Αλθαια
The daughter of Thestius, and the wife of Oeneus, King of Calydon, and mother of Deianeira and Meleager (Table 24 and Table 27). When her son Meleager was seven days old the Fates came to Althaea and predicted that he would die if the log which was burning on the hearth was burnt to ashes. Althaea immediately seized the log, put it out and hid it in a chest. According to their traditions this magic log was supposed to be an olive branch to which Althaea had given birth at the same time as her son.
It so happened that during the hunt on Calydon Meleager killed his uncles, Althaea's brothers. In her anger she threw on the fire the log on which her son's life depended. Meleager instantly died, and in her despair Althaea hanged herself.
A story was sometimed told that the two children of Althaea were not really the sons of Oeneus, but of two gods, Meleager being the son of Ares and Deianeira the daughter of Dionysus. The latter had fallen in love with Althaea and Oeneus, who had become aware of it, lent him his wife. In gratitude the god gave him a plan of a vineyard and showed him how to cultivate and use it.
{E2 DICTIONARY OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY}
Table of Sources:
- Apollod. Bibl. 1, 8, 2
- Bacchyl. 5, 93ff.
- Diod. Sic. 4, 34; 174; 239; 249
- Tzetzes on Lyc. Alex. 492
- Antoninus Liberalis Met. 2
- schol. on Hom. Il. 9, 567