Atalanta

Atalanta (or Atalante) is a female character from Greek mythology. She is a brave, strong, beautiful woman who is both a skilled hunter and the fastest runner in the mortal world. Abandoned as a baby, Atalanta is raised by hunters and becomes an adept hunter herself. She participates in several exciting adventures throughout her life that prove her physical prowess. She is perhaps most famous, however, for her footrace with Hippomenes (or Melanion), during which the goddess Aphrodite helps Hippomenes win Atalanta's hand in marriage. The marriage eventually proves to be Atalanta's undoing, however, and she is changed into a lioness.

Background

Atalanta's background is not entirely certain. In some stories, her father is identified as Schoeneus of Boeotia; in others, she is said to be the daughter of Iasus of Arcadia. Some scholars think it is possible that Atalanta's story is actually a combination of the stories of two mythic women; this would explain the confusion surrounding her parentage. Regardless, in all versions of the tale, Atalanta's father so desperately wants a son that when his daughter is born, he abandons her in the wilderness and leaves her to die. Fortunately, Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, sends a mother bear to nurture the girl as her own. Some hunters eventually discover Atalanta living with the bear. They take her home and raise her as their own daughter. As a result, Atalanta becomes a talented hunter, as strong and brave as any boy a father might raise, and a devoted follower of Artemis.

As Atalanta grows, she develops into a beautiful woman. Although several men find Atalanta quite attractive, an oracle warns her that marriage will change her, so Atalanta vows never to marry and to remain a virgin. Atalanta goes to great lengths to keep her vow intact. For example, when two centaurs—half-man, half-horse hybrids—try to take advantage of her in the forest, she uses her archery skills to kill them.

Later, Atalanta receives an invitation to join Jason and the Argonauts in their quest to obtain the Golden Fleece. The invitation is a high honor because the group includes some of the most renowned heroes in Greek mythology. (In certain versions of the story, Atalanta wants to join the Argonauts but is not permitted because she is a woman.) During her time with the Argonauts, Atalanta further proves her merit when she defeats famed Greek hero Peleus in a wrestling match.

Atalanta gains considerable recognition during the Calydonian boar hunt. One year, King Oeneus of Calydon forgets to make a sacrifice to Artemis at harvest time. Upset, the goddess of the hunt sends an enormous boar to wreak havoc on the kingdom and people of Calydon. To destroy the animal, Oeneus brings together a group of the finest hunters in the land and offers the boar's hide as a reward to whoever succeeds in killing it. Much to the dismay of many of the male hunters in the group, Oeneus's son, Meleager, who loves Atalanta, invites her to join the hunt. During the expedition, Atalanta succeeds in drawing first blood by shooting the boar with an arrow. Meleager delivers the death blow to the beast. After his father rewards him with the boar's hide, Meleager offers it to Atalanta. This angers some of the other hunters, including Meleager's uncles, who take the hide from Atalanta. In response, Meleager kills his uncles and returns the hide to Atalanta. Infuriated, Meleager's mother refuses to forgive Meleager for killing her brothers and brings about the death of her son.

Overview

Atalanta's father, now full of pride, reclaims the beautiful hunter as his daughter after her success in the Calydonian boar hunt. Following this reunion, Atalanta's father expresses his desire for Atalanta to marry, but she insists on remaining a virgin. Atalanta finally consents to her father's wishes on one condition: she will marry any suitor who can defeat her in a footrace, but she will kill any suitor who tries to defeat her and fails. Since Atalanta is the fastest runner in the world, she believes that this condition will ensure that her virginity remains intact.

Many suitors attempt to overcome Atalanta's lightning speed, and many lose their lives because of their failure. Even when Atalanta grants them a head start, they cannot defeat her. The exception is Hippomenes, who falls in love with Atalanta and wants to marry her. He prays to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, for guidance, and she agrees to help him. Aphrodite procures three golden apples, which she gives to Hippomenes. During his race with Atalanta, Hippomenes uses the apples to distract his opponent from the race. Each time Atalanta nearly catches up to him, Hippomenes tosses a golden apple to the side of the road. Atalanta slows down to collect each apple, and Hippomenes regains his lead. Ultimately, Hippomenes crosses the finish line first and wins Atalanta as his bride.

In some versions of the story, Atalanta is in love with Hippomenes, too, and allows him to win the race so they can marry. In others, she grows to love him after they marry. Either way, they are fairly happy together. Unfortunately, Hippomenes forgets to thank Aphrodite for her assistance, and this angers the goddess of love. In a fit of rage, she casts a spell on Hippomenes and Atalanta while they are visiting a sacred temple. (In some versions, they are visiting the temple of Zeus, the king of the gods; in others, they are in the temple of Cybele, the mother of the gods.) The spell overwhelms Hippomenes and Atalanta with lust, and they become physically intimate inside the temple. This act angers Zeus (or Cybele), who turns Hippomenes and Atalanta into a lion and a lioness, respectively. (In some versions, Aphrodite changes them into their feline forms.) Thus, the oracle's prophecy that marriage would change Atalanta comes true.

The fact that Hippomenes and Atalanta are transformed into a lion and a lioness is significant. The Greeks believed that male and female lions could not mate with each other. Rather, they could mate only with leopards of a different sex. Thus, Hippomenes and Atalanta's punishment meant that they could never be together again.

Bibliography

"Atalanta." UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology, vol. 1, UXL, 2009, pp. 125-127.

“Atalanta's Race.” The Courtauld, courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/renaissance-modern-display/drawing-as-a-means-of-artistic-expression/atalantas-race. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Chew, Kathryn. "Atalanta." Heroes and Heroines of Greece and Rome, Marshall Cavendish Reference, 2012, pp. 46-47.

Monaghan, Patricia. "Atalanta." Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines, vol. 2: Europe and the Americas, Greenwood Press, 2010, p. 390.

“The Myth of Atalanta.” Hellenic Museum, 21 Dec. 2021, www.hellenic.org.au/post/the-myth-of-atalanta. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Parada, Carlos. "Atalanta." Greek Mythology Link, www.maicar.com/GML/Atalanta.html. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Roman, Luke, and Monica Roman. "Atalanta (Atalante)." Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology. Facts on File, 2010, pp. 88–89.

Ziogas, Ioannis. “Ovid as a Hesiodic Poet: Atalanta in the 'Catalogue of Women' (Fr. 72-6 M-W) and the 'Metamorphoses' (10.560-707)1).” Mnemosyne, vol. 64, no. 2, Apr. 2011, pp. 249–70. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=59144222&site=ehost-live. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.