Atalanta, maiden to men equal Lore Books

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About the maiden Atalanta, the huntress and favourite of the Greek goddess Artemis.

Text

Atalanta
maiden to men equal

King of the Boeotians, Schoineas, longed for a son to succeed him and inherit the throne. He rejected his first-born daughter, and ordered the child to be thrown in the forest. The child, however, was discovered by a she-bear, who let her drink her milk, and so saved the child from certain death. Later, hunters took the girl, named her Atalanta, and taught her their art. Soon she grew into a sturdy, strong woman who surpassed men in hunting, running and riding.
Because of this, the virgin goddess of the hunt, Artemis, took a liking to her, and Atalanta took a vow of chastity after her example. She sailed with the Argonauts on their expeditions and was one of the hunters who set out to hunt the Calydonian boar. It was her arrow that first struck the creature. Meleagros, the son of the Calydonian king who eventually managed to kill the beast, gave Atalanta the boar’s hide in exchange for a promise of her love. He was killed, however, and the marriage never took place.
Atalanta soon gained fame and glory that reached all the way back to her father. On their reunion, he demanded that his daughter marry despite her vows. She agreed, but set a condition - she would marry only such a man who would surpass her in running. Many men entered the race, and many took the ignominious loss. Only finally did Hippomenes appear, and he managed to defeat Atalanta (albeit by trickery).
The story of Atalanta has two known endings. In one, she married Hippomenes and was his equal as hunter, wife and companion. In the other, she and Hippomenus were punished for desecrating the forest temple and turned into wild animals.