
Greek mythology
Althaea
Queen of Calydon who burned the brand that held her son's life
- Mythology
- Greek mythology
- Children
- Meleager
- Group
- Mortal · Ruler
- Appears in
- Calydonian Boar
Althaea is the queen of Calydon and mother of Meleager, whose lifespan the Fates bind to a single log burning on her hearth. She snatches it from the flames and hides it, keeping her son alive. But when he kills her brothers in a quarrel over the boar's hide, grief and fury overcome her, and she casts the brand back into the fire to let him die.
Related figures

Real episode from the app
Calydonian Boar
Chapter 1
00:00--:--
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Althaea?
- Althaea is the queen of Calydon and mother of Meleager, whose lifespan the Fates bind to a single log burning on her hearth. She snatches it from the flames and hides it, keeping her son alive.
- Which mythology does Althaea belong to?
- Althaea belongs to Greek mythology.
- Which stories does Althaea appear in?
- Althaea appears in Calydonian Boar, told as chaptered audio dramas in MythologyNow.
Cite this page
APA
MythologyNow. (2026). Althaea. https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/althaeaMLA
"Althaea." MythologyNow, 2026, https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/althaea.Chicago
MythologyNow. "Althaea." Accessed 2026. https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/althaea.