Apollo and Heracles struggle for the delphic Tripod

myminifactory

After completing his twelve labors, Hercules took off on the road once more. It seems he got wind of Eurytus, the prince of Oechalia, offering his lovely daughter Iole as a prize to any man who could outdo him and his sons in an archery contest. Upon hearing this, Hercules headed straight for Oechalia and competed against Eurytus and his sons. Legend has it that Eurytus was the one who first taught Hercules how to use a bow. This challenge pitted student against teacher, making it no surprise when Hercules defeated his fellow contestants with ease. However, when it came time for Eurytus to hand over Iole to Hercules as his bride, Eurytus flatly refused. His sons backed him up, except for one - Iphytus, who seemingly didn't share their views. One can only wonder why a prince would deny the strongest man in the world his daughter's hand in marriage. For Eurytus, it was simple: he wouldn't let his beloved daughter marry a man with a history of murdering his sons in a fit of rage - namely Hercules' infamous incident with Megara - fearing that same fate would befall his own grandchildren.