Hippomenes

Hippomenes, in Greek myth often called Melanion, is a mortal hunter who becomes the husband of the virgin huntress Atalanta after a contest of speed aided by Aphrodite. Atalanta is famous for her swiftness, and many suitors fail to outrun her. To win, Hippomenes prays to the goddess Aphrodite, who grants him three golden apples that he uses to distract Atalanta during the race.

During the footrace, Hippomenes drops or rolls the apples along the course. Atalanta slows to pick them up, allowing Hippomenes to pass and win the race. The pair then marries. In some versions, their victory and marriage incur Aphrodite’s displeasure because they do not show proper gratitude or because they commit a sacrilege, and the lovers are then punished.

In most tellings, Aphrodite, or Zeus acting on her behalf, transforms Hippomenes and Atalanta into lions as punishment, often stated as lions that pull Aphrodite’s chariot. This transformation serves as the etiological element of lions in later myth and art and marks a cautionary end to the tale about divine favor, impiety, and the boundaries between human cunning and sacred worship.

The story appears in various ancient sources, with Ovid’s Metamorphoses providing a well-known Roman version. The name Hippomenes is the Latin form; the Greek tradition typically uses Melanion. The myth has influenced later literature and art as an emblem of cleverness used in love and the potential consequences of neglecting divine favors.