Greek Mythology: “Atalanta, Hippomenes, a Footrace and Three Golden Apples”.-

►Greek Mythology:

“Atalanta, Hippomenes, a Footrace and Three Golden Apples”:

“The Race between Atalanta and Hippomenes” by Nicolas Colombel (1680).-

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Atalanta was a great Arkadian huntress and a favourite of the goddess Artemis. Shewas exposed by her father in the wilderness at birth, but was suckled by a she-bear and afterwards found and raised by hunters.

She swore to the goddess to defend her virginity and, when Centaurs burst into her grove, destroyed them with her arrows.

Later she participated in the voyage of the Argonauts, and defeated the hero Peleus in wrestling at the funeral games of King Pelias.

When Meleagros gathered heroes to destroy the Kalydonian Boar, Atalanta joined the hunt and was the first to draw blood.

Meleagros awarded her the prize of the skin, and when his uncles tried to take it from her force, he slew them.

After the Calydonian boar hunt, Atalanta was rediscovered by her father. He wanted her to be married, but Atalanta, uninterested in marriage, agreed to marry only if her suitors could outrun her in a footrace. Those who lost would be killed. King Schoeneus agreed, and many young men died in the attempt until Hippomenes came along.

Hippomenes asked the goddess Aphrodite for help, and she gave him three golden apples in order to slow Atalanta down.

Aphrodite gave him three golden apples – which came rom the Garden of the Hesperides, according to Servius – and told him to drop them one at a time to distract Atalanta.

These golden apples were planted from the fruited branches that Gaia gave to Hera as a wedding gift when Hera accepted Zeus.

The golden apples were irresistible, so every time Atalanta got ahead of Hippomenes, he rolled an apple ahead of her, and she would run after it. In this way, Hippomenes won the footrace and came to marry Atalanta. Eventually they had a son Parthenopaios.

Zeus or his mother Rhea turned Atalanta and Hippomenes into lions after they made love together in one of his temples.

Other accounts say that Aphrodite changed them into lions because they did not give her proper honor.

The belief at the time was that lions could not mate with their own species, only with leopards; thus Atalanta and Hippomenes would never be able to remain with one another.

►Symbolism and other facts: The Greek word χρυσομηλιά, and Latin “pomum aurantium” both literally describe oranges as “golden apples”.

The unnamed fruit of the Garden of Eden became an apple under the influence of the story of the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides.

As a result, the apple became a symbol for knowledge, inmortality, temptation, sin and the fall of man. Secular art as well made use of the apple as symbol of love and sexuality.

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“Atlanta and Hippomenes” by Willem van Herp (1632).-

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►”Three Greek Myths related to Golden Apples”:

1) “Atalanta and Hippomenes´Footrace”, 2) “The Garden of Hesperides and Heracles´Eleventh Labor”, 3) “The Judgement of Paris”:

1) Goddess Aphrodite gave Hippomenes three golden apple which he used to beat Atalanta in the footrace, as he rolled them ahead of her while she was running. Hippomenes was also known as Melanion, a name possibly derived from “melon” the Greek word for both “apple” and fruit in general.

2) Heracles´Eleventh Labor was to retrieve the Golden Apples from The Garden of the Hesperides. First, he flattered the Hesperides, but they didn’t give him the apples. Then he found Atlas and convinced him to give him the sky for a little so Atlas went to see his daughters and they gave him a golden apple. Then Atlas gave the apple to Hercules).

3) The chain of events that started the Trojan War all began with a spiteful goddess and a simple apple. Zeus was putting together a wedding banquet for Peleus and Thetis. He planned to invite just about everyone. Everyone except Eris.

However, Eris arrived at the celebration with a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides, which she threw into the proceedings, upon which was the inscription καλλίστῃ (kallistēi, “For the most beautiful one”). Three goddesses claimed the apple: Hera, Athena and Aphrodite.

Zeus declared that Paris of Troy would decide who deserved the apple. Paris chose Aphrodite’s offer, so she got the apple and Paris was given Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. Paris abducted her and took her to Troy.

The Greeks’ expedition to retrieve Helen from Paris in Troy is the mythological basis of the Trojan War.

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►Slideshare: “Who was Atlanta?”:

Click above to watch it.-

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►”Read Atalanta and Hippomenes´story on “The Metamorphose”s by Ovid”:

Click on teh Image aboev to read Atalanta and Hippomenes´story (Book X verses 560 to 680).-

Click on the Image above to read Atalanta and Hippomenes´story (Ovid´s “Metamorphoses”. Book X Verses 560 to 680).-

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►Links Post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atalanta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippomenes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_(symbolism)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_apple#Oranges

http://www.pbase.com/dlcmh/c01_thethreegoldenapples

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/JudgementParis.html

http://camphalfblood.wikia.com/wiki/The_Garden_of_the_Hesperides

http://aquileana.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/greek-mythology-agamemnons-family-and-the-war-of-troy/

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►Last but not Least: ”Three Awards”:

I have been nominated for three Awards.

I) My dear blogger friend Sue Dreamwalker nominated me for an “Angel Award”. Check out her brilliant site and the nomination both here. Thanks a bunch, Sue

II) Cool blogger Deimos and Phobos has kindly nominated for the ” Black Wolf Blogger Award”. You can check out nomination and great blog here. Thank you very much.

III) I have been nominated for an Versatile Bloger Award (Trophee Version) coming from Between Sky and Earth. As I already had this award I changed its feature… Check the nomination and the sparkling blog here. Thank You.

►Here are the Awards Rules:

1) The nominee shall display the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award logo on her/his blog.

2) The nominee shall nominate ten (10) she/he admires, by linking to their blogs and informing them about it.

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