσπισθὲν ἄλλους τε τῶν φρονησάντων ἐπὶ ἰσχύι, καὶ Πουλυδάμαντα ἐπιλήψεσθαι, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς αὑτοῦ ῥώμης ἔμελλεν ἀπολεῖσθαι καὶ οὗτος. Ἐς σπήλαιον γὰρ οἵ τε ἄλλοι τῶν συμποτῶν καὶ ὁ Πουλυδάμας ἐσῆλθεν ὥρᾳ θέρους. Καί πως οὐ κατά τινα ἀγαθὸν δαίμονα ἡ κορυφὴ τηνικαῦτα τοῦ σπηλαίου κατερρήγνυτο, καὶ δῆλα ἦν ὡς αὐτίκα ἐμπεσεῖσθαι καὶ χρόνον οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺν ἔμελλεν ἀνθέξειν. Γενομένης δὲ αἰσθήσεως τοῦ ἐπιόντος κακοῦ καὶ τρεπομένων ἐς φυγὴν τῶν λοιπῶν παρέστη καταμεῖναι τῷ Πουλυδάμαντι, καὶ ἀνέσχε τὰς χεῖρας ὡς ἐπιπίπτοντι ἀνθέξων τῷ σπηλαίῳ, καὶ οὐ βιασθησόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄρους. Τούτῳ μὲν ἐνταῦθα ἐγένετο ἡ τελευτή.

C is in these surroundings of Olympe that Polydamas, without any weapon, killed a large and vigorous lion; it went to this bold action by desire for competing with Hercules, who had overcome the lion of Némée, according to the tradition. Here another proof not less astonishing of the force of Polydamas. While entering an ox herd, it seizes the largest bull and most savage by one of the feet of behind, and holding it by the horn, it did not release it, some jumps and some efforts which it made; so that the bull finally managed to release itself only by employing all its forces, and by leaving the horn of its foot in the hand of Polydamas. One says that this one stopped a tank, despite everything the efforts of the driver to push his horses ahead, and needed to only seize with a hand behind tank. Darius, wire natural of Artaxerxés, which, assisted by Persians, had détrôné legitimate Sogdianus, wire of Artaxerxés, and had been made king in his place, having heard of the actions of Polydamas, sent people to him who engaged it by promises to come in Suses, and to appear in front of him. On its arrival, Polydamas having been defied by three of these Persians which one names the immortal ones, it killed them all three, though they had attacked it together. Of all the actions from which I come to speak, the ones are carved on the basis of its statue with Olympie, the others are brought back in the inscription. What was predicted by Homère with those which count too much on their forces, was to arrive at Polydamas. Having entered at the time of the hot summer days with some of his/her table companions a cave, misfortune wanted that the vault half-opened: it was obvious that it would not be long in falling; as soon as one realized danger of which one was threatened, all escaped, except Polydamas which wanted to remain; it extended the hands like supporting the cave, persuaded that the weight of the mountain would not be above its forces; and it was there that it found the end of its days.

Greek text and translation of Maurice Keyboard, 1821.