Althea of the Hollow

Althea is the queen of Calydon.

was the daughter of King Thestius and Eurythemis.

Althaea is especially celebrated in ancient story about the fate of her son Meleager; When Meleager was born, the Moirai (the Fates) predicted he would only live until a brand, burning in the family hearth, was consumed by fire.

Meleager grew to be a well-respected prince. One spring Oeneus sacrificed the first fruits of the seasons to all the gods, omitting Artemis by mistake. Enraged by the slight, Artemis sent a boar of unnatural size and strength to ruin the land of Calydon.

Meleager was one of the warriors who hunted the boar, along with the famous huntress Atalanta and Althaea's brothers. Meleager dealt the killing strike to the boar, but gave the skin to Atalanta both because he had fallen in love with her and because she had landed the first and many subsequent blows onto the animal.

When Althaea's brothers, “thinking scorn that a woman should get the prize in the face of men, took the skin from her, alleging that it belonged to them by right of birth if Meleager did not choose to take it,” Meleager flew into a rage and killed both of his uncles.

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