The%20Calydonian%20Boar

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The Calydonian Boar
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Why the Boar?

• King of Calydon, Oeneus, gave thanks to the gods
  for a great harvest
• Fruit of the grain to Ceres
• Olive oil to Minerva
• After honoring all the other gods, Dianas altar
  was the only one without incense
• Diana grew furious and released her servant, a
  great boar, to seek revenge

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This Little Piggy

• Big as a bull with blood-shot eyes
• High stiff neck with spear like bristles
• Tusks as long as those of Asian elephant

• Lightning flashed from open jaws
• Breath burned the grass
• Horrible grunts
• Hot foam from open jaws

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Rampage

• Trampled crops leaving threshing floors empty
• Tore down vines
• Cattle were victims
• Not afraid of man or beast
• People fled to safety behind walls
• Meleager, the queen of Calydons son, came to the
  rescue

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Meleagers Band

• Sons of leda, castor the boxer and Pollux the
  rider
• Jason, the argonaut leader of the golden fleece
  mission
• Theseus, hero of athens
• Plexippus and toxeus,
• sons of thestius
• 28 men total
• One women, Atalanta

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Atalanta

• Pride of the Arcadian
• woodlands
• Appearance
• Robe at neck clasped with
• polished buckle
• Knot holding her hair back
• Quiver and bow
• Features feminine for a boy, masculine for a girl
• Meleager experienced love at first sight

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Thrill of the Hunt

• Setting virgin primeval forest
• The boar emerges and the band scatters
• 3 spears thrown but all miss
• 3 men injured
• Atalanta sends an arrow and strikes the boar
  behind the ears, staining the bristles with blood
• Meleager VERY pleased and points out Atalantas
  hit

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Continued

• Meleager, with two spears, hits the monsters
  back and drives the other into its shoulder,
  bringing the beast low
• Meleager gives the prize, hide and tusks, to
  Atalanta
• Band grumbles and Thestius sons are the loudest
  opposing force
• Took the gift from her
• Symbol of taking away his authority and love
• Meleager, furious at his uncles rudeness, drives
  steel through them
• both

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Aftermath

• Meleager dies by his mothers hand, due to
  killing her brothers
• Men of the band move on to have great adventures
• Atalanta goes on to have race with hippomenes
• For us reinforced notion that wronging the gods
  comes at great consequences and that love can be
  wonderful or cause a persons demise

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