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Temesa's "daimon"

by Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti

The boxer and the malevolent spirit of Temesa
Eutymos, the boxer – the nice hero of this story – was born in Locris near a promontory called Zepphirius. He was a good boy and a better athlete, who, having for three time gained the boxing prize at the Olympiads, had conquered the crown and in consequence an extremely beautiful statue had been dedicated to him: A portrait of Eutymos in his boxing gears, a work of art that was much admired by Pausania. It was on his return to Italy from the 76th Olympiad that he fought with the “Hero” how Pausania called him. This malevolent spirit had been one of the man who followed Odysseus in his eventful sailing. When, dragged by the tempests along the Italic coast, they were forced to take refuge in Temesa’s harbor, the so-called “Hero” got drunk and raped a girl. We can’t criticize the rabid Temesans, who stoned and killed him, neither we can condemn them for such an action. Also Odysseus seems to have been on the same frame of mind: He was far away from his country, anxious to see again his wife and his son, and certainly didn’t have the intention to postpone his return just to avenge the dead man. What is certain is that with all his crew he sailed away as if nothing had happened.
Deeply offended the phantom began to manifest himself killing all the citizens of Temesa that he had the chance to meet. All the people of the city was terrified and decided to go away and leave him a free camp. At this time, however, nothing was done before consulting an oracle, and Delphis’ one forbid them to abandon the place. Instead it ordered them to pacify the ghost building him a temple and offering each year the handsomest Temesan virgin to the awful ghost. They obeyed and from this moment the phantom never disturbed them. It was then that Eutymos arrived at Temesa, and it was just the day that the beautiful virgin was to be given to the malevolent Genius.
He heard what was going to happen and he was seized by the wish to get into the temple, and not only to do this but he also wanted to see the chosen girl. She was very handsome, and handsome was also Eutymos. As anyone could have foreseen the two young people fell desperately in love and desperately the girl implored her lover to let not her fall in the monster’s hands. Eutymos who had decided to marry her saw that the only way to be able to crown his love dream was to immediately and very quickly win the monster. Then, as any good boxer would have made, he wrapped his hands, entered the temple and waited for the monster’s attack. The ghost arrived as a hurricane, but the strong athlete waited for him on a war footing, and received the ghost with a shower of blows. So much he mangled the malevolent phantom that, abandoning the town, he disappeared swallowed in the depth of the sea. To all this commotion followed the usual happy ending with the marriage of the two young people - Euthymos and the girl - set at the centre of splendid celebrations and everybody was happy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
ENZO NARDI, Case “infestate da spiriti” e diritto romano e moderno, Milano 1960 p.78. nota 10l
STRABONE, Geographica , 6. 1. 5. Always on the Temesa’s ghost Strabo remember to have seen there a little temple circled by oleasters ,
PAUSANIA, Descriptionis Greciae, 1. 6; ; Eliaca posteriora, 6. 7 Pausania cites the copy of a picture in which both the town of Temesa and its “daimon”, Luka, were seen, and cites him as black, with a terrible look draped in a wolf skin.
ELIANO, Variae historiae, 8. 19