ATALANTA

In Greek mythology Atalanta was beautiful, strong, and the fastest runner of the mortals. She traveled with Jason and his Argonauts on the search for the Golden Fleece, but she is most famous for her adventures after the quest, including the Calydonian boar hunt, the race with Hippomenes, and for misbehaving in a temple of Zeus.

Atalanta’s mythical origins are not certain: some tales say that she was the daughter of Schoeneus of Boeotia, others that Iasus of Arcadia was her father; and there are hints that her mother may have been an attendant of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. Whoever her parents were, legend tells of a dramatic childhood. When Atalanta was newly born, her father was so disappointed in not having a son that he abandoned the infant in the forest, where she was rescued and nurtured by a bear. Some time later hunters found the bear suckling the baby, and they took her to raise as their own. Atalanta grew up to be a fine archer and hunter.

Some scholars argue that for the ancient Greeks the myth of Atalanta highlights prejudice in favoring sons over daughters. At the same time Atalanta’s fictional story fits into a pattern seen in the lives of many mythical heroes. For example, Paris, Oedipus, and Orestes were all abandoned or rejected when young, but legends tell how they survived, succeeded, and fulfilled the fears or desires that prompted their parents to abandon them. Atalanta not only became as strong and successful as any son her father could have wished for, she went on to deny her femininity by rejecting the idea of marriage. She was also the prototype for other female warriors, such as Camilla, who is featured in Book 11 of the Aeneid by the Roman poet Virgil (70-19 BCE).

In terms of the chronology of Greek mythology, Atalanta belonged to the generation before the Trojan War, and she

Right: Even in marble, Atalanta looks strong and athletic. This statue dates from the fourth or third century BCE.

Participated in the two major heroic expeditions of her fictional time: the quest for the Golden Fleece with the Argonauts and the Calydonian boar hunt. In one account, however, Jason, the Greek hero who led the Argonauts, dissuaded Atalanta from joining the quest because he feared that a woman’s presence would spark conflict among his men.