#eurybares

For #NationalStorytellingWeek I'm telling you a story about a handsome young man named Alkyoneus and a terrible dragon, possibly the OG princess and dragon trope. Only the princess is a pretty boy.

Alkyoneus was a handsome young man who lived with his parents in Krisa, an ancient name for Delphi, at the foot of Mount Parnassos. He was their only son and they loved him very much. At the time, the countryside of Delphi suffered from the terrible drakaina (she-dragon) Sybaris.

Sybaris lived in a cave on Mount Kirphis and devoured both livestock and humans. The people of Delphi went to Apollon's oracle and asked the god what to do about the constant attacks on their lives and livelihoods. Apollon told them how they would be freed from this threat:

The attacks would end if they offered a young man of their choosing to the beast. So the people of Delphi had all male youths draw lots and poor Alkyoneus was selected to be the sacrifice. The priests crowned him and led him to the cave of Sybaris on Mount Kirphis.

On the way, they encountered Eurybares, a young man just passing through. Enamoured with handsome Alkyoneus, he asked where they were going. When he learned of the sacrifice, he tore the wreath from Alkyoneus' head and placed it on his own, insisting that he would take his place.

As soon as the priests had led him up to the cave, Eurybares ran inside and hauled Sybaris from her lair, forcing her into the open. Then he hurled her from the crags. Tumbling down, Sybaris struck her head against the footings of Krisa. Because of this wound she faded from sight. From that rock sprang a fountain and the locals call it Sybaris.

The text doesn't say but I hope Eurybares and Alkyoneus got together in the end.