<P> 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 ) . Ovid and Servius suggest that Hippomenes forgot to pay the tribute to Aphrodite he had promised for helping him , and consequently , during the two 's stay at Cybele 's temple , Aphrodite caused them to have sex after going mad with lust , knowing that this would offend Cybele , and this indeed resulted in Cybele ( or Zeus according to Hyginus ) transforming them into lions . Thereafter they drew Cybele 's chariot , which Servius equates with the Earth itself . </P>
why were atalanta and her husband turned into lions
by Cybele as punishment after having sex in one of her temples