Hyginus, Fabulae 174: Atalanta in the Calydonian boar hunt

Hyginus, Fabulae 174: Atalanta in the Calydonian boar hunt

1st century BCE - 1st century CE

Mythography

Literary source

MELEAGER: Althaea, daughter of Thestius, bore Meleager to Oineus. There in the palace a glowing brand is said to have appeared. The Fates came there, and foretold the fate of Meleager, that he would live as long as the brand was unharmed. Althaea, putting it in a chest, carefully preserved it. In the meantime the wrath of Diana sent a boar of huge size to lay waste the district of Calydon, because Oineus had not made yearly offerings to her. Meleager, with the help of chosen youths of Greece, killed it, and gave the hide to the virgin Atalanta because of her valor. Ideus, Plexippus, Lynceus . . . brothers of Althaea, wished to take if from her. When she asked the help of Meleager, he intervened, and putting love before family relationship, killed his uncles. When Althaea, the mother, heard that her son had dared to commit such a crime, remembering the warning of the Parcae, she brought out the brand from the chest and threw it on the fire. Thus, in desiring to avenge the death of her brothers, she killed her son. But his sisters, all except Gorge and Deianeira, because of their weeping, were by the will of the gods changed into birds. These are called Meleagrides, 'guinea hens.' And Alcyone, wife of Meleager, died from grief in mourning for him.

Mary Grant, The Myths of Hyginus, Kansas 1960.

MELEAGER. Althaea Thestii filia ex Oeneo peperit Meleagrum. ibi in regia dicitur titio ardens apparuisse. huc Parcae uenerunt et Meleagro fata cecinerunt, eum tam diu uicturum quam diu is titio esset in- columis. hunc Althaea in arca clausum diligenter seruauit. interim ira Dianae, quia Oeneus sacra annua ei non fecerat, aprum mira magnitudine qui agrum Calydonium uastaret misit. quem Meleager cum delectis iuuenibus Graeciae interfecit, pellemque eius ob uirtutem Atalante uirgini donauit, quam [Ideus] Plexippus [Lynceus] .... Althaeae fratres eripere uoluerunt. illa cum Meleagri fidem implorasset, ille interuenit et amorem cog- nationi anteposuit, auunculosque suos occidit. id Althaea mater <ut> audiuit, filium suum tantum facinus esse ausum, memor Parcarum praecepti ti<t>ionem ex arca prolatum in ignem coniecit. ita dum fratrum poenas uult exsequi, filium interfecit. at sorores eius praeter Gorgen et Deianiram flendo deorum uoluntate in aues sunt transfiguratae, quae meleagrides uocantur; at coniunx eius Alcyone maerens in luctu decessit.

Herbert I. Rose (ed.), Hygini Fabulae, Leiden 1933.