He did not greet them courteously, asking them what manner of men
they were and whither they were bound, nor did he offer them
hospitality. Instead, he shouted at them insolently:

"Listen to something that you rovers had better know. I am
Amycus, and any stranger that comes to this land has to get into
a boxing bout with me. That's the law that I have laid down.
Unless you have one amongst you who can stand up to me you won't
be let go back to your ship. If you don't heed my law, look out,
for something's going to happen to you."

So he shouted, that insolent king, and his followers raised their
clubs and growled approval of what their master said. But the
Argonauts were not dismayed at the words of Amycus. One of them
stepped toward the Bebrycians. He was Polydeuces, good at boxing.

"Offer us no violence, king," said Polydeuces. "We are ready to
obey the law that you have laid down. Willingly do I take up your
challenge, and I will box a bout with you."

The Argonauts cheered when they saw Polydeuces, the good boxer,
step forward, and when they heard what he had to say. Amycus
turned and shouted to his followers, and one of them brought up
two pairs of boxing gauntlets--of rough cowhide they were. The
Argonauts feared that Polydeuces' hands might have been made numb
with pulling at the oar, and some of them went to him, and took
his hands and rubbed them to make them supple; others took from
off his shoulders his beautifully colored mantle.