Apollo's priests selected the young men to be offered to the dragon, and every month they drew lots to see whose turn it was to be sacrificed. It so happened that one day fate chose the most beautiful young man of that place, the young Alcyoneus, as Sybaris's victim. In addition to his valor and intelligence, Alcyoneus possessed a beauty which, like Ganymede's, entitled him to serve as cup-bearer to the gods. When the beautiful younger man, crowned with roses and looking a young Apollo, was led amid wailing and chanting to the place of sacrifice, the procession encountered Eurybatus, a brave young warrior. On seeing the beautiful Alcyoneus dressed in a white tunic, the soldier fell madly in love with the young man. He immediately detained the procession and asked:

'Where did you find this boy and where are you taking him?' 'Brave warrior, his destiny is tragic and his future is death,' they replied, 'for he is the victim chosen by Fate to be sacrificed to Sybaris.' Eurybatus turned pale with horror on discovering the boy's destiny and, following the impulse of his heart, asked them to free Alcyoneus and sacrifice him in his place, for his existence would be meaningless if the young man were to die.

'Sacrifice me, for I have lived many years. This young boy has never tasted life. Let him enjoy the sun and the love which he deserves, for such a beautiful creature should be a favorite of Eros and Aphrodite, and not of dark Hades.' The priests did not grant his petition, for they feared that the warrior, who was not as young as the handsome youth, would incur the dragon's wrath against them. But they did allow him to join th procession.

On reaching the place designated by Sybaris for the sacrifice, they all withdrew. Alcyoneus already felt in his heart a profound love for the brave warrior and asked him to take shelter with the others, but the warrior was not prepared to abandon the person who had already become his reason for living. The terrible female dragon came out of the cave thinking she would find a frightened and defenseless youth, but she met Eurybatus, who, inspired by the love he saw reflected in the eyes of his young companion, launched a surprise attack on the beast and killed her. The dragon was never heard of again and a spring appeared on that spot. Many years later, Eurybatus founded a city in Italy, which he called Sybaris in memory of this feat.