Althaea
Queen of Calydon and mother of Meleager who killed her own son by burning the magical brand that the Fates had tied to his life at birth
The Legend of Althaea
Althaea was the daughter of Thestius and wife of Oeneus, king of Calydon in Aetolia. When her son Meleager was born, the three Fates appeared at his cradle. Clotho and Lachesis granted him nobility and courage, but Atropos declared that the child would live only as long as a certain brand burning on the hearth remained unconsumed. Althaea snatched the brand from the fire, extinguished it, and locked it safely away, thereby preserving her son's life. Meleager grew into a mighty warrior and led the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. After slaying the boar, a dispute arose over the spoils. Meleager killed his maternal uncles — Althaea's own brothers — in the ensuing fight. When Althaea learned that her son had slain her brothers, she was torn between maternal love and sibling loyalty. In her grief and fury, she retrieved the hidden brand and cast it into the fire. As the wood burned, Meleager felt his life-force drain away, and he died in agony. Overcome with remorse at what she had done, Althaea took her own life.
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Meleager
🗡 heroHero whose life was bound to a burning log
The leader of the Calydonian Boar Hunt whose fate was tied to a charred brand — when it burned out, he died.
Meleager
🗡 heroLeader of the Calydonian Boar Hunt
Meleager's life was bound to a burning log.
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🗡 heroNone recorded
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🗡 heroNone recorded
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🗡 heroNone recorded
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🗡 heroNone recorded
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🗡 heroQueen who murdered Agamemnon
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🗡 heroNone recorded
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