In the stories that we now call mythology, which is a religious structure believed by the ancient Greeks, we do not easily encounter strong women in general. Atalante is an important exception. The daughter of a hunter, Atalante, even in the stories told thousands of years ago, has become an important figure among both humans and gods with her strength and courage by destroying the traditional female image.
Unlike other Greek goddesses and female characters, Atalante did not stand out with her beauty. The reason why Atalante is an important figure is that she is brave enough to rebel even against the gods by destroying the perception of women who are always in the background and thought to be powerless. Let’s take a closer look at the story of Atalante in Greek mythology.
Who is Atalante in Greek mythology? Baby left to die because he is not a man:
There are three different rumors about Atalante. According to one she is a demigoddess, the daughter of Hades, the god of the underworld, in the other she is the daughter of the Arcadian king Schoeneus and the princess of Arcadia, and the last, and widely believed, Atalante is the daughter of a hunter. Another legend is said to be a version of the goddess Artemis. Even if there are doubts about his parents, his story after his birth is common to everyone.
When Atalante was born, her parents were very upset because they wanted a son. For this reason, they left this newborn baby girl on a mountainside to die. Where they had left Atalante was the cave of a bear that had just given birth. The she-bear took this newborn baby instead of food and fed it. This baby, which survived by feeding on the milk of a female bear, was later found by hunters in the area.
As Atalante grew up, it was seen that she had similar features with Artemis, the goddess of nature, children, and hunters. Unlike most girls, she didn’t want to take care of the housework, she went on hunts. Her success on the hunts was admirable, she. What made it unique was its running speed, which even the wildest animals could not keep up with. She may not have been a goddess or a demigod, but Artemis was definitely helping this girl.
He proved himself during a boar hunt:
Atalante had grown into a young and very beautiful woman. But just because he wasn’t a man, he knew what had happened to him. That’s why she hated the rules of the male-dominated society and even the men themselves. He was a virgin and was determined to remain a virgin. She wanted to be a woman who existed with her talents, not as a beautiful woman in society. He would soon fulfill this wish.
A hunting party was organized to get rid of the pigs that devastated the fields in the region. Despite the scorn, Atalante joined the hunt. He proved himself when he quickly caught up with a giant boar, which even the strongest hunters could not catch, and killed it with his power. The hunters gave him the skin of the pig as a gift.
One of the events that made Atalante a legend is the killing of horsemen. One day, while he was hunting in the forest, horsemen called centaurs attacked him and tried to rape him. The horsemen, who had underestimated this beautiful young girl, were pierced by her arrows before they even realized what had happened.
Atalante decided to marry and appealed to an oracle:
Atalante had stayed away from men and decided to remain a virgin because of her ambition against the male-dominated society. But she was still a young woman, she. Sometimes the thought of marriage did not cross his mind. She wanted to have children and she dreamed of how beautiful, talented and strong they would be. Finally she decided to consult an oracle.
When Atalante shared these thoughts, the oracle told him not to look for a husband, but that he would marry one day. More importantly, she insisted that when she got married one day, her husband should be a much more successful runner than her. The young woman was confused, but she was confident that the person she was going to marry was more talented than she was. He thought of holding a contest.
The winner of the race marries, the loser is killed:
Atalante was an unprecedentedly strong and talented woman, her right to choose the man she would marry. News was sent all over the place. The one who won Atalante in the running race would qualify to marry her. But the loser would not be able to return home, she. Atalante, who really wanted brave men to participate in the race, also announced that those who lost the race would be killed on the spot.
At that time, such a condition was not easily accepted. But Atalante was not only strong and talented, she was beautiful enough to risk death for it. The men who wanted to get this beauty started competing with her one by one and then getting killed on the spot. It was nearly impossible to beat Atalante. The gods needed help. Melenios would receive this help.
Aphrodite’s gift is three golden apples:
Melenios was a young and handsome man. However, he wasn’t skilled enough to beat Atalante either. Therefore, the goddess begged Aphrodite and asked her to help him marry this beautiful girl. Aphrodite matched the two and gave Melenios three golden apples to help him. Then the race started.
Melenyos started the race fast. Atalante, on the other hand, was coming after him without tiring himself because he knew that he would win anyway. When Melenios realized that the woman was going to catch him, he threw a golden apple on the ground. Fascinated, Atalante stopped and picked up the golden apple to examine it.
The running continued. Melenios threw a golden apple whenever he needed to breathe, or when Atalante was about to overtake him. Atalante could not resist Aphrodite’s golden apples, stopping to examine them each time. Thus, Melenyos won the race. Atalante and Melenios got married in a wedding that lasted three days and three nights.
Well, young people, is there work to be done there?
Atalante and Melenios became a passionate couple in love. One day, while they were walking in the forest, they entered a temple dedicated to the god Zeus and there they made love. Big Zeus got very angry at such an event and turned them into lions. As double punishment, they were sentenced to forever towing an Olympian chariot. They couldn’t reach their wish, at least let’s go to their caravan.
We answered the question of who is Atalante, one of the most powerful female characters in Greek mythology, and talked about her story, which was transferred from language to language. You can share your thoughts about Greek mythology stories and Atalante in the comments.
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