Publisher's Synopsis
Atalanta in Calydon is a play written by the English poet and playwright Algernon Charles Swinburne. The play is based on the ancient Greek myth of Atalanta, a virgin huntress who was abandoned as an infant and raised by bears. The story takes place in the city of Calydon, where King Oeneus has neglected to honor the goddess Artemis with a sacrifice. In retaliation, Artemis sends a wild boar to wreak havoc on the city. The king's son Meleager gathers a group of heroes, including Atalanta, to hunt the boar. As they prepare for the hunt, tensions rise among the characters, and their personal relationships and desires come to the forefront. The play explores themes of fate, free will, and the power of the gods. Swinburne's poetic language and dramatic style are both highly praised, and Atalanta in Calydon is considered one of his most significant works.1875. The poet Swinburne was one of the very few, since the days of Raleigh and Sidney, to come from the aristocracy. He was also well-known for his sexual proclivities and debauched lifestyle. Atalanta (balanced) is a character from ancient Greek mythology. She was from Arcadia, a daughter of Iasus or Schoeneus and Clymene. The episode in her life relating to the Calydonian boar hunt is reprised by Swinburne in this verse tragedy. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
