Althaea’s Family Tree

About Althaea →

Family

• Oeneus(spouse),Deianira(child),Meleager(child)— Marriage

  Oeneus and Althaea, king and queen of Calydon, were parents of Meleager and Deianira. The Moirai bound Meleager's life to a firebrand at birth, which Althaea preserved until grief drove her to burn it.

• Thestius(parent),Leda(sibling)

  Althaea and Leda were both daughters of Thestius, king of Pleuron. Althaea married Oeneus of Calydon and bore Meleager, while Leda married Tyndareus of Sparta and bore Helen, Clytemnestra, and the Dioscuri.

Slew

• Meleager

  Althaea killed her son Meleager by casting his enchanted firebrand into the fire after he slew her brothers during the quarrel over the Calydonian Boar's hide.

Associated with

• Atalanta

  Meleager's decision to award the Calydonian Boar's hide to Atalanta provoked the quarrel with Althaea's brothers that led to their deaths and ultimately to Althaea burning the firebrand that killed her son.

• Calydonian Boar

  The Calydonian Boar Hunt organized by Althaea's husband Oeneus led to catastrophe for her family. The quarrel over the boar's hide caused Meleager to kill Althaea's brothers and drove her to burn the fatal firebrand.