Tuesday 5 November 2013

Atalanta



                                           In Greek mythology, Atalanta was a swift-footed huntress and favourite of the goddess Artemis. Atalanta was born in Boeotia or Arcadia, she was left to die at birth in the wilderness but was suckled by a bear, and afterwards found and raised by hunters. She swear to the goddess to defend her virginity and when two Centaurs burst into her grove, she killed them with her arrow.
Hunt of Calydonian boar
                              Atalanta participated in the voyage of the Argonauts and defeated the hero Peleus in wrestling at the funeral games of King Pelias. When Meleagros gathered heroes, to hunt Calydonian boar, Atalanta joined the hunt and was first to draw blood.


                         Atalanta was later reunited with her father Skhoineus (or Iasios), who insisted that she should get married. She agree to marry any man who could outrun her in a race, but the losers were required to pay with their lives. One contestant, Hippomenes (or Milanion), obtained three golden apples from Aphrodite to carry in the race. As he dropped them, Atalanta stopped to pick them up, and thus lost the race.
                             Their marriage was short lived, as Hippomenes forget to pay the tribute to Aphrodite that he had promised for helping him. Consequently, during the stay at Cybele's temple Aphrodite make them mad with lust, causing them to have sex, for this disrespect they were turn into loin lions.

Related Posts
    Argonauts  :  Calydonian Boar :

2 comments: