Theseus and Peyrifoy

In Thessaly there lived a tribe of warlike lapiths, a mighty hero reigned over them Peyrifoy. He had heard of the great bravery and strength of the invincible Theseus and wanted to measure strength with him. To challenge Theseus to battle, Peyrifoy went to Marathon and there, in the fat pastures, stole a herd of bulls belonging to Theseus. As soon as Theseus found out about this, he immediately set off in pursuit of the kidnapper and quickly overtook him. Both heroes met. Dressed in shining armor, they stood facing each other like formidable immortal gods. Both of them were struck by the greatness of each other, both were equally filled with courage, both were powerful, both were beautiful. They threw down their weapons and, stretching out their hands to each other, concluded an alliance of close, unbreakable friendship and exchanged weapons as a sign of this, So two great heroes, Theseus and Peyrifoy, became friends.

Centaur fight with Greek lapith hero
The battle of the centaur with the Greek hero-lapith.
(Bas-relief of the 5th century BC)

Shortly after this meeting, Theseus went to Thessaly for the wedding of his friend Peyrifoy with Hippodamia. This wedding was magnificent. Many glorious heroes gathered for it from all over Greece. Wild centaurs, half-humans, half-horses were also invited to the wedding. The wedding feast was rich. The entire royal palace was full of guests reclining at the banquet tables, and some of the guests - since there was not enough room in the palace for everyone gathered for the wedding - were feasting in a large, cool grotto. Incense was smoked, wedding hymns and music were heard, the merry shouts of the feasters resounded loudly. All the guests praised the bride and groom, who shone among all with her beauty, like a heavenly star. The guests were feasting merrily. Wine flowed like a river. The feasting cries were getting louder. Suddenly the most powerful and wild of centaurs jumped up, intoxicated with wine, Evrit, and rushed at the bride. He grabbed her with his mighty hands and wanted to kidnap her. Seeing this, the other centaurs also rushed at the women who were at the feast. Everyone wanted to take possession of the loot. Theseus, Peyrifoy and the Greek heroes jumped up from the banquet tables and rushed to the defense of the women. The feast was interrupted, a frenzied battle began. Heroes did not fight with centaurs with weapons. They came to the feast unarmed. Everything served as a weapon in this battle: heavy goblets, large wine vessels, the legs of broken tables, tripods on which incense had just been smoked-everything was put into action. Step by step, the heroes from the banquet hall of the wild centaurs are crowding, but the battle continues outside the hall. Now the Greek heroes are already fighting with weapons in their hands, covered with shields. Centaurs tear up trees by the roots, they throw whole rocks at the heroes. Ahead of the heroes are Theseus, Peyrifoy, Peleus and Nestor, son of Peleus. The bloody hill of centaur bodies is piling higher and higher around them. The slain centaurs fall one by one. Finally, they trembled, turned to flight and took refuge in the forests of high Pelion. The heroes of Greece defeated the wild centaurs, a little saved them from a terrible battle.