Damon and Pythias

**Damon and Pythias** is a story told in the Adventures from the Book of Virtues episode Friendship. It is based on the Greek folk tale of the same name.

## Plot

A boy named Damon is practicing throwing his javelin, but when he goes to retrieve it, he finds himself in the path of a chariot, but he is saved when another boy named Pythias pushes him out of the way. Once that's over, the two introduce themselves, before Pythias apologizes for being unable to save Damon's javelin, which has broken in half, then asks Damon to teach him how to throw a javelin. Soon, Damon and Pythias start throwing their javelins, with Pythias praising Damon for teaching him well, though Damon says that he taught him too well. Because of that, overtime, the two became good friends and taught each other lots of things through the years. A few years later, Damon is teaching Pythias how to throw a discuss, but when Pythias throws his discuss, he throws it too high as it soars over the wall of a palace before breaking several clay jars. Damon and Pythias go to retrieve the discuss, but when Pythias tries to pick it up, it gets stepped on by the foot of a soldier who informs the two that their ruler, Dionysius the younger, does not allow games to be played within the city walls. Damon protests that they were outside the walls, but the discuss went over it, while Pythias tells the soldier that it was an accident and for him to give it back. The soldier can only laugh before taunting Pythias to get it if he can, which Pythias tries to do, but is unable to reach it, before the soldier drops the discuss and throws Pythias back. Damon tries to run out at the soldier, but the soldier just stops him in his tracks before also throwing him back as well, while telling the two boys that it will teach them to challenge a soldier of Syracuse. After the soldier leaves, Damon and Pythias leave while they are glad that they don't have to deal with the soldier.

More years have passed, where this time, the two are now young adults who are arm-wrestling each other, while a small crowd of people are watching them. However, the match is interrupted when Damon and Pythias witness two soldiers invading a nearby house and evicting a young woman and her baby and young son. Pythias wants to do something about it, though Damon tells him that he can't fight their king's soldiers. Pythias then states that maybe they can't fight the soldiers with swords, but there are other ways to do it. Because of that, Pythias is doing his best to rally the people against King Dionysius, but this unfortunately attracts the attention of the soldiers who quickly seize Pythias. Damon rushes in sword drawn to face the soldiers, though Pythias states that he's not afraid of Dionysius, in fact, wanting to tell Dionysius what he thinks of him face to face. One of the soldiers tells Pythias that it can be arranged, before Damon tells the soldiers that if they take Pythias, they'll have to take him as well. The other soldier then tells Damon and Pythias that tomorrow, they'll both face the wrath of Dionysius. The next day, Pythias has gone before King Dionysius while telling him all of his faults in ruling the country. After Pythias is finished, King Dionysius tells Pythias that for months, he has heard about how Pythias has turned the people against him and is now livid that Pythias dares to criticize him to his face. Pythias says that he dares to speak the truth, but King Dionysius sees it as treason before demanding Pythias to take back his lies, though Pythias points out that if he had spoken any lies, he would take them back. King Dionysius tells Pythias that he won't take them back so he shall take Pythias's life. Damon tries to protest, only for one of the soldiers to silence him, before asking King Dionysius if he should bring Damon too. King Dionysius turns that soldier down, realizing that Pythias is right, he really hasn't been fair, before further stating that a fair ruler would grant a rebel like Pythias one last request before he dies, before asking Pythias what his final wish is.

Pythias answers that he wishes to see his family one more time, to kiss his wife and child goodbye and to arrange for their future, because he wishes to go home. King Dionysius thinks that Pythias is lying, reasoning that if he lets Pythias go, then he will leave the country and never come back. Pythias firmly states that he gives his word and that he shall return, but this only prompts King Dionysius to question Pythias about why he should believe him before calling for the guards to take him. Damon stops King Dionysius by telling him that if he lets Pythias go, then he shall stand in his place, and if Pythias does not return, then King Dionysius will kill Damon instead. Pythias tells Damon that he can't let him do this, but Damon is insistent on doing it, before he and Pythias share a hug with each other. King Dionysius tells the two that he thinks they're fools, but it will good sport, and that they have a deal. Damon counters back that King Dionysius may call him fool, but Pythias calls him friend, because he knows that Pythias would not see him die in his place and that he shall return. Because of that, King Dionysius grants Pythias's wish to leave, but not without warning him that his patience is not endless and for him to be back three days from now or else, just as one of the soldiers turns over an hourglass to signify the passing of time. In the dungeon, the guards pass by while laughing about Pythias supposedly keeping his word while thinking that he's never coming back and that they'll never set eyes on him again, as well as getting rid of both Damon and Pythias. Damon has heard the guards talking from outside his cell, while he is still certain that his friend will never abandon him. Two days have passed, but Pythias has not returned, before King Dionysius taunts Damon about believing that Pythias would really come back to lay down his life for him. Damon is still certain that Pythias will return, though feels that he must have been delayed, but King Dionysius calls Damon a fool and that one day, he will be a dead fool, all in the name of friendship.

On the third day, the sand in the hourglass has run out, while King Dionysius informs Damon that time has run out and that Pythias supposedly has not kept his word, then adds that he must keep his before asking Damon if there's anything he'd like to say before he dies. Damon still insists that Pythias will return, but King Dionysius states that he does not see him anywhere. However, before the executioner can kill Damon, Pythias suddenly rides in on a horse while apologizing to Damon for taking so long, because a storm wrecked his ship and bandits attacked him and that he almost gave up hope, while Damon is happy that Pythias came back. Pythias tells King Dionysius that he is now ready to accept his sentence of death, just as the guards tie him up and place Pythias on the stand, just as the executioner raises his axe, while Damon bids farewell to his friend. However, King Dionysius immediately stops the execution, stating that never has he witnessed such trust and loyalty between friends, before telling Damon and Pythius that their reward is their freedom, on one condition, the condition being that they must teach him to be worthy of such a friendship. Damon and Pythius are soon freed from their bonds as they agree to King Dionysius's proposition, before King Dionysius pronounces them free. Because of that, Damon and Pythius walk away while the crowds cheer for them.

## Characters

* Damon
* Pythias
* King Dionysius