Atalanta was a stunningly beautiful young Greek woman who could run faster than anyone. She consulted the oracle, who told her that if she ever married, it would bring about her doom. Fearing the words of the oracle, she decided never to marry and devised a way to drive away the young men who wanted her: they could only marry her if they beat her in a footrace. If they challenged her and lost, they would be executed.
The Races and Hippomenes
In spite of the consequences for losing, many young men came to the remote forest where she lived with her father to challenge her. But she won every time and many young men were therefore killed. One young man, Hippomenes, watched the races and said aloud that the other suitors were foolish and stupid, that no woman was worth dying for. But then he got a good look at the beautiful Atalanta and recanted his words.
He told her that he was the great-grandson of Poseidon and that he was therefore a worthy husband and that he wished to race her. Atalanta found him handsome and felt badly that he would die, because no one could defeat her in a race. Her heart was moved by love and pity, although she remembered the words of the oracle and was determined to beat him.
The Race
Hippomenes, smitten with Atalanta, prayed to Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. The goddess was moved by his plea and showed him how to win. She gave him three golden apples. The race began and three times Atalanta took the lead. Each time, Hippomenes tossed one of the apples into her path and each time she paused to pick it up, allowing him to catch her. Aphrodite made the last apple very heavy in order to slow Atalanta down and Hippomenes won the race.
Wrath of the Goddess
Atalanta and Hippomenes were both delighted that he won the race, and in their mooning over one another, he forgot to honor Aphrodite, failing to properly show his gratitude. As the couple walked through the deep woods, they passed a holy shrine to Mother Earth, or Cybele. Aphrodite caused Hippomenes to go mad with lust and passion, and the young couple made love inside the shrine, desecrating it. In punishment, Cybele turned them both into lions and bridled them like horses.
Thus the story of Atalanta ended like many others: those who offend the Gods do so at their own peril.
There is another tale associated with Atalanta: in some ancient legends she was one of the fifty heroes selected to serve with mighty Jason on board the Argos as one of the Argonauts. As such, she took part in the great Hunt for the Calydon Boar, another story with tragic consequences for those who offend the Gods.
Source:
Hendricks, Rhoda A. Classical Gods and Heroes. New York: Morrow Quill, 1974.
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