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The Calydonian Boar - Atalanta

Rahul Sarma (300014187)

Part 1: Story based on the following 2 primary sources: Homer, Iliad 9. 543 ff (Translated by Lattimore. Theoi Project) https://www.theoi.com/Ther/HusKalydonios.html (Classic Literature Quotes) Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 66 (Translated by Aldrich. Theoi Project) https://www.theoi.com/Ther/HusKalydonios.html (Classic Literature Quotes) I, Atalanta, was called upon by King Oieneus of Calydon to help hunt a boar. I was confident in my ability to handle a bow and knew that this beast would be no match against my skillful aim, so I gladly accepted the challenge. Once I arrived in Calydon, I saw the terror and sadness in people’s eyes. I overheard many speaking about the men and women who were working in the fields and never returned to their families. The ones who fled described the boar as a large beast with powerful tusks and shiny teeth. It ravaged the lands destroying the king’s orchards and uprooted tall trees out of the ground. I said to myself “This could be the most difficult hunt I have ever faced,” and made my way towards the king’s home. Once I arrived, I felt countless eyes staring at me. I felt alone and soon realized that I was the only woman participating in this hunt. The king made an announcement, “The man who slays the beast will be awarded the skin as a trophy and will be celebrated as a hero throughout Calydon!” I knew it was going to be an exciting hunt and could not wait to pierce the boar with my arrows. The king entertained us for 9 days. During this time many of the hunters avoided my presence and wanted nothing to do with me. On the 10th day, Kepheus and Ankaios from Arkadia spoke about their refusal to go hunting with a woman. I was unsure on how to react to the news and hoped that Meleagros, the leader of the hunt, would not kick me off the team. He explained to the other hunters of my skill with a bow and insisted that I would be a strong asset on this hunt. “Do not worry about the other hunters, I know of your skills as a huntress and am glad to have you on this team.” I was happy to hear that he believed in me, but also felt that his intentions weren’t completely platonic. On the day of the hunt, everyone suited up and brought their weapon of choice with them. Some men even brought their hounds in order to help take down the boar. We made our way to the fields and saw the carnage that the boar had left behind. After some time, we spotted the beast and encircled it quickly. It was large with sharp tusks and shiny teeth, just as the people described. I saw its eyes and it looked angered with our presence. It charged at Hyleus and Ankaios and killed them instantly. Peleus attempted to throw a javelin at the boar and missed terribly, killing Eurytion, King of Phthia. As soon I realized the boar was distracted, I knew it was my chance to strike. I pulled back my arrow, aimed with precision, and released as it struck its back. Soon after, Amphiaraos shot it in the eye and Meleagros killed it with a final blow. 1

The Calydonian Boar - Atalanta

Rahul Sarma (300014187)

Meleagros approached me with its skin, “Atalanta, you were the first to pierce the boar’s hide so I present to you the skin of the boar as a trophy of this hunt!” I was so grateful that I received the skin of the boar, but some of the other hunters were furious. The sons of Thestios believed they deserved the trophy by right of birth, if Meleagros chose not to accept it. “You do not deserve this prize, you are a woman and a disgrace to this hunt!” The trophy was ripped out of my hands by the sons of Thestios, I was in shock and at a loss for words. Meleagros was furious and in a pit of rage slew the sons immediately, returning the trophy back to me. After some time Mealeagros dropped dead and I now found myself in the midst of a war between the Kouretes and Calydonians. How has such a victorious day turned so ugly. (Word Count: 665) Note: This myth is also mentioned by Hesiod, but not in detail so I did not include it as a primary source. Hesiod, Catalogues of Women Fragment 98 (Translated by Evelyn White, Theoi Project) https://www.theoi.com/Ther/HusKalydonios.html (Classic Literature Quotes)

Part 2: Perspectives from Secondary Sources 1st Source:

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The Calydonian Boar - Atalanta

Rahul Sarma (300014187)

Barringer, J.M. 1996. “Atalanta as Model: The Hunter and the Hunted.” Classical Antiquity: Vol. 15, No. 1, 48-76 https://www-jstor-org.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/stable/25011031 The author explains the dynamic of the boar hunt by explaining the roles that Meleager and Atalanta have during this momentous hunt. He draws evidence from ancient paintings and depictions of the hunt as well as traditional norms during that time period. For Meleager, the boar hunt is a typical initiatory hunt. It is a way for him to learn how to become a strong male leader. This is his first collective hunt with other heroes and maternal uncles. The author explains it as a “typical motif of male initionary rites” (p.58) where Meleager is portrayed as an adolescent. The author uses the boar hunt in Odyssey 19.392-466 in which Odysseus also goes boar hunting with his maternal uncles. He is able to successfully kill the boar, return home and celebrate as he is exalted into manhood. By contrast, the boar hunt with Meleager turns into a familial killing and the hunter becomes the hunted and the one who is killed. Another dynamic of the hunt is how Atalanta was completely rejected throughout the hunt for being a woman. Most greek women were rarely out of the house and were tasked with taking care of the children. The author explains that many paintings depict Atalanta as an Amazon. The only females to really break the barrier of civilized society are maenads and Amazons. Amazons frequently appear as Scythians or archers wearing some type of animal skin. In the Calydonian boar hunt depictions, Atalanta is shown as an archer and sometimes wearing animal skin. Amazons are devotees of Artemis and scholars have noted that Amazons provide a negative image of what might happen if women were in control, or provide a model of those who refuse marriage and therefore refuse culture. Like the maenads and Amazons, Artemis is shown as a female outsider that participates in a male “sport.” (Word Count: 310)

2nd Source: Howell, R.A. 1989. “The Atalanta Legend in Art and Literature.” Journal of Sport History: Vol. 16, No. 2, 127-139 https://www-jstor-org.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/stable/43609443 The author presents a different point of view of the male and female dynamic during the 3

The Calydonian Boar - Atalanta

Rahul Sarma (300014187)

Calydonian boar hunt by introducing the concept of sexual antagonism. According to Wikipedia, sexual antagonism occurs when the two sexes have conflicting strategies concerning reproduction. This conflict could potentially lead to “an evolutionary arms race between males and females.” The myth explains how Atalanta is rejected by the other hunters and is loved by Meleager, the leader of the hunt. The author uses an example of a play called Atalanta in Calydon, written by Charles Swinburne which explains how Atalanta is perceived throughout the myth. The play focuses on Althea, the mother of Meleager, who also played a part in killing her own son. Althea blamed the death of her son on Atalanta because she was a woman and had no business participating in a male hunt. Her presence in the hunt created conflict between the men and ultimately led to the death of her own son. The author explains that the tragedies in this myth are due to “female unnaturalness” and “male naturalness.” (p.130) The men of the hunt felt that her female presence was lowering their status as “the finest and noblest men in Greece.” (p.130) Meleager on the other hand, loved Atalanta and convinced the other men to accept her. When she was the first to strike the boar, this infuriated the men even more because they felt inferior to a woman. When Meleager made the final kill it reinstated the men’s honor, but was quickly taken away when the boar’s skin was presented to Atalanta. However, the sex conflict re-surfaced when Meleager said: “Take thou the prize that is of my right, O fair Arcadian, and let my glory be shared with thee” and presented her with the trophy. The other hunters refused to believe that a female should be awarded in a male activity. They were insulted and shamed, causing conflict within the group and ultimately leading to the death of Meleager and many other men. (Word Count: 339)

Part 3: Visual Sources Ancient Image: The Calydonian Boar Hunt. Attic Black Figure in the shape of a Siana Cup. ca 580 - 570 B.C. (Archaic Period). It is part of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, CA. This image is taken from the J. Paul Getty Museum art collection online, but is found on Theoi.com: https://www.theoi.com/Gallery/M17.1.html

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The Calydonian Boar - Atalanta

Rahul Sarma (300014187)

This image depicts the Calydonian Boar Hunt. The boar is shown in the center of the image surrounded by countless men holding their spears. The boar takes up the most space in the image which shows how large the beast is in comparison to the hunters. I believe Atalanta is on the far right of the image as the male hunters are shown with beards. My first source in Part 2 mentions that this painting is not an actual representation of the Calydonian Boar Hunt. They mention that the hunters’ names are not inscribed and Atalanta is not included. (Barringer, p.56) Two hounds are shown on top of the boar and one behind it. These hounds are also mentioned by Homer: “The son of Oineus killed this boar, Meleagros, assembling together many hunting men out of numerous cities with their hounds.” (Iliad 9. 543 ff ) The men of this hunt knew they needed help so they brought hounds as a decoy in order to tactfully attack the boar. (Word Count: 169)

Modern Image: The Calydonian Boar Hunt. This is an oil on panel made by Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577 - 1640). The culture is Flemish and was painted in Belgium around 1611 - 1612. It was sold to the J. Paul Getty Museum in 2006 and now resides in London, England. This image is taken from the J. Paul Getty Museum art collection online: http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/226430/peter-paul-rubens-the-calydonian-boar-huntflemish-about-1611-1612/

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The Calydonian Boar - Atalanta

Rahul Sarma (300014187)

This image depicts the Calydonian Boar Hunt. The painting is similar to the ancient image as it shows the hunters surrounding the boar with spears. Meleagros is in the red and Atalanta is behind him in the purple holding her bow. I believe this depiction represents the final blow when Meleagros kills the boar. Pseudo-Apollodorus mentions this scene as well: “Atalante was first to hit the boar, in the back with an arrow. Amphiaraos then got it in the eye, and Meleagros killed it with a blow on the flank.” (Bibliotheca 1. 66) It is also interesting to see horses shown because they were never mentioned in either of the primary sources. The hounds are also shown surrounding the boar, similar to the ancient image. The J. Getty Museum explains that the man under the boar is Ankaios which is also referenced by Pseudo-Apollodorus: “When they had encircled the boar, the animal killed Hyleus and Ankaios.” (Bibliotheca 1. 66) (Word Count: 156) Part 4: Impact of Myth on Modern/Pop Culture/Mass Media Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a video game that was released on October 2nd, 2018. Set in 431 BC, the plot tells a fictional history of the Peloponnesian war between Athens and Sparta (See image below). The plot revolves around a misthios (greek mercenary) trying to fix their fractured family all while fighting mythological creatures and accepting quests from both Athens and Sparta.

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The Calydonian Boar - Atalanta

Rahul Sarma (300014187)

Depiction of Athens vs Sparta in AC Odyssey

Mercenary fighting the Calydonian Boar This game takes a very interesting approach on how they introduce the myth of the Calydonian Boar. The misthios meets a woman named Daphnae, who is the leader of the Daughters of Artemis. She tasks the misthios to hunt down the boar which inhabits the sacred lands of Apollo in Phokis. ● The player learns that Daphnae is the leader of the Daughters of Artemis. This reference to Artemis represents the fact that Artemis was the one who created the Calydonian Boar after King Oieneus forgot to sacrifice his fruits. ● In the image above we see the mercenary fighting the boar which is shown as a large beast with sharp tusks. The eyes of the boar look like they have been speared, which is also referenced by Pseudo-Apollodorus: “Amphiaraos then got it in the eye.” (Bibliotheca 1. 66) The bloodied eyes could be a reference to Amphiaraos spearing the boar’s eyes. ● The game also adds an interesting twist to the fight when other boars simultaneously attack the player. ● The player later learns that Daphnae needs the misthios to fight other mythological creatures like The Nemean Lion, Kallisto the Bear and The Cretan Bull. The Calydonian Boar quest is a good representation of how the game uses hidden references to

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The Calydonian Boar - Atalanta

Rahul Sarma (300014187)

hint at real truths about a particular myth. (Word Count: 291) Info and Images were taken from the following sites: “Assassin's Creed Odyssey”. Ubisoft: https://assassinscreed.ubisoft.com/game/en-us/odyssey/dlc/free-updates “Kalydonian Boar”. Eurogamer: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-10-18-assassins-creed-odyssey-kalydonian-boarstrategy-5022 “Kalydonian Boar”. Fandom: https://assassinscreed.fandom.com/wiki/Kalydonian_Boar “Assassin's Creed Odyssey”. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin %27s_Creed_Odyssey

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