Meleager

Meleager (Greek Μελέαγρος ) In Greek mythology, the son of Althaea and Oineus, king of Calydon. His siblings are Tydeus and Deianeira. With his wife he had a daughter named Cleopatra Polydora.

Seven days after the birth of Meleager, the three Fates, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos published. The latter announced Althaea that her son is alive, as long as the burning on the stove firewood is not consumed by the fire. Althaea put out the fire and saved the piece of wood on to get Meleager alive.

From an early age he took part in the voyage of Jason as one of the Argonauts with Laocoon. He won the award for the javelin at the funeral games of Akastus.

When he returned to his home Calydon, drove there, the Calydonian boar on the loose. Artemis, goddess of the hunt, had sent him to punish Althaea and Oineus that they had forgotten a sacrifice for them. Meleager called his companions together to hunt. The participants were Jason, Castor, Pollux, Idas, Lynceus, Peleus, Admetus, Pirithous, Theseus and Atalanta. Atalanta wounded the animal first, then gave Meleager the pig deathblow. But Meleager gave Atalanta the fur of the animal, the brothers of Althaea were jealous and stole the trophy. Enraged Meleager killed then his own relatives, whereupon Althaea burned the stored logs out of revenge. This Meleager died as predicted by Atropos.