There are few stories about powerful women in Greek and Roman mythology. When they do exist, there is usually something about the person that makes them extra special, or otherworldly; they are a Goddess themselves or a God falls in love with them, thereby giving them value in the eyes of the great Greco-Roman poets. The mythos of Atalanta has always stood apart, seeing as it tells the tale of a young, mortal woman who held her own against the Gods and heroes of lore. There are many myths about Atalanta, but at its core, it is the story of a woman spurned at birth for being born a girl, who was raised to be one of the fastest/strongest warriors of all time. Here are some fast facts about the fastest Greek mythological figure:
-Atalanta was born a Princess, but her father abandoned her in the woods because she was a girl -A she-bear found her as an infant and raised her as her own -Atalanta became a priestess of Artemis, the Goddess of the moon/hunt, and became one of her most trusted, and powerful huntresses -Atalanta was invited on the all-male Calydonian boar hunt, and as a famed archer, was the first to strike the beast with her arrow -She beat Achilles' father, Peleus, in a funeral games wrestling contest -In a few myths, she was the only female Argonaut -Atalanta later reconnected with her father who wanted her to marry. She agreed on the condition that she would only marry someone that could beat her in a race. No one was faster than her, so Aphrodite helped Melanion. Melanion would toss three golden apples along the course to distract her and then he won.
