After writing the Hercules story for Filament Book Club, I decided to give women equal billing, so went back to Greek myth for my next story. I had read about Atalanta previously, and to be honest, was quite fascinated with the character. She was quite probably the influence for the TV series, Zena, as well as Robert E. Howard’s Red Sonja, plus a dozen other s&s heroines of fiction, including those created by SF author, Leigh Brackett (if Nancy has taught me how to post pictures in the photo-section by the time I post this, there should be a photo of Leigh Brackett and me on file). There are even a lot of similarities between her and France’s Joan of Arc; both were bigger than life heroes and their lives ended in tragedy.
Atalanta lived in the same period as Hercules, Jason, and Peleus, the father of Achilles. Achilles went on to become one of the heroes that fought at Troy, killing the defender, Hector. Atalanta’s son, Parthenopaeus was one of the Seven Heroes who died in the battle at Thebes. All became legends. One common theme among the Greek heroes, their lives all ended in tragedy. Although Odysseus eventually returned home to Ithaca after fighting at Troy, he was forced to wonder for twenty years before he saw his homeland again.
I based my story on the Greek legends, which recorded the Calydonian Boar hunt, and her wrestling Peleus in the arena. There were many tales of her youth, one of those spoke of the she-bear, so I borrowed that to include with my story. And, of course, the infamous golden apples and the race that ended her single life as a free spirit, although there is some question to the man’s name that she married. I created the adventure in Ethiopia, and the slaying of the dragon and the Golden Lion, but these may have happened. After all, the historians still argue whether or not Atalanta sailed with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece. From what I have learned of Jason, I doubt he would have allowed her to go with him. Jason had to be the hero in his saga, and Atalanta (or Hercules) would have shared his glory, and Jason would not have allowed that. I don’t normally write in first person narrative, but in this case, I felt that I needed a storyteller who had stood beside her and fought the monsters that she faced. Some day, we may actually find his scrolls hidden in some lost Egyptian tomb. Who knows?
Was Atalanta real? I would like to think so. After all, Hannibal and Alexander were real. Cleopatra and the Pharaohs were real. We now know that Troy really existed. Why not Achilles, Hercules, Hector, Paris, and even Atalanta? The Romans so loved the Greek tales, that they adopted the gods and tales as their own, so ancient scholars often became confused when telling and retelling the old stories. Names disappeared, or appeared in places at the wrong time, or were spelled differently from one tale to the next. Gods and monsters were created to add excitement to the tales, like we do today. Do you see the similarity between Atalanta and Atlantis? Was there a connection between her and the island that sank thousands of years ago? Perhaps recorded in scrolls that were lost over time, and forgotten by the ancient poets? We may never know, but that’s what makes us love mythology even more. It could have been based on some truth, and I would like to think that Hercules and Atalanta still live within us to some degree. Maybe our heroes don’t slay dragons and giant demons, but they stand tall in our own hearts anyway!
When Filament Book Club releases “Atalanta And The Golden Lion”, I hope you will read the tale. I think you will fall in love with this untamed spirit. I know I did!
Tom Johnson
Seymour, Texas
June 17,2007
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