The Myth Of Atalanta, The Beautiful Huntress

The myth of Atalanta tells us of a strong and self-sufficient female figure, something rare in Greek mythology. She is known as the beautiful hunter because she dedicated herself precisely to that activity, which she loved and developed with enormous skill.

According to the myth of Atalanta, when she was born the oracle  said that if she ever got married, she would be turned into an animal. She was the daughter of Esqueneo and Clímene, two characters that came from the Boeotian culture in Western Greece. The truth is that her father was definitely expecting a boy and did not want in any way to have a female daughter.

Therefore, the father had no qualms about abandoning his little daughter on the side of a mountain, as soon as she was born. However, a bear took pity on the little girl. The myth of Atalanta says that the animal suckled and cared for her, until some hunters found her and decided to adopt  the little girl.

The myth of Atalanta, a strong woman

The Atalanta myth says that this woman was not precisely characterized by being very feminine. Its wild origin made her passionate about nature and hunting. She soon became a beautiful woman, but she did not want to be like others. So he decided to consecrate his life to the goddess Artemis, protector of the hunt and to imitate the divinity in everything.

The cult of Artemis required her to remain a virgin throughout her life and Atalanta had no problem with that. He also called her to remain among the mountains and fields and dedicate herself fully to hunting. For this reason, Atalanta developed great  physical abilities and learned to handle weapons with great dexterity, especially the javelin.

The Atalanta myth tells that on one occasion two centaurs, named Hileo and Reco, tried to rape the girl, subjugated by her beauty. Centaurs were beings that had the head, arms, and torso of humans, and the body and legs of a horse. For the most part they were wild and allowed themselves to be dominated by their animal passions. The girl faced them and beat them.

Atalanta’s bravery

Atalanta was a woman fond of combat and adventure. It is said that she was the only woman who accompanied the expedition of Jason and the Argonauts.

However, what made her famous was her participation in the Calydonian boar hunt  . It is said that the other hunters refused to allow her to accompany them, but the hero Meleager allowed the girl to join the group.

The myth of Atalanta indicates that she was the first to cause wounds to the beast, a fact of which Meleager was a witness. This hero was the one who finally killed the animal, but gave the skin to the woman, in honor of the courage it had shown.

Later, Meleager’s uncles objected to the award being given to the girl, because they considered her unworthy of it. However, the hero confronted his relatives and eventually killed them for opposing his decision. Then, he returned the boar’s skin to Atalanta, who has since been highly respected by all.

Love and tragedy

Because she was a servant of the goddess Artemis, because of the oracle that existed when she was born, and because of her own character, Atalanta was reluctant to join any man. However, suitors abounded and besieged her. To put an end to the annoyance, the woman announced that she would marry only the man who was able to beat her in a race. However, if the man lost, she would kill him.

Despite the dire warning, there were many who signed up for an athletic competition with her. However, all without exception were defeated. There were already many in the account until a young man named Hippomenes appeared, whom Aphrodite, goddess of love, wanted to help.

Aphrodite gave him some golden apples, which came from the famous garden of the Hesperides. So when the customary race took place, the young man began to drop the apples one by one. Atalanta, enraptured by the beauty of these magnificent fruits, would stop to collect them every time Hippomenes dropped them. So she lost time and was beaten in the race.

The two young men were married and were happy hunting and fighting side by side for some time. However, they made love in the time of Cibeles, goddess of Mother Earth, and she went into a rage. That is why he turned the couple into lions and condemned them to pull his chariot forever. The Cibeles fountain, in the Paseo del Prado, in Madrid, recalls the myth of Atalanta.