The Calydonian Boar Hunt
Artemis sends a monstrous boar against Calydon, drawing heroes from across Greece into one of mythology's great hunts.
The Story
King Oeneus of Calydon honoured the gods after the harvest but neglected Artemis.
The omission angered the goddess.
She sent an enormous boar to devastate the countryside.
The animal destroyed crops, damaged the land and threatened the people of Calydon.
Oeneus' son Meleager gathered heroes from across Greece to hunt it.
The gathering became almost a catalogue of the Heroic Age.
Among those who joined was Atalanta, the famous huntress.
Her presence caused tension among some of the male hunters, but Meleager accepted her.
During the hunt Atalanta struck the boar and drew first blood.
Meleager later delivered the killing blow.
Because Atalanta had been the first to wound the creature, Meleager awarded the boar's hide to her.
The decision caused a bitter dispute with members of his own family.
Violence followed.
Meleager killed relatives who challenged the award.
The hunt that had begun as a collective heroic victory therefore ended in family tragedy.
In traditions involving the magical brand linked to Meleager's life, his mother Althaea finally destroyed the object after learning that Meleager had killed her brothers.
Meleager died.
The Calydonian Boar Hunt therefore became not just a monster story but another example of heroic success collapsing into conflict within the family.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The hunt brings together a large cross-section of the Heroic Age and establishes Atalanta as one of mythology's foremost heroines.
Traditions & Variations
Lists of hunters vary greatly between sources. The story of Meleager's life being tied to a burning brand is prominent in later tradition but is not presented identically everywhere.