Artemis

By Erin Briggs

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Who is Artemis?

Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo born on the island of Delos. She is the goddess of many things, including the moon, the hunt,childbirth, virginity, and wild animals. She was one of the Olympians and one of the few virgin goddesses. She was often depicted as a huntress with a bow and arrows. Her symbols included the golden bow and arrow, the hunting dog, the stag, and the moon.

Roman Equivalent: Diana

Sacred Animals: Deer, bears, and hunting dogs

Symbol: Her bow and hounds

Fun Fact! Artemis was both a hunter of wild animals and their protector

Birth

There are many different accounts of the birth of Artemis and her twin brother, Apollo. Most accounts agree though, that she was the daughter of Zeus and Leto(Titaness of Motherhood). One account says that Hera forbade Leto to give birth on either the mainland or on an island since Hera was angry at Zeus because he had impregnated Leto. But, the island of Delos disobeyed Hera. There Leto gave birth to Artemis and Apollo. The stories also differ as to whether Artemis or Apollo was born first. Most depict Artemis as born first and helping her mother deliver her brother (as she is the goddess of childbirth).

Childhood

When Artemis was three, she asked her father, Zeus, to grant her six wishes according to Callimachus. They were: to remain a virgin, to have many names to set her apart from her brother, to be the Light Bringer, to have a bow and arrow and a knee-length tunic so that she could hunt, to have 60 "daughters of Okeanos" to be her choir, and for 20 Amnisides Nymphs as handmaidens to watch her dogs and bow while she rested. Suprisingly, she did not ask for any city to be dedicated to her. And, as she remained a virgin, so did all of her companions.

Myths

Artemis the Savior

During the Persian war, the Persians se out for Megara. The Megarans feared for their city, and prayed to Artemis for help. The Persians became los in the forest at night, and shot many of their arrows into the forest. Whenever an arrow hit a tree, Artemis caused the Persians to hear the groans of wounded men. They were convinced that they were killing Greeks and finished off their ammunition. They were then easy marks for the Megarans in the morning. In thanks for her help, the Megarans built Artemis a temple.

Iphigenia

A less commonly known version of this woman's story is that she was a priestess of Artemis by choice. Those around her were not of her faith, and commonly regarded her as a witch. Needing to curtail her power, her 'father' Agamemnon, whose sacrificial death suggests he was a sacred king, had her arrested and executed. Agamemnon then made matters worse by shooting a hind sacred to Artemis,and claiming she could never have matched the shot. Artemis then asked Hera to becalm the waters the Greek fleet was sailing on, preventing them from going to Troy. Knowing the calm wouldn't last forever, she warned Clytemnaestra that Agamemnon intended to force patriarchal ways on the people. Going to Troy to help Menelaus beseiged it rather than respect Helen's choice of mates was part of this.

Periodically Iphigeneia is given as a title of Artemis. Titles of a Goddess often provided names for her priestesses.

Niobe

Artemis and her twin brother, Apollo, killed the children of Niobe. The reason was that Niobe, a mortal, had boasted to Leto, Apollo and Artemis's mother, hat she had more children, which means she is Leto's superior. Apollo was outraged at such an insult and told Artemis. They hunted Niobe's children down and shot them with their bows and arrows. Apollo killed all of the male children while Artemis killed all the girls. In some versions of the myth, Artemis and Apollo each left only one child alive.

References

http://www.amazonation.com/LegendsArtemis.html

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/artemis.html

http://gogreece.about.com/cs/mythology/a/mythartemis.htm

http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/artemis/#artemis-family