In Greek mythology, the daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo, and goddess of the Moon. She was originally a mother-goddess of Asia, with a cult especially at Ephesus; in Greece she was a virgin-goddess, associated with wild creatures and the protector of the young. Being connected with hunting, she is depicted with bow and arrows.
Artemis (Greek: nominative Ἄρτeuiς, genitive Ἀρτέμιδος), in Greek mythology was daughter of Zeus and of Leto and the twin sister of Apollo.
Worship
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Artemis was the virgin goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, moon, and safety in childbirth.
Artemis was worshipped almost everywhere in Greece, but her most well known cults were in Brauron, Mounikhia (located on a hill near the port Piraeus), and Sparta.
In Asia Minor, a goddess identified with Artemis was a principal deity. The city of Ephesus is probably the best known of the Asian centers of her worship, from the story in the Acts of the Apostles, where the Ephesian metalsmiths who feel threatened by Paul's preaching of the new faith, jealously riot in her defense, shouting "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" The city is also known for the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Festivals in honor of Artemis include Elaphebolia, Mounikhia, Kharisteria, Brauronia, and the festival of Artemis Orthia in Sparta.
Young Athenian girls between the ages of five and ten were sent to the sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron to serve the Goddess for one year. Either way, the girl's brothers killed the bear, and Artemis was enraged.
In many parts of ancient Greece, just before marriage young women would dedicate toys, dolls, and locks of their hair to Artemis.
Artemis in art
The oldest representations of Artemis in Greek Archaic art portray her as the Potnia Theron (Queen of the Beasts): a usually winged goddess holding a stag and leopard in her hands, or sometimes a leopard and a lion.
In Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis became one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Artemis can also appear triple-faced with Selene, goddess of the moon, and Hecate, her cousin and goddess of sorcery, who lives in the underworld.
Aputatons
As Agrotera, she was especially associated as the patron goddess of hunters. Artemis was often associated with the local Aeginian goddess, Aphaea.
In some Ancient Cultures Artemis was believed to be the male god of the plague, but this is not very widely known and sadly little is known about this.
Birth
In Greek mythology Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. Artemis and Apollo were born greater than any of Hera's children.
Childhood
At three years old, Artemis asked her father, Zeus, while sitting on the god king's knee, to grant her several wishes.
Tales of Artemis and men
Actaeon
She was once bathing naked in the woods when the Theban prince and hunter Actaeon stumbled across her. Alternatively, Actaeon boasted that he was a better hunter than she and Artemis turned him into a stag and he was eaten by his hounds.
Adonis
In some versions of the story of Adonis, Artemis sent a wild boar to kill Adonis as punishment for boasting he was superior in hunting.
Siproites
A Cretan, Siproites, saw Artemis nude and was changed by her into a deer. (The complete story does not survive in any mythographers works, but is mentioned offhand by Antoninus Liberalis.)
Orion
In some versions of the story of Orion, he was killed by Artemis, while in others he was killed by a scorpion sent by Apollo. There is a modern idea that Artemis once loved Orion, wanted to marry him, and was tricked into killing him, but this was actually a myth of Diana.
Other stories
Callisto
Artemis killed any of her companions who lost their virginity, such as Maera and Callisto.
One of Artemis' companions, Callisto, lost her virginity to Zeus, who had come disguised as Apollo or, in other legends, as Artemis herself. Callisto's son, Arcas, nearly killed his mother while hunting, but Zeus or Artemis stopped him and placed them both in the sky as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
Agamemnon and Iphigenia
Artemis punished Agamemnon after he killed a sacred deer in a sacred grove and boasted he was a better hunter. According to some versions, he did so, but others claims that he sacrificed a deer in her place and Iphigenia was taken to Crimea to prepare others for sacrifice to Artemis.
Niobe
A Queen of Thebes and wife of Amphion, Niobe boasted of her superiority to Leto because while she had fourteen children (Niobids), seven boys and seven girls, Leto had only one of each. Apollo killed her sons as they practiced athletics, and they suffered painfully to death, and Artemis shot her daughters who died instantly without a sound. Apollo and Artemis used poisoned arrows to kill them, though according to some versions a number of the Niobids were spared (Chloris, usually).
Taygete
Zeus pursued Taygete, one of the Pleiades, who prayed to Artemis.
The Meleagrids
After the death of Meleager, Artemis turned her grieving sisters, the Meleagrids into guineafowl.
Chione
Artemis killed Chione for her pride and vanity.
Atalanta and Oeneus
Artemis saved the infant Atalanta from dying of exposure after her father abandoned her.
Among other adventures, Atalanta participated in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar, which Artemis had sent to destroy Calydon because King Oeneus had forgotten her at the harvest sacrifices.
Trojan War
Since her brother Apollo was the patron god of the city of Troy and because Artemis was heavily supported in Asia Minor where the city was located, Artemis favored the Trojans during the ten-year war with the Greeks. As Artemis fled crying to Zeus, Leto gathered up the bow and arrows which had fallen out of the quiver.
Artemis in Neopaganism
Many Neopagans who worship Artemis today seem to omit many of the ancient myths. Artemis, in this type of modern worship, is often seen as the goddess of wealth, magic, abundance, fertility, hunting, and longevity. Worship of Artemis may often include the burning of oils and incense, prayer, ritual nocturnal hunts, the burning of bread, and prostration.
In contrast, modern practitioners of reconstructionist versions of Hellenic polytheism see Artemis in a much more traditional light, viewing her primarily as a Goddess of hunting, wild animals, nature, wildness, women, childbirth, and girls. The three festivals of Artemis most often worshipped in the modern day are Elaphebolia, Mounikhia, and Kharisteria or Agrotera.
Artemis in Astronomy
The minor planet (105) Artemis; also Artemis Chasma and Artemis Corona, both on Venus, have all been named for her.
Artemis in Astrology
In the western zodiac, Artemis is the ruling Goddess of the Cancer sign due to her common affiliation with Earth's Moon.
Artemis in Popular Culture
There are many references to Artemis in popular culture - which are considered on a separate page.
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