AtALAntA

Greek A renowned huntress, daughter of Iasus, king of Arcadia, and Clymene. Disappointed at the birth of a daughter, Iasus put the infant on Mount Parnassus and left her to die. (This was a common fate for female infants in ancient Greece.) Artemis, goddess of the hunt, sent a she-bear to suckle the baby. The child was then reared by a band of hunters who found her on the mountainside. Her hunting skills were so great that Atalanta dared to join the all-male group of hunters who were going after the Calydonian Boar at the request of Meleager, prince of Calydon. Atalanta scored the first thrust at the ferocious boar. Meleager killed the boar and presented its coveted hide and tusks to Atalanta, thus causing anger and strife among the men. (See Calydonian Boar hunt.) Now that she was famous, King Iasus recognized Atalanta as his daughter. He insisted that she must marry. Atalanta, having been warned by an Oracle that she would find no happiness in marriage, set a condition on her marriage. Her suitor must be able to beat her in a foot-race, or else die. Many tried to win her but failed and died. Finally Melanion, a prince from Arcadia, sought the help of Aphrodite, goddess of love. She gave him three golden apples that he dropped, one at a time, throughout the race. Atalanta could not resist picking them up and lost the race. Atalanta bore Melanion a son, Parthenonpaeus. In some versions of this legend it is said that Atalanta and Melanion were turned into lions by Aphrodite and forced to pull the chariot of Cybele, a goddess of Earth and nature. It is said that Atalanta was one of the Argonauts, a fabled crew of sailors who sought the Golden Fleece.