- Daughter of Iasus and Minyas
- Her father wanted a son, and when she was born he left her on a mountaintop to die
- a she-bear suckled and cared for Atalanta until hunters found and raised her, and she learned to fight and hunt as a bear would
- she was later reunited with her father
- slew two centaurs, Hylaeus and Rhoecus, who attempted to rape her
- When Artemis was forgotten at a sacrifice by King Oineus, Althea was angered and sent the Calydonian Boar that ravaged the land, men, and cattle.
- Atalanta joined Meleager and many other heroes on a hunt for the boar
- Many of the men were mad that a woman was hunting with them, but Meleager lusted after her and persuaded them to include her
- Atalanta was the first to hit the boar, but Meleager was actually the one who killed it
- He gave the hide to Atalanta, and his two uncles were mad and tried to take the hide from her- this made him mad so he killed them
- This is when Atalanta's father rediscovered her
- He wanted her to get married, but she didn't want to
- She agreed to marry the man who could beat her in a race
- Hippomenes, the grandson of Poseidon, went to Aphrodite for help. She gave him three magic apples that were irresistible to Atalanta and would slow her down
- He won the race, and they married
(The Race)
- The she-bear was out looking for her cubs, who were taken by hunters, when she found Atalanta
- Atalanta was wearing a gold chain around her neck
- Atalanta's cuteness lured in the she-bear, and she started to protect her
- The she-bear would bring Atalanta food every day and play with her
- No other bears tried to harm Atalanta, as she was a "cub"
- The she-bear would not allow Atalanta to venture out far from the den
- One day, a bunch of hunters came to search for game. One saw Atalanta sleeping in the den. She woke up, saw the man, and started running. All the hunters were chasing her. They caught her, and carried her to their house on the other side of the forest.
- She cried a lot-she missed her she-bear mama.
- She soon started to like her new home because the hunters were very nice to her, and gave her "pretty" things to play with
- When she got older, the hunters made her a bow and arrows, and taught her how to shoot. They also gave her a spear, and taught her how to use it.
- The hunters started taking her hunting with them, and she loved running around in the woods chasing the animals--she became very fast and could outrun the men
- Her eyes were so sharp, and she was so quick that she never missed her target when she shot her bow and arrow or her spear
- The "Fleet-footed Huntress"
THE HUNT:
- When King OEneus saw Atalanta at the hunt, he suggested she put away her weapons and go play with his daughters, or go sit with the queen and learn to spin and weave- in which she rejected
- The hunters hid behind of climbed into trees when they saw the boar, because it was so scary
- One of the bravest men threw his spear at the boar, but was killed. Another man threw his spear at the boar, and it only grazed his side. Atalanta then ran up on the boar, threw her spear, struck the boar in the back, and a bunch of blood started coming out. Meleager then ran up and stabbed the boar in the heart-it then died
- The boar's head was cut off, and it took 6 people to carry it.
- "You ought to have seen the tall huntress maiden then, as she stood among the trees with the boar’s skin thrown over her left shoulder and reaching down to her feet. She had never looked so much like the queen of the woods"
- uncles of Meleager snatched Atalanta’s spear from her hand, and dragged the prize from her shoulders, and pushed her rudely and bade her go back to Arcadia and live again with the she-bears on the mountain side
- Atalanta became so popular that her father could no longer ignore the recognition of her. He reconciled with her and offered her a place at his palace
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