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Of Skotoussa;[1] a pankratiast.[2] He became the tallest man of his day. And as a young man he killed a lion on [Mount] Olympos [Myth, Place, Place] in Macedonia, unequipped with any weapon. The same man went into a herd of cattle, seized the biggest and fiercest bull by one of its hind legs, and held fast the hoof and did not let go; the bull escaped, leaving Polydamas with the hoof. The same man halted a charioteer as he was driving his chariot forwards at speed, having seized the chariot with his other hand and stopped the horses. Dareios the bastard son of Artaxerxes[3] got to hear of his deeds and persuaded him with gifts to come to him. But Polydamas killed three of the so-called Immortals[4] who had challenged him to single combat. These deeds were depicted on the statue [of him] at Olympia. But he was about to be destroyed by his own force, just like others who have gloried in their strength -- as Homer says about Hector, "sir, your own power will be your undoing".[5] For [he and others] entered a cave, in the summer time, with their companions and the roof happened to crack, endangering their lives; the rest hurried to escape, but he remained, holding up his hands, as if he could stop the cave falling in; and there he died.

*poluda/mas, *skotoussai=os, pagkratiasth/s: o(\s e)ge/neto me/gistos tw=n kat' au)to\n pa/ntwn a)nqrw/pwn: o(\s kai\ ne/os w)\n a)pe/kteine le/onta e)n tw=| *)olu/mpw| *makedoni/as, ou)deni\ e)skeuasme/nos o(/plw|. ei)s a)ge/lhn de\ bow=n ei)selqw\n o( au)to\s to\n me/giston kai\ a)griw/taton tau=ron labw\n tou= e(te/rou tw=n o)pisqi/wn podw=n th=s xhlh=s katei=xen a)/kras kai\ ou)k a)ni/ei: o( tau=ros phdw=n a)fh=ke te tw=| *poluda/manti th\n o(plh/n. o( au)to\s a)/ndra h(ni/oxon e)lau/nonta spoudh=| to\ a(/rma e)pe/sxe tou= pro/sw, labo/menos th=| e(te/ra| tw=n xeirw=n to\ a(/rma kai\ sth/sas tou\s i(/ppous. tou/tou *darei=os o( no/qos *)artace/rcou ui(o\s a)kou/sas ta\ e)/rga dw/rois e)lqei=n par' au)to\n e)/peise. trei=s de\ tw=n *)aqana/twn kaloume/nwn kata\ pro/sklhsin monomaxh/santas o( *poluda/mas a)pe/kteine. tau=ta ta\ e)/rga e)pi\ tou= a)ndria/ntos e)dhlou=to e)n *)olumpi/a|. e)/melle d' u(po\ th=s e(autou= r(w/mhs a)pole/sqai, w(s kai\ a)/lloi oi( e)pi\ i)sxu/i+ me/ga fronh/santes: w(s kai\ *(/omhros peri\ *(/ektoros, daimo/nie, fqi/sei se to\ so\n me/nos. e)selqo/ntwn ga\r e)s sph/laion w(/ra| qe/rous a(/ma toi=s sumpo/tais kai\ th=s korufh=s tou= sphlai/ou kata\ tu/xhn diarrhgnume/nhs kai\ qa/naton a)peilou/shs, oi( me\n a)/lloi dro/mw| feu/gousin, au)to\s de\ e)/meine, ta\s xei=ras a)nasxw/n, w(s a)nqe/cwn e)pipi/ptonti tw=| sphlai/w|: kai\ au)to/qi e)teleu/thse.

C5 BCE. The material comes from Pausanias 6.5.
[1] There were two cities of this name, one in eastern Macedonia and one in Thessaly; here the latter is meant (see Paus. 6.5.2-3).
[2] See generally pi 10, pi 11.
[3] King of Persia 424-404.
[4] See generally alpha 707.
[5] Homer, Iliad 6.407.

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