How many times, in despair, have we turned to God and prayed for help? And when help arrives, how many times have we forgotten to say thanks? It is not just God we forget to thank. Friends, family and loved ones who lend us a hand during our times of need often get neglected by us during better days, as well. This is an old problem, and our ancestors told the following story to warn against forgetting to thank those who helped us.
Atalanta was a woman as well known for her astounding speed as for her astounding beauty. She was, by far, the fastest runner and most beautiful woman in the land. No man could out run her and no woman could surpass her beauty.
Although her beauty and speed were equal, Atalanta cared not for appearances. She cared only for competition, the thrill of the race. In order to get men to race her, she promised her hand in marriage to whoever could beat her. But, just to make the races more exciting, if a man challenged Atalanta and lost, he would pay with his life.
Such was the beauty of Atalanta that week after week, men would travel from far and wide for the chance to win her hand in marriage. And week after week, many men were put to death as none could out run fair Atalanta.
Despite this, when young Hippomenes caught his first glance of Atalanta, he too wanted to try and win her hand in marriage. He prayed to Venus, the goddess of love, that she may help him win the race and the hand of the beautiful Atalanta.
Venus heard the prayer of Hippomenes and told him to pluck an apple off a nearby apple tree. He was to carry the apple with him during the race and when no one was looking, to throw the apple. Venus would insure that the apple would distract Atalanta and Hippomenes would win the race.
The race began and at first it was Hippomenes who was distracted. As Atalanta ran, her hair blew back from her body and she was truly a sight to behold. Hippomenes almost forgot about the race as he watched her take off but quickly caught himself and began to run. Atalanta began pulling away from Hippomenes. as the two ran out of sight of the crowd. Hippomenes threw the apple he was carrying and it landed up ahead of Atalanta.
True to her word, the goddess Venus enchanted the apple and Atalanta was captivated by it. Forgetting the race, she ran over to the apple and tried to pick it up. Surprisingly, the little apple was quite heavy. As Atalanta lifted the apple, she noticed Hippomenes running past her. Suddenly aware that she risked losing the race, Atalanta got up and began to race again. But the weight of the apple slowed her down.
Even with her speed, Atalanta couldn’t catch up with Hippomenes and he won the race and her with it. Atalanta wasn’t upset, however. Hippomenes was quite handsome and Atalanta was glad to spend her days with a man such as he. The crowd cheered for Hippomenes and Atalanta and the two walked off to begin their life together.
In the glow of victory, Hippomenes neglected to thank the goddess Venus for her intercession. And this angered Venus. As Hippomenes and Atalanta walked past an old cavern, Venus enchanted both with amorous desires and the pair snuck into the cavern to consummate their marriage. But this was no ordinary cavern. The cavern was an ancient worship site of the forest spirit and Hippomenes and Atalanta had desecrated it.
As punishment, the forest spirit turned Hippomenes and Atalanta from beautiful young humans to rigid stone lions. As the two began to transform, Hippomenes called out to Venus for help again. But this time, Venus did not help Hippomenes. She replied that she could not hear the prayers of one as ungrateful as he and Hippomenes and Atalanta were transformed into stone lions.
At the entrance of the cavern Hippomenes and Atalanta remain, in the form of stone lions. They stay there to guard the sacred cavern from future invaders and also to warn all of us that if we fail to properly thank those who help us, they may not be there when we need their help again.
Atalanta was a woman as well known for her astounding speed as for her astounding beauty. She was, by far, the fastest runner and most beautiful woman in the land. No man could out run her and no woman could surpass her beauty.
Although her beauty and speed were equal, Atalanta cared not for appearances. She cared only for competition, the thrill of the race. In order to get men to race her, she promised her hand in marriage to whoever could beat her. But, just to make the races more exciting, if a man challenged Atalanta and lost, he would pay with his life.
Such was the beauty of Atalanta that week after week, men would travel from far and wide for the chance to win her hand in marriage. And week after week, many men were put to death as none could out run fair Atalanta.
Despite this, when young Hippomenes caught his first glance of Atalanta, he too wanted to try and win her hand in marriage. He prayed to Venus, the goddess of love, that she may help him win the race and the hand of the beautiful Atalanta.
Venus heard the prayer of Hippomenes and told him to pluck an apple off a nearby apple tree. He was to carry the apple with him during the race and when no one was looking, to throw the apple. Venus would insure that the apple would distract Atalanta and Hippomenes would win the race.
The race began and at first it was Hippomenes who was distracted. As Atalanta ran, her hair blew back from her body and she was truly a sight to behold. Hippomenes almost forgot about the race as he watched her take off but quickly caught himself and began to run. Atalanta began pulling away from Hippomenes. as the two ran out of sight of the crowd. Hippomenes threw the apple he was carrying and it landed up ahead of Atalanta.
True to her word, the goddess Venus enchanted the apple and Atalanta was captivated by it. Forgetting the race, she ran over to the apple and tried to pick it up. Surprisingly, the little apple was quite heavy. As Atalanta lifted the apple, she noticed Hippomenes running past her. Suddenly aware that she risked losing the race, Atalanta got up and began to race again. But the weight of the apple slowed her down.
Even with her speed, Atalanta couldn’t catch up with Hippomenes and he won the race and her with it. Atalanta wasn’t upset, however. Hippomenes was quite handsome and Atalanta was glad to spend her days with a man such as he. The crowd cheered for Hippomenes and Atalanta and the two walked off to begin their life together.
In the glow of victory, Hippomenes neglected to thank the goddess Venus for her intercession. And this angered Venus. As Hippomenes and Atalanta walked past an old cavern, Venus enchanted both with amorous desires and the pair snuck into the cavern to consummate their marriage. But this was no ordinary cavern. The cavern was an ancient worship site of the forest spirit and Hippomenes and Atalanta had desecrated it.
As punishment, the forest spirit turned Hippomenes and Atalanta from beautiful young humans to rigid stone lions. As the two began to transform, Hippomenes called out to Venus for help again. But this time, Venus did not help Hippomenes. She replied that she could not hear the prayers of one as ungrateful as he and Hippomenes and Atalanta were transformed into stone lions.
At the entrance of the cavern Hippomenes and Atalanta remain, in the form of stone lions. They stay there to guard the sacred cavern from future invaders and also to warn all of us that if we fail to properly thank those who help us, they may not be there when we need their help again.
