The New Student's Reference Work/Atalanta

Atalan'ta, a heroine in Greek fable. She was an Arcadian, daughter of Jasus and Clymene. At her birth she was left to die on a hill by her father who had wished for a son, but was suckled by a she-bear and grew up to be a maiden huntress of marvelous courage and skill. She slew the centaurs who pursued her, sailed with the Argonauts and took a prominent part in the chase of the Calydonian boar. She was the swiftest of mortals, and having many suitors, offered to marry the one who should outstrip her in a race, the penalty of defeat being death. At length she was beaten by stratagem. Meilanion got from Venus three golden apples, which he dropped one after another during the race; and Atalanta was so charmed by their beauty that she stooped to pick them up and so lost the race. They were both later changed into lions. Her story has been put into poetic form by Swinburne in his Atalanta in Calydon.