Phayllos of Croton

Phayllos of Croton (Greek: Φάϋλλος) was an ancient Greek athlete and a naval commander from Croton in southern Italy, who outfitted and commanded a ship at the Battle of Salamis.

Phayllos of Croton inscription

Life

Phayllos won three victories in the Pythian Games, two of them in the pentathlon.^[1]

In 480 BC, Phyallos outfitted a ship and commanded it in the Battle of Salamis, the only one from the Italian coast, and received praise for his exploits by Herodotus.^[2]

Culture and honors

Phayllos is used by Aristophanes as an example of long ago swiftness in his plays.^[3]

Plurarch wrote that Alexander the Great sent part of the spoils of the Battle of Gaugamela to Croton in Phayllos's honor.^[2]

An inscription at the base of a statue of Phayllos at the Acropolis of Athens reads: "Phayllos was admired by all. For he was thrice victor in the games at Delphi, and captured ships which Asia sent forth."^[4]