ATALANTA, in Greek Legend, (1) was connected with Arcadia, where, at her birth, she had been exposed on a hill, her father Jasion having expected a son. At first she was suckled by a she-bear, and then saved by huntsmen, among whom she grew up to be skilled with the bow, swift, and fond of the chase, like the virgin goddess Artemis. At the hunt of the Calydonian boar her arrows were the first to hit the monster, for which its head and hide were given her by Meleager. At the funeral games of Pelias, εhe wrestled with Peleus, and won. Melanion, with intense love, followed, fought, and toiled in her service, she despising love, and remaining true to Artemis long, but yielding at last. She was the mother of Parthenopaeus. But there was (2) another Atalanta in Boeotian legends, who was to be obtained in marriage only by him who could outstrip her in a race, the consequence of failure being death. Hippomenes, before starting, had obtained from Aphrodite three golden apples, which at intervals in the race he dropped, and Atalanta, stopping to pick them up, fell behind. Both were happy at the result; but forgetting to thank the goddess for the apples, they were led by her to a religious crime, and for this were transformed into lions (Ovid, Met., x. 560-704). Latterly the adventures of these two separate heroines were united and told as of one.