Peleus and Atalanta Wrestling Match
Antike Vasen – Keine alten Blumentopf: – Ringkampf um das Fell des Kalydonischen Ebers,
housed in State Museum, Munich, Germany
Thoughts of the Greek myth of the famed huntress Atalanta, victorious hunter of the feared Calydonian boar with her bow, wrestling Peleus, hero king of Phthia, father of Achilles, pique our curiosity.[1] The circumstances of the match and its outcome swirled around in my mind all night. The myth is curious because a water vessel painting of a woman wrestling––much less against a powerful man––is counter to the reality Greek women experienced. It is known that Spartan women publicly exercised, even wrestled, in the nude. Their husbands, off to war or living in the barracks with other soldiers-in-training, women wrestled, raced, and competed athletically against other women outdoors in the fresh air. They enthusiastically exercised, priding themselves on bearing and rearing strong, healthy, Spartan sons.
Unlike Athenian women who toiled under “womanly tasks” privately at home––inside the house––Spartan women were an anomaly, probably throughout Greece.
Recording the ncient myth, the artist depicted on the black-figure hydria the unusual contest, between the powerful man and the amazingly strong woman, Atalanta, whose match competed at the funerary games of King Pelias.
Atalanta wears a loose loincloth––red. Peleus is nude. With her historic, unusual strength, Atalanta won the match. Curious that she won. Curious that she wore only a loincloth. Women always were depicted as wearing demure, floor-length garments. A sort of loincloth shorts, of course, were more practical. Flowing robes defeated the purpose and would be unconvincing. How could she wrestle tangled up in folds of cloth from woman’s traditional tunic-peplos garment? And certainly, she could not wrestle the king in the nude.
With inordinate strength and strategy, with expectation and determination to win, Atalanta, known never to back down from a challenge, outwrestled a mighty man––a king.
Most curious. What was the message of the myth? That given freedom to move unencumbered by demure and proper long garments was an equalizer? What other encumbrances inhibited Greek women from competing and winning? Permission? Confidence? Courage? We have written that other women in ancient Greece did not seek permission to break tradition and succeed.
What difference does skill and a winning attitude make in the success of your life?
[1] https://www.antike-am-koenigsplatz.mwn.de/index.php/de/staatliche-antikensammlungen/43-sammlung-und-rundgang
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Dr. P. D. Sargent,
Ancient Scribe sharing new ideas twice a month