Atalanta and Hippomenes - Part 1

Atalanta was a beautiful maiden, feral and free from human etiquette. This was because she, as a new-born babe was suckled and raised by a bear. Impossible you might say, but Moros – the deep fate that determines all – had other plans when she was abandoned by her King father and Queen mother on the flanks of Mt Parthenion. The baby girl grew to be a wild and swift forest creature and when she was taken in by a group of hunters, she mastered the arts of tracking, trapping and hunting. She developed an unmatched skill using spears, bow and arrow, slings and even rocks. It was only natural to become a devotee of Artemis, the goddess of Hunting and Chastity.

The Arcadian King Scoeneus, the cold-hearted father who, many moons ago, had abandoned her to die on the mountain, was now desperately asking her to come back. He had not been able to father another child and he was increasingly fearful that his end would come faster if he didn’t have a successor to protect him. And what a protector! Atalanta was more capable than any man, she was stronger and faster and wittier and on top of that, she had his own blood running through her veins. She was the perfect candidate. Almost perfect. Atalanta had clearly and strongly declared that she would never marry. King Scoeneus was trying to puzzle out how it was possible to have a successor if she wouldn’t get married.

‘’ I’ll be the Queen and Ruler of the land’’ she proclaimed.

King Scoeneus tried to portray the benefits of marriage, the companionship, the sharing of responsibilities and housework. To strengthen and expand the kingdom via alliances.

‘’ I’m devoted to Artemis, the Queen of the forests and mountains. I have vowed to never be married, to never lay next to a man till the end of my days’’ she declared.

The Arcadian King talked to his wife and asked her to do something about her daughter. The Queen mother approached Atalanta in the best possible motherly way - despite the minor incident that involved a flank of a mountain and a bear - and talked to her about the virtues of a union between a woman and a man. Atalanta couldn’t disagree more with what her mother was saying but something inside made her to take a step back from her resoluteness.

‘’Ok Mother, I’ll get married if you wish’’ muttered Atalanta and at the same time she was trying to understand why she said what she said, ‘’but under one condition!’’ she added ‘’I will only marry the man who can run faster than me. This kind of man will be worthy to become my husband’’. Now she felt a bit better.

‘’And any suitor who takes the challenge and fails, dies!’’ she snapped straight after.

You would think that with this last clause Atalanta would have it easy. That she wouldn’t have to run races all day long and only on a few exceptions would she have to do her stretches, when desperate or arrogant men appeared to challenge her.
But Atalanta was an astonishingly beautiful woman. It wasn’t just her long hair, olive skin and the few and necessary piece of leather that covered her body. It was her powerful eyes thirsty for adventures, her perceptive senses that felt like they were amazingly responsive to stimuli, that even the leaves on trees would stop shaking in the breeze so as not to wake her from her mid-day nap.

Many good - and some not so good – lads died trying to win the race. Atalanta was so fast that not even one challenger was able to finish in sight of the finishing line. They all accepted their fate with a sense of humiliation and that arrogance made Atalanta feel better about the fact that they were losing their lives. But one day, a young man appeared in front of Atalanta. His name was Hippomenes.

‘’I’m in love with you Atalanta and I want to be with you’’ he said firmly and softly.

‘’How he dares this man, this handsome man, to appear in front of me with such a definite presence’’ Atalanta thought to herself. ‘’ I’ll show him tomorrow!’’ she determined once she had accepted the challenge.
‘’what a pity’’ she heard the echo of her inner mind chanting at the same time.

to be continued..