THE BANDIT PERIPHITIS

Walking, Theseus was approaching Epidaurus. Nearby was a huge bandit with a big club, the Periphitis. He would sit near the road and when he saw a passerby, he would kill him by hitting him with the club and robbing him. So when he saw Theseus too, he got up ready to hit him. Theseus, however, did not wait, but rushed at him and they grabbed hands. They fought for a long time, until the club took him. And then he killed him, as he himself killed others. He always carried the club with him from then on.

SINI THE NETCATCHER

The next day Theseus arrived in Corinth, but he did not stop. He proceeded to the Isthmus, because there was another bandit nearby. His name was Sini, he was a godlike man, and he killed passers-by in a savage manner. He kept watch at the edge of the woods and as soon as he saw a man, he would leap in front of him and seize him. After stripping him naked and taking everything he had, he would bring him into the forest. There he would bend the top of a pine tree and bend one of its legs, then he would bend the side pine tree and bind the other leg of the unfortunate man. Then he left the pine trees and folded them up high, tearing the passerby in two.

So, he wanted to do the same to Theseus. But the hero did not sit down with his hands crossed. He fought with him, brought him near the two pine trees, tied him up and killed him in the same way.

SKIRON

After resting that day, Theseus went on the road again. He crossed the Isthmus and entered Attica. Before he reached Megara, he had to pass through a place that even today we call the Bad Staircase. It was a high and steep rock and up there lived another giant villain, Skiron. So this villain, after robbing the passers-by, forced them to wash his feet. And as they were bent over, he would give them a kick and throw them off the cliff high into the cliff. The poor fellows would fall, and they would be crushed, rolling down to the sea, where they would be eaten by a huge turtle.

So he tried to do the same to Theseus, the hero did not sit down with his hands crossed. He fought with him and threw him from above into the sea. The old men called this place the Skironides Stones. Theseus also killed the turtle and made a guitar out of its shell.

PROCRUSTES

Theseus took the road again. He was approaching Eleusis, when he met another terrible villain, Procrustes. He again had his own way of killing by torturing the passers-by.

After robbing them first, he would then lay them down on a bed he had. If the man was longer, he would cut off his legs. If he was shorter, he would pull them apart until they came off. So they died in terrible pain.

Theseus came to him and they began to fight. They fought for a long time, until the thief broke down and fell. Then Theseus laid him down on that very bed and killed him. There goes the last bandit. Thus Theseus cleared the road of the terrible villains, and the people now travelled free and quiet.