Which hero killed the Calydonian Boar?

Meleager was the hero who killed the Calydonian Boar.

The monstrous boar was sent by Artemis to ravage Calydon after King Oeneus failed to include her in his religious offerings. Oeneus’s son Meleager gathered renowned hunters from across Greece for the dangerous expedition. Among them was Atalanta, a skilled huntress whose presence caused controversy because some male heroes objected to hunting alongside a woman.

Atalanta struck the first wound with an arrow, and Meleager finished the animal. Recognizing her achievement, he awarded Atalanta the boar’s hide. This detail explains a common mix-up: Atalanta was crucial to the hunt and drew first blood, but Meleager is generally credited with killing the boar.

The victory led to further violence when Meleager’s uncles disputed Atalanta’s right to the prize. Meleager killed them, angering his mother Althaea. In the tragic continuation, she burned the magical log tied to her son’s life, causing Meleager’s death. Heracles killed a different beast, the Erymanthian Boar.