Meleager

Family: Calydon · Role: son of Oeneus · First appears: Apollodorus, Library 1.8

🌐 Also appears in: The Iliad (as Meleager) · The Metamorphoses of Ovid (as Meleager)

Meleager was the son of Oeneus and Althaea, though he was also said to have been begotten by Ares. He had Cleopatra, daughter of Idas and Marpessa, as his wife, and desired to have a child by Atalanta.

At Calydon, Atalanta and Amphiaraus wounded the boar, but Meleager killed it and awarded its skin to Atalanta. After the sons of Thestius seized her prize, Meleager slew them in anger and gave the skin back to Atalanta; the brute also killed Hyleus and Ancaeus. From grief at the slaughter of her brothers, Althaea burned the hidden brand, and “Meleager immediately expired.”

Relationship record

Life events

• Atalanta and Amphiaraus wounded the boar, but Meleager killed it and awarded Atalanta its skin.(Apollodorus, Library 1.8 · 📍 Calydon)
  • With: Atalanta Amphiaraus
  • “But Atalanta was the first to shoot the boar in the back with an arrow, and Amphiaraus was the next to shoot it in the eye; but Meleager killed it by a stab in the flank, and on receiving the skin gave it to Atalanta.”
• Meleager killed the sons of Thestius after they seized Atalanta’s prize.(Apollodorus, Library 1.8 · 📍 Calydon)
  • With: Atalanta
  • “But Meleager in a rage slew the sons of Thestius and gave the skin to Atalanta.”
• Althaea burned the hidden brand, causing Meleager to die.(Apollodorus, Library 1.8)
  • With: Althaea
  • “However, from grief at the slaughter of her brothers Althaea kindled the brand, and Meleager immediately expired.”

Apollodorus, Library 1.8

• parent: Oeneus “Althaea had also a son Meleager, by Oeneus”
• parent: Ares “though they say that he was begotten by Ares”
• parent: Althaea “Althaea had also a son Meleager, by Oeneus”
• with Oeneus (interaction) “Meleager, son of Oeneus”
• courtship with Atalanta “for he desired to have a child also by Atalanta”
• married with Cleopatra “though he had to wife Cleopatra, daughter of Idas and Marpessa”
• with Atalanta (interaction) “on receiving the skin gave it to Atalanta”
• with Hyleus (interaction) “Hyleus and Ancaeus were killed by the brute”
• with Ancaeus (interaction) “Hyleus and Ancaeus were killed by the brute”
• with Althaea (interaction) “Althaea kindled the brand, and Meleager immediately expired”

Apollodorus, Library 1.9

• parent: Oeneus “Meleager, son of Oeneus”

⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places → · 🌳 Family orrery →

Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.