The calydonian boar hunt

Meleager of Calydonian was one of the heroes who had sailed with Jason on the Argo. No one could throw a spear with greater skill than he. Still he was powerless to stop a fearful boar that was ravaging his father’s kingdom. The king, one day, had forgotten to include Artemis when he sacrificed to the gods, and in revenge the angry goddess sent the biggest boar ever seen. The board had tusks as big as an elephant’s and bristles as sharp as steel. Meleager sent for the Argonauts and all the great athletes of Greece and asked them to come to Calydonia and hunt down the monstrous beast. Great glory awaited the one who would destroy the Calydonian Boar.

Many heroes came to the hunt, and also a girl whose name was Atalanta. She was the fastest runner in Greece and a great huntress as well. When some of the men grumbled at hunting with a girl, Meleager ruled that a girl who could outrun them all would certainly be welcome to join the chase. Still grumbling, the men had to give in. For days the heroes feasted at the Calydonian court. Then they offered rich sacrifices to the gods and went off to the hunt.

They drove the boar out of its lair, and as it charged, spears and arrows flew wild. When the dust settled, seven men lay dead, some killed by the boar, some by the arrows of their

excited companions. Atalanta alone kept a cool head. She ran swiftly hither and thither till she could take good aim, and then she let an arrow fly. The arrow stopped the boar just in time to save the life of a hero who had stumbled in front of the onrushing beast. Quickly Meleager leaped forward and hurled his spear with all his might. The beast rolled over and lay dead.

Meleager offered the hide and the tusks to Atalanta. These trophies were hers, he said, for it was she who stopped the boar. Again the men protested, for it hurt their pride to see a girl walk off with all the glory. Meleager's two uncles teased him and said that he must be in love with the girl. "Just wait till your wife finds out about this!" they said, smiling maliciously.

In a rage Meleager hurled his spear at his taunting uncles, killing them both. When Meleager's mother heard that her son had slain her two brothers, she, too, flew into a rage. She ran to her treasure chest and took out a half-charred log. It was a magic log that held Meleager's life.

This log had been burning in the hearth when Meleager was born. The three Fates had come to see the infant, and the mother had overheard them say it was a pity that the handsome child would die as soon as the log had burned up. Quickly the mother had seized the log, beaten out the flames, and had hidden it among her dearest treasures. Thus Meleager had lived to become a great hero.

Now in her fury, the queen flung the old dry log into the fire. As it burst into flames and was consumed, Meleager felt a searing pain shoot through his body and fell dead.

The Calydonian Boar Hunt, which had begun with a feast, ended with a funeral. Only Atalanta was happy. She had won her trophies in competition with the greatest heroes of Greece.