Atalanta looked upon the bold youth, and as he was pleasing in her sight she was uncertain whether she wished his victory or his defeat. Then she said: “What divinity, O youth, seeks your destruction by giving you the desire to race with me? Those foolish ones, they tried and now must die. At least let me warn you to seek some other maiden. If you reject my advice, I bespeak for you the help of the gods that you may be the winner.” While the beautiful huntress thus spoke, Hippomenes called to Venus, who suddenly stood by his side, unseen by Atalanta. She gave him three golden apples gathered in the gardens of the Hesperides, and told him how to use them. The trumpet sounded and both started swiftly over the course. What a sight it was to watch the beautiful creature whose feet scarcely touched the ground! “Look,” said one, “she could skim over the waving wheat without bending it, or fly over the sea without wetting the soles of her feet.” The encouraging shouts of his friends greeted the youth. Hippomenes was overjoyed at the greetings, and Atalanta noticed it with pleasure. It seemed unendurable to her to be beaten, but it was even more painful to beat and thereby sacrifice Hippomenes’ life. For a long time they ran side by side. At last Hippomenes threw an apple to the ground. The maiden saw the rolling gold and stooped to pick it up. The delay threw her back in the race, but she soon caught up with the youth. He threw the second apple. Running out of her course she seized it and Hippomenes gained further advantage. He was nearing the goal when he heard the distant applause of his friends. The maiden put forth all her power and soon flew past Hippomenes with burning cheeks, so that his death seemed inevitable. Then he supplicated the goddess and threw the third apple, which rolled far out of the course. The maiden would have left it, but Aphrodite (Venus) induced her to get it. The goddess made the task so difficult that Hippomenes reached the goal first. The judges crowned him and Atalanta, as she had promised, gave him her hand. The day of their marriage was the day of ruin for both, for they wholly forgot the goddess and neither made thank-offerings nor remembered her kind assistance. Aphrodite therefore decreed a severe penalty. The angry goddess changed them into a pair of lions and harnessed them to her golden chariot. Chapter VII Tantalus