By the Gods!

Atalanta

In Greek mythology, Atalanta was the daughter of Iasus of Aradia. Who’s he? Doesn’t matter! We’re here to talk about Atalanta, the famous huntress. She was born unwanted to Iasus, and thus cast aside; left to die on a mountainside as a wee babe. A friendly bear came along and suckled her, raising her as a bear cub until they were bested by hunters. The hunters then assumed parentage of Atalanta, raising her as one of their own. Thanks to her wild origins, she became a truly mighty hunter. She was inclined, to manly pursuits, and even applied to be an Argonaut with Jason and those fellas, but was refused. Jason was worried that having a beautiful woman aboard would cause jealousies among his crew.

Atalanta’s most famous myth concerns the lengths to which she went to avoid marriage. She said that her husband-to-be must first beat her in a race, and any man who lost would be put to death. Many tried, many placed 2nd, many died. Then, along came Melanion, whose hopeless love for Atalanta won Aphrodite’s pity. She gave young Mel three golden apples, which he used to distract Atalanta at different points during the footrace, as they were completely irresistible. Melanion won the race and married Atalanta, but in his haste to consummate the marriage, forgot to make a vow of thanks to Aphrodite. Melanion and Atalanta both paid for the sacrilege by being turned into lions. That seems like a proportionate response, Olympus.