Then Hippomenes stepped forward and said: “It was not much glory, O Atalanta, to surpass those. Now I wish to race with you. Should fortune favor me, it will be no shame for you to be beaten by one who is great grandson of Poseidon, god of the waters, and whose courage is not inferior to his skill. But should you win, your name will be honored in future days.”
Atalanta looked upon the bold youth, and as he was pleasing in her sight she was uncertain whether she wished his victory or his defeat. Then she said: “What divinity, O youth, seeks your destruction by giving you the desire to race with me? Those foolish ones, they tried and now must die. At least let me warn you to seek some other maiden. If you reject my advice, I bespeak for you the help of the gods that you may be the winner.”
While the beautiful huntress thus spoke, Hippomenes called to Venus, who suddenly stood by his side, unseen by Atalanta. She gave him three golden apples gathered in the gardens of the Hesperides, and told him how to use them. The trumpet sounded and both started swiftly over the course. What a sight it was to watch the beautiful creature whose feet scarcely touched the ground! “Look,” said one, “she could skim over the waving wheat without bending it, or fly over the sea without wetting the soles of her feet.” The encouraging shouts of his friends greeted the youth.
Hippomenes was overjoyed at the greetings, and Atalanta noticed it with pleasure. It seemed unendurable to her to be beaten, but it was even more painful to beat and thereby sacrifice Hippomenes’ life. For a long time they ran side by side. At last Hippomenes threw an apple to the ground. The maiden saw the rolling gold and stooped to pick it up. The delay threw her back in the race, but she soon caught up with the youth. He threw the second apple. Running out of her course she seized it and Hippomenes gained further advantage. He was nearing the goal when he heard the distant applause of his friends. The maiden put forth all her power and soon flew past Hippomenes with burning cheeks, so that his death seemed inevitable. Then he supplicated the goddess and threw the third apple, which rolled far out of the course. The maiden would have left it, but Aphrodite (Venus) induced her to get it. The goddess made the task so difficult that Hippomenes reached the goal first. The judges crowned him and Atalanta, as she had promised, gave him her hand.
The day of their marriage was the day of ruin for both, for they wholly forgot the goddess and neither made thank-offerings nor remembered her kind assistance. Aphrodite therefore decreed a severe penalty. The angry goddess changed them into a pair of lions and harnessed them to her golden chariot.
Chapter VII
Tantalus
Tantalus, a rich and powerful king, was deemed worthy by Zeus to visit the gold-gleaming mansions of the gods on high Olympus and to partake of nectar and ambrosia at their tables. Zeus and the other immortals even deigned to appear under Tantalus’ roof, to sit at his table, and converse in his own speech. Such an honor was too great for a mortal to bear. Inflated with pride, he made himself hated by gods and men. He not only made sport of the names of the immortals and uttered falsehoods, but he would reveal their decrees to mortals and steal nectar and ambrosia for his friends. He at last grew so audacious that he was warned and threatened by the gods. Finally his penalty overtook him. Upon one occasion when the gods were visiting him and partaking of a banquet, he decided to test just how far they were omniscient. He killed his son Pelops, prepared his flesh as a test, and set the disgusting food before them. All recognized the unnatural deed of the father except Ceres, whose heart was full of sorrow over the loss of her daughter.[14] So it happened that she partook of the food, and ate of the shoulder of Pelops. Zeus collected the parts of the body, substituted an ivory shoulder, recalled Pelops’ soul from Tartarus, restored him to life, and then plunged Tantalus into Hades to suffer endless torment.
When Tantalus regained consciousness, he found himself standing up to his chin in water. Overcome with burning thirst, he bent his head to drink. But the more he bent his head the lower the water receded, and at last sunk into the ground, leaving nothing at his feet but dry, black dust. As he raised his head the water raised, only to disappear whenever he tried to drink. Over his head hung branches loaded with fruit. Between the green leaves were pomegranates, balsamic pears, olives, figs, and spicy apples, but whenever the victim raised his hands to pluck them, a wind drove the branches away from him. His torment was endless. A restless longing never to be satisfied was the punishment inflicted upon him by the revengeful divinity.
Chapter VIII
Salmoneus, Sisyphus, Ixion, and Phlegyas
Salmoneus was a brother of Tantalus, whom Zeus punished so severely for his audacity. A similar fate overtook him also, for he had a spite against the gods and strove to be equal to them. He snatched the offerings intended for Zeus from his altars and commanded that they should be offered to himself. He imitated Zeus’ thunderbolts with lighted torches, which he threw down upon the people, and represented thunder by the clashing of iron vessels. In fact he imitated the ruler of the universe in every way.