Atalanta
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Atalanta (Greek: Αταλάντη, English translation: "balanced") is a character from ancient Greek mythology.
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[edit] Family
Atalanta is the daughter of Schoineus or Iasos, (or Mainalos) a Boeotian (according to Hesiod) or an Arcadian (according to Apollodorus) Princess. Apollodorus is the only one who gives an account of Atalanta’s birth and upbringing. King Iasos wished for a son, and when Atalanta was born, he was greatly disappointed.[1] He left the baby on the mountainside so Atalanta would die in the cold and from hunger since he did not believe she was worth bringing up as a child. A she-bear found her and took Atalanta in order to live with her. The she-bear took care of the baby, nursing her and keeping the little child warm. After, kind hunters found her and took care of Atalanta. In the end, she was a wonderful hunteress. When two Centaurs took sight of her and chased her, Atalanta fitted an arrow in her bow and shot both of the Centaurs.[1]
[edit] Cartoons
A cartoon version of the story of Atalanta's foot race was included in, Free to Be... You and Me, a record album and illustrated songbook for children, first released in November 1972, and later in 1974 as a television special. It is presented as the story of a Princess Atalanta, whose father, the King, wants her to marry. The story highlights Atalanta's role as a feminist figure, where she is a skilled athlete and gifted astronomer. She makes an agreement with her father that she will marry only if there is a man as fast as her, confident there is no such man. Meanwhile, a man known only as 'Young John' is seen training, and after seeing he completed a track run before an hourglass expired he feels confident enough to compete in the race. While she beats almost all the men in the foot race, she ties Young John, who is then awarded her hand in marriage by the King. Young John refuses the prize, saying he could not possibly marry the princess unless she wished to marry him, and that he ran the race for the chance to get to know Atalanta. Note this is a retelling of the original myth from a feminist perspective. Atalanta agrees that she could not possibly marry John without first going off to see the world. The two part as friends, going off to travel the world individually
[edit] Comic books
In 2000, the Belgian comic book artist and writer Crisse (Didier Chrispeels) introduced the first of a series of comic books featuring Atalanta, who is also abandoned by her father but saved by goddesses and nurtured by a bear. She is adopted by the hunters who killed the bear and becomes well known for her fast running. The series focuses mainly on her adventures with the Argonauts whom she accompanies as a means of later joining the Amazons. The series also features Jason, Hercules, and other heroes and gods and goddesses of Greek mythology, though the emphasis is mainly on humour. (Atalante)
Atalanta is currently one of the featured characters in the comic Hecules; the Thracian Wars from Radical comics. In this version she is a and seeks death after being defeated by Hippomenes and the three "golden apples" in the legendary foot race and then deflowered. She kills Hippomenes and joins up with Hercules hoping for an honorable death to be forgiven by Artemis. Other notables include the familiar Meleager, Autolycus, and Iolcaus.
In Peter David's run on The Incredible Hulk in the 1990s, there was a character named Atalanta who was a member of a group called The Pantheon. She and other members of this group were descendants of an immortal youth named Agamemnon and were named after characters in Greek mythology. This Atalanta was a brash, confident warrior-woman. Like the majority of her fellow Pantheon teammates, she had somewhat enhanced strength and agility. Her weapon was a bow that could shoot energy projectiles. She was the unwilling object of affection to a Troyjan (an alien race whose people have no noses) prince named Trauma.
[edit] Pop Culture
In the Nintendo Game Boy Advance game, Golden Sun, and its sequel Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Atalanta (The heavenly huntress) is a second-level Jupiter element Summon that requires the use of 2 Jupiter Djinn to summon.
In the 1997 Sega Saturn/Sony Playstation Herc's Adventures, she is a playable character.
A version of Atalanta appears in 3 episodes of Hercules: the Legendary Journeys. Ares; Let the Begin; and If I Had a Hammer. Played by Corinna 'Cory' Everson. In this version she is Spartan and a blacksmith as well as a superior athlete. An Atalanta action figure was included in the 'Hercules' line. Sourced and confirmed by IMDB.
In the PC game, Poseidon (an expansion pack for Master Of Olympus - Zeus), the player can summon Atalanta to fulfill quests given to the player by the Gods, namely Artemis. She will say the line "this city is as wonderful as a golden apple," if your city is especially liked.
In the PC/Xbox360/PS3 game Rise of The Argonauts, Atalanta appears as a headstrong huntress who was orphaned at a young age and raised by centaurs on the island of Saria. She joins the crew of the Argo and can assist the player, as Jason, with her archery.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Rubens's "Atalanta and Meleager" in the Lady Lever Art Gallery
- Thomas Bulfinch's "Meleager and Atalanta" from Bulfinch's Mythology: The Age of Fable; or Stories of Gods and Heroes
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Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 9. 2 for Atalanta and 1.8.3 for the Boar Hunt she was dumn
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