Phineus and the Harpies by Ray Harryhausen. Source: ArtUK
Amycus and Phineus
Next the Argo touched in at the island of Bebrycos, also in the Sea of Marmara, ruled by the arrogant King Amycus, a son of Poseidon. This Amycus fancied himself as a boxer, and used to challenge strangers to a match, which invariably proved their undoing; but if they declined, he flung them without ceremony over a cliff into the sea. He now approached the Argonauts and refused them food or water unless one of their champions would meet him in the ring. (Hylas, Amycus and Phineus, The Greek Myths by Robert Graves, pp 589-594).
Polydeuces rose to the challenge. Despite Amycus being the larger man, well-muscled and possessed of gloves studded with spikes, over time the Argonaut outboxed his opponent. Eventually Polydeuces penetrated the King’s defences, broke his nose and finally killed Amycus with a fatal blow to his temple. The Bebrycans drew their weapons to avenge their dead monarch, but the Argonauts defeated them easily in the ensuing battle, then sacked the royal palace.
The Argonauts put to sea and came to Salmydessus in eastern Thrace, ruled by King Phineus. This unfortunate monarch was plagued by the Harpies, two monstrous female winged demons, who descended on Phineus’ feasts, eating what they could of his food and befouling the rest. When Jason asked the tormented man for directions to Colchis, he agreed on condition Jason rid him of the Harpies. Jason called on his winged companions Calais and Zetes to hunt the creatures down. The two heroes chased the demons as far as the Strophades Islands until they begged for mercy. Calais and Zetes spared the Harpies when Hera’s messenger, Iris, intervened, promising the men that the creatures would return to their cave and never molest Phineus again.
The grateful Phineus then gave Jason detailed instructions on how to navigate the Bosphorus and so reach Colchis safely and the Argonauts set off once more.
Graves suggests the Harpies may be a mythological memory of Cretan death-goddesses.
