Meleager

Meleager was a hero in Greek mythology, known primarily for his role in the Calydonian Boar Hunt. He was the son of King Oeneus and Queen Althaea of Calydon in Aetolia.

Upon Meleager's birth, the Moirai (Fates) appeared and foretold his destiny. They declared that he would live only as long as a particular log in the hearth remained unconsumed. Althaea, upon hearing this, snatched the log from the fire, extinguished it, and hid it away in a chest.

Meleager grew into a renowned warrior. When Artemis, angered by Oeneus's failure to sacrifice to her, sent a monstrous boar to ravage the land of Calydon, Meleager organized a great hunt to slay the beast. Many famous heroes participated, including Theseus, Jason, Peleus, and Atalanta, the huntress.

Meleager fell in love with Atalanta during the hunt. She was the first to wound the Calydonian Boar, and Meleager ultimately delivered the killing blow. He awarded the boar's hide to Atalanta, as she had drawn first blood.

This decision sparked a violent dispute with Althaea's brothers (Meleager's uncles), who argued that the hide rightfully belonged to a male. Meleager, enraged, killed his uncles in the ensuing conflict.

When Althaea learned of her brothers' deaths at her son's hand, she retrieved the fateful log from its hiding place and threw it into the fire, fulfilling the Fates' prophecy. Meleager died instantly, consumed by the same flames that consumed the log.

Meleager's story is a tragedy exploring themes of fate, free will, love, and the complexities of familial relationships. His heroic status is tinged with the tragedy of his premature death and the circumstances surrounding it. He appears in various Greek texts, including Homer's Iliad and Ovid's Metamorphoses.