Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica 4.34.2–7: Atalanta in the Calydonian boar hunt

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica 4.34.2–7: Atalanta in the Calydonian boar hunt

1st century BCE

Historiography

Literary source

Diodorus was a Sicilian Greek whose universal history from creation to the middle of the first century BCE: the first six books are mostly focused on myths. The present episode is explicitly introduced as a digression on the striking reversal of fortune experienced by Meleager (4.34.1). Since it is followed by a variant version as reported by some who "tell myths" (4.34.6), it seems that Diodorus considered this version at least as partially historical. Moreover, the episode features in the long account on the deeds of Heracles which Diodorus believed to be basically true: see A. Meeus, Traces of Herakles’ Benefactions across the Roman Republican Mediterranean as Proof of their Historicity in Diodoros’ Bibliotheke, Ktèma 49 (2024), 129-153.

The facts are these: Once when Oeneus had an excellent crop of grain, he offered sacrifices to the other gods, but neglected Artemis alone; and angered at him for this the goddess sent forth against him the famous Calydonian boar, a creature of enormous size. This animal harried the neighbouring land and damaged the farms; whereupon Meleager, the son of Oeneus, being then in the bloom of youth and excelling in strength and in courage, took along with himself many of the bravest men and set out to hunt the beast. Meleager was the first to plunge his javelin into it and by general agreement was accorded the reward of valour, which consisted of the skin of the animal. But Atalante, the daughter of Schoeneus, participated in the hunt, and since Meleager was enamoured of her, he relinquished in her favour the skin and the praise for the greatest bravery. The sons of Thestius, however, who had also joined in the hunt, were angered at what he had done, since he had honoured a stranger woman above them and set kinship aside. Consequently, setting at naught the award which Meleager had made, they lay in wait for Atalante, and falling upon her as she returned to Arcadia took from her the skin. Meleager, however, was deeply incensed both because of the love which he bore Atalante and because of the dishonour shown her, and espoused the cause of Atalante. And first of all he urged the robbers to return to the woman the meed of valour which he had given her; and when they paid no heed to him he slew them, although they were brothers of Althaea. Consequently Althaea, overcome with anguish at the slaying of the men of her own blood, uttered a curse in which she demanded the death of Meleager; and the immortals, so the account runs, gave heed to her and made an end of his life. But certain writers of myths give the following account: — At the time of the birth of Meleager the Fates stood over Althaea in her sleep and said to her that her son Meleager would die at the moment when the brand in the fire had been consumed. Consequently, when she had given birth, she believed that the safety of her child depended upon the preservation of the brand and so she guarded the brand with every care. Afterward, however, being deeply incensed at the murder of her brothers, she burned the brand and so made herself the cause of the death of Meleager; but as time went on she grieved more and more over what she had done and finally made an end of her life by hanging.

Charles Henry Oldfather, The Library of History of Diodorus Siculus, vol. 2 (= Loeb Classical Library; 303), Cambridge, MA/London 1935.

Οἰνεὺς γάρ, γενομένης εὐκαρπίας αὐτῷ τοῦ σίτου, τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις θεοῖς ἐτέλεσε θυσίας, μόνης δὲ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος ὠλιγώρησεν: δἰἣν αἰτίαν ἡ θεὸς αὐτῷ μηνίσασα τὸν διαβεβοημένον Καλυδώνιον ὗν ἀνῆκεν, ὑπερφυῆ τὸ μέγεθος. οὗτος δὲ τὴν σύνεγγυς χώραν καταφθείρων τὰςκτήσεις ἐλυμαίνετο: διόπερ Μελέαγρος ὁ Οἰνέως, τὴν μὲν ἡλικίαν μάλισταἀκμάζων, ῥώμῃ δὲ καὶ ἀνδρείᾳ διαφέρων, παρέλαβε πολλοὺς τῶνἀρίστων ἐπὶ τὴν τούτου κυνηγίαν. πρώτου δὲ Μελεάγρου τὸ θηρίονἀκοντίσαντος, ὁμολογούμενον αὐτῷ τὸ πρωτεῖον συνεχωρήθη: τοῦτο δ᾽ ἦν ἡδορὰ τοῦ ζῴου. μετεχούσης δὲ τῆς κυνηγίας Ἀταλάντης τῆς Σχοινέως, ἐρασθεὶς αὐτῆς ὁ Μελέαγρος παρεχώρησε τῆς δορᾶς καὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὴνἀριστείαν ἐπαίνου. ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς πραχθεῖσιν οἱ Θεστίου παῖδες συγκυνηγοῦντεςἠγανάκτησαν, ὅτι ξένην γυναῖκα προετίμησεν αὐτῶν, παραπέμψας τὴνοἰκειότητα. διόπερ ἀκυροῦντες τοῦ Μελεάγρου τὴν δωρεὰν ἐνήδρευσανἈταλάντῃ, καὶ κατὰ τὴν εἰς Ἀρκαδίαν ἐπάνοδον ἐπιθέμενοι τὴν δορὰνἀφείλοντο. Μελέαγρος δὲ διά τε τὸν πρὸς τὴν Ἀταλάντην ἔρωτα καὶ διὰτὴν ἀτιμίαν παροξυνθείς, ἐβοήθησε τῇ Ἀταλάντῃ. καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτονπαρεκάλει τοὺς ἡρπακότας ἀποδοῦναι τῇ γυναικὶ τὸ δοθὲν ἀριστεῖον: ὡς δ᾽οὐ προσεῖχον, ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτούς, ὄντας τῆς Ἀλθαίας ἀδελφούς. διόπερ ἡ μὲνἈλθαία γενομένη περιαλγὴς ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ὁμαίμων ἀναιρέσει ἀρὰς ἔθετο, καθ᾽ἃς ἠξίωσεν ἀποθανεῖν Μελέαγρον: καὶ τοὺς ἀθανάτους ὑπακούσανταςἐπενεγκεῖν αὐτῷ τὴν τοῦ βίου καταστροφήν.ἔνιοι δὲ μυθολογοῦσιν ὅτικατὰ τὴν Μελεάγρου γένεσιν τῇ Ἀλθαίᾳ τὰς Μοίρας καθ᾽ ὕπνον ἐπιστάσαςεἰπεῖν ὅτι τότε τελευτήσει Μελέαγρος ὁ υἱὸς αὐτῆς, ὅταν ὁ δαλὸς κατακαυθῇ. διόπερ τεκοῦσαν, καὶ νομίσασαν ἐν τῇ τοῦ δαλοῦ φυλακῇ τὴν σωτηρίαν τοῦ τέκνου κεῖσθαι, τὸν δαλὸν ἐπιμελῶς τηρεῖν. ὕστερον δ᾽ ἐπὶ τῷφόνῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν παροξυνθεῖσαν κατακαῦσαι τὸν δαλὸν καὶ τῷ Μελεάγρῳτῆς τελευτῆς αἰτίαν καταστῆναι: ἀεὶ δὲ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τοῖς πεπραγμένοιςλυπουμένην τὸ τέλος ἀγχόνῃ τὸν βίον καταστρέψαι.

Immanel Bekker, Ludwig Dindorf, Friedrich Vogel (eds.), Diodori Bibliotheca Historica, vol. 1–2, Leipzig 1888–1890.