Poeas
In Greek mythology, Poeas, or Poias (Ancient Greek: Ποίας) was a king of Meliboea in Thessaly and one of the Argonauts. He was the son of Thaumacus and friend of Heracles.
Poeas was named by some amongst the Argonauts, the band of heroes who travelled to Colchis for the Golden Fleece. Poeas was named as the greatest archer amongst the company, at least after the departure of Heracles, and the archery skill of Poeas was said by some to have been put to use on Crete.
At Crete, the Argo was stopped from landing by the bronze giant Talos. Talos was considered invulnerable but there was a vein of life blood that ran from head to ankle, but Poeas killed Talos by shooting an arrow into his heel.
More famously, Poeas had a role in the apotheosis of Heracles. When Heracles realized he was dying from poisonous centaur blood he demanded a funeral pyre built and lit once he stood atop it. As none of his own men would light the pyre, a passer-by (Poeas) was asked by Heracles to light it. In return for this favor Heracles bestowed his famed bow and poison arrows upon Poeas.
Other versions had his son Philoctetes as the passer-by or that Poeas assigned Philoctetes the task.
Sources
Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1.9.16
Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1.9.26
Hyginus, Fabulae 14
Apollodorus. The Library, Book 2.7.7
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