Editing Hippomenes

{{Short description|Figure from Greek myth, husband of Atalanta}}
:''The name Hippomenes may also refer to the father of [[Leimone]].''[[Image:Guido Reni - Atalanta and Hippomenes - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Atalanta and Hippomenes'', [[Guido Reni]], c. 1622&ndash;25]]
In [[Greek mythology]], '''Hippomenes''' ({{IPAc-en|h|ɪ|ˈ|p|ɒ|m|ᵻ|n|iː|z}}; {{langx|grc|Ἱππομένης}}), also known as '''[[Melanion (mythology)|Melanion]]''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|l|æ|n|i|ə|n}}; Μελανίων or  Μειλανίων),<ref>"Melanion" is used by [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], 3.9.2, [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], 3.12.9; "Meilanion" occurs at [[Xenophon]] (''On Hunting'' 1.2 & 7); "Hippomenes" occurs in [[Theocritus]], ''Idyll'' 3.40; [[Euripides]] (as noted in the ''Bibliotheca'' l. c.; Euripides' work in question hasn't survived) and in most Roman authors. Ovid in ''[[Ars Amatoria]]'' (2.188) and [[Propertius]], ''Elegies'' 1.1.9, use ''Milanion'', apparently the Latin spelling for "Meilanion". It may have been that Melanion, son of Amphidamas, and Hippomenes, son of Megareus, were two distinct figures appearing in the same role interchangeably.</ref> was a son of the [[Arcadia (ancient region)|Arcadia]]n [[Amphidamas]]<ref name="Ps.-Apollod. 3.9.2.">Apollodorus, 3.9.2</ref> or of King [[Megareus of Onchestus|Megareus]] of [[Onchestos|Onchestus]]<ref>[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' 10.605; [[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''Fabulae'' 185</ref> and the husband of [[Atalanta]]. He was known to have been one of the disciples of [[Chiron]], and to have surpassed other disciples in his eagerness to undertake hard challenges.<ref>[[Xenophon]], ''On Hunting'' 1.2 & 7</ref> Inscriptions mention him as one of the [[Calydonian hunt]]ers.<ref>''[[Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum]]'' 8139 & 8185a</ref>

== Mythology ==
[[File:Hippomène by Guillaume Coustou (Toulouse).jpg|thumb|Statue of Hippomenes by [[Guillaume Coustou the Elder]]|left]]
The main myth of Hippomenes' courtship of Atalanta, narrated by Pseudo-Apollodorus,<ref name="Ps.-Apollod. 3.9.2." /> Ovid,<ref>Ovid, ''Metamorphoses'' 10.560–707</ref> Servius,<ref>[[Maurus Servius Honoratus|Servius]], Commentary on [[Virgil|Virgil's]] ''[[Aeneid]]'' 3.113</ref> and Hyginus<ref>Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' 185</ref> was as follows.

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Hippomenes fell in love with Atalanta, the virgin huntress who strongly disliked the idea of getting married. After a warning from an oracle about getting married, she declared that whoever wanted to marry her was to beat her in a footrace (herself being a notoriously swift runner), and that those who should try and lose would be punished by instant death.
Another version (followed by Hyginus) was that her father wanted her to be married, but she did not. She agreed to running races against her suitors because she thought she would never lose.

Atalanta raced all her suitors and outran all but Hippomenes, who defeated her by cunning, not speed. Hippomenes knew that he could not win a fair race with Atalanta, so he prayed to [[Aphrodite]] for help (the goddess, in the meantime, disliked Atalanta's neglect of love).

Aphrodite gave him three golden apples – which came from her sacred apple-tree in [[Tamassos|Tamasus]], [[Cyprus]], according to [[Ovid]],<ref>Ovid, ''Metamorphoses'' 10.644</ref> or from the garden of the [[Hesperides]] according to Servius – and told him to drop them one at a time to distract Atalanta. After each of the first two apples, Atalanta was able to recover the lead, but when she stopped for the third, Hippomenes won the race. It took all three apples and all of his speed, but Hippomenes was finally successful, winning the race and Atalanta's hand.

Atalanta and Hippomenes were turned into lions by [[Cybele]] as punishment after having sex in one of her temples they entered to take a rest during their journey to Hippomenes' home (the Greeks believed that lions could not mate with other lions, but only with leopards). Ovid and Servius suggest that Hippomenes forgot to pay the tribute to Aphrodite he had promised for helping him, and consequently, during the two's stay at Cybele's temple, Aphrodite caused them to have sex after going mad with lust, knowing that this would offend Cybele, and this indeed resulted in Cybele (or [[Zeus]] according to Hyginus) transforming them into lions. Thereafter they drew Cybele's chariot, which Servius equates with the Earth itself.

According to some accounts, Hippomenes (Melanion) was the father of [[Parthenopaeus]];<ref>Apollodorus, 3.6.3; Pausanias, 3.12.9</ref> yet others stated Atalanta had her son by either [[Ares]] or [[Meleager]] prior to her marriage to Hippomenes.<ref>Hyginus, ''Fabulae'', 70, 99, 270 for Meleager; Ares suggested as a possibility in the ''Bibliotheca'' 3. 9. 2</ref>

==Notes==
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== References ==

* [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], ''The Library'' with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. {{ISBN|0-674-99135-4}}. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].
*[[Gaius Julius Hyginus]], ''Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/206 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* [[Maurus Servius Honoratus]], ''In Vergilii carmina comentarii. Servii Grammatici qui feruntur in Vergilii carmina commentarii;'' recensuerunt Georgius Thilo et Hermannus Hagen. Georgius Thilo. Leipzig. B. G. Teubner. 1881. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0053 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. {{ISBN|0-674-99328-4}}. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]
* Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.  [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0159 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Ovid|Publius Ovidius Naso]], ''Metamorphoses'' translated by Brookes More (1859-1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0028 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* Publius Ovidius Naso, ''Metamorphoses.'' Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0029 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Propertius|Sextus Propertius]], ''Elegies'' from ''Charm.'' Vincent Katz. trans. Los Angeles. Sun & Moon Press. 1995. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0067 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0066 Latin text available at the same website].
*[[Theocritus]], ''Idylls'' from ''The Greek Bucolic Poets t''ranslated by Edmonds, J M. Loeb Classical Library Volume 28. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1912. [http://www.theoi.com/Text/TheocritusIdylls1.html Online version at theoi.com]
* Theocritus, ''Idylls'' edited by R. J. Cholmeley, M.A. London. George Bell & Sons. 1901. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0228 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.]

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[[Category:Metamorphoses characters]]
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[[Category:Deeds of Zeus]]
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[[Category:Atalanta]]