The Legend of Atalanta and the Calydon Boar
The Mighty Argonauts Battle a Monster Sent by a Goddess
Apr 13, 2009
As the Argonauts searched for the Golden Fleece, they also had other adventures. One such adventure took place in the Kingdom of Calydon, which was suffering from a monstrous boar which was ravaging the countryside. The boar had been sent by the Goddess Artemis as a punishment for King Oeneus, who had failed to properly honor her.
When the Argos reached Calydon, Oeneus begged the mighty Argonauts to hunt and kill the great boar, which had been causing much destruction. A great hunt was arranged. Several Argonauts participated, including Atalanta, Telamon, Iolaus, Hippothous, Polydeuces, Ankaios, Pollux and Castor in addition to Jason himself. The Calydonians sent Prince Meleagrus and his maternal uncles Plexippus and Toxeus.
Atalanta
According to another Greek legend, Atalanta was the swiftest woman in the land, who refused to marry because the oracle had warned her not to. She made all suitors race against her and defeated them all: those who lost were executed.
She eventually lost a race to Hippomenes, who defeated her with the help of Aphrodite. When Hippomenes later forgot to honor the Goddess and thank her, she made the young lovers become overcome with lust and desecrate a temple. Cybele, to whom the temple was dedicated, turned the couple into lions. The adventure with the Argos supposedly happened before she lost her race with Hippomenes.
Meleagrus
Meleagrus was a noble Prince with an interesting story of his own. When he was born, the Fates told his mother, Althaea, that he would live as long as a log of wood that was in her fireplace. She snatched the log away and hid it where it would be safe.
The Hunt
The great boar was easy to find: it had left a large swath of destruction back to its marshy lair. The heroes found it and attacked, leading to an epic battle. Atalanta was the first to draw the boar’s blood, hitting it with a well-placed arrow. Then Meleagrus finished it off with his spears and hunting knife. His uncles were the first to congratulate him, happy that the great prizes – the boar’s head, skin and tusks – would hang in Calydon.
Tragedy
That’s when things started to get ugly. Meleagrus, smitten by the lovely Atalanta, insisted that she, as the first to draw blood, should receive the prizes. The uncles were angry and offended but Meleagrus didn’t care: he hacked off the tusks and presented them to Atalanta. When she reached out to take them, the uncles hit her arms with the butts of their spears, leaving a mark. Meleagrus became enraged and murdered both of his uncles on the spot.
When Althaea heard that her brothers had been murdered by Meleagrus, she was shocked. This turned to great rage when she learned that the murders were the result of a spat concerning the beautiful Atalanta. Althaea took out the log and threw it into the fire. Just as the remorseful Meleagrus was on his way to the temple to atone for his actions, he died horribly. Althaea also died. Thus did Artemis complete her revenge on the Kingdom of Calydon. After mourning the dead and lamenting the end of Oeneus’s line, the Argonauts continued on their quest.
Variations
in some versions, Atalanta was not an Argonaut, but had come on her own when she had heard of the mighty boar. Also, some historians think there are two Atalantas: the one of the race myth and the one of the Argos. Others believe them to be the same mythological figure. Ancient sources differ on which Argonauts took part in the hunt. Three lists of them were made by Tegea, Hyginus and Ovid: the lists include over 40 names. The names on all three lists are given above.
Sources:
Hendricks, Rhoda A. Classical Gods and Heroes. New York: Morrow Quill, 1974.
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