Meleager and Atalanta

Meleager, prince of Calydon, and Atalanta, the swift-footed huntress, are linked through the Calydonian Boar Hunt, one of the great heroic assemblies of Greek mythology.‌​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‍​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‍ When Meleager's father King Oeneus failed to honour Artemis with proper sacrifices, the goddess sent a monstrous boar to devastate the Calydonian countryside. Meleager assembled heroes from across Greece to hunt the beast. Among those who answered the call was Atalanta, a huntress raised by bears in the wild after being exposed at birth by her father, who had wanted a son. Meleager fell in love with Atalanta during the hunt. When the heroes confronted the enormous boar, Atalanta drew first blood, lodging an arrow behind the beast's ear. Meleager delivered the killing blow and awarded the boar's hide to Atalanta as the prize of first blood. This enraged Meleager's maternal uncles, who considered it shameful for a woman to receive the trophy over male heroes. When they attempted to seize the hide, Meleager killed them both. His mother Althaea was shattered — her brothers lay dead at her son's hands. Years earlier, the Moirai had told Althaea that Meleager would live only as long as a certain log on the hearth remained unburnt. She had snatched it from the fire and hidden it. Now, consumed by grief for her brothers, she retrieved the log and threw it into the flames. As it burned, Meleager felt fire consume him from within. He collapsed and died, and Althaea, horrified by what she had done, hanged herself. The myth explores the irreconcilable claims of romantic love, family loyalty, and honour.