Iphitos

Iphitos (Ἴφιτος), also Iphitus, was a name attributed to five individuals in Greek mythology.

• Iphitos was the son of Eurytus, king of Oechalia, and a descendant of Oxylus. After defeating Eurytus in an archery contest, Heracles was accused of stealing Eurytus's cattle as revenge because he was not given the prize, Iole. During his search for the cattle, Iphitos met Odysseus in Messenia, befriended him, and gave Odysseus his father Eurytus's bow. Iphitus took Heracles's cattle, and was ultimately killed when Heracles, in a fit of madness, threw him off a wall in the city of Tiryns.

• Iphitos was the son of Naubolus and king of Phocis. He entertained Jason when he consulted the Delphic Oracle and later joined the Argonauts. His sons Schedius and Epistrophus led the Phocians in the Trojan war.

• Iphitos was an Elean who was killed by Copreus.

• Iphitos, king of Elis, restored the Olympic Games after the Dorian invasion. The restoration came after his asking the Oracle at Delphi about should be done to save Greece from civil war and the diseases that were killing the population. The Oracle answered: "Iphitos and the people of Elis must declare a sacred truce for the duration of the game and revive the Olympic Games".

• Iphitos was an elderly Trojan during the Trojan War. In Book VIII of the Iliad, his son Archeptolemus suddenly becomes the charioteer of Hector when Eniopeus is killed by Diomedes. However, Teucer kills him in the same battle. In the Aeneid Book II, Aeneas names Iphitos among half a dozen Trojan heroes who fight by his side during the fall of Troy. When the battle turns against them, Iphitos is the only one of these who remains standing. He is apparently by Aeneas's side until King Priam is killed.