 After each of the first two apples, Atalanta was able to recover the lead, but when she stopped for the third, Hippomenes won the race.It took all three apples and all of his speed, but Hippomenes was finally successful, winning the race and Atalanta's hand.Atalanta and Hippomenes were turned into lions by Cybele as punishment after having sex in one of her temples they entered to take a rest during their journey to Hippomenes' home (the Greeks believed that lions could not mate with other lions, but only with leopards).