ATALANTA AND MELANION
Aphrodite frequently employed her amorous charms in the service of
young people in love. For example, she helped make a seemingly impossible
match between the virgin hunter Atalanta and Melanion. Atalanta forced
her admirers to race ahead of her; if she caught up with them, she
killed them. But anyone who eluded her grasp was marriage material.
Melanion raced while carrying golden apples, a gift from Aphrodite.
He dropped them as he ran. Atalanta couldn’t resist picking them
up and lost the race — winning the heart of Melanion.
