| “ | You turn your hand against my creatures. Witness how I turn my hand against yours. | „ |
| ~ Artemis |
| “ | I'm the hunter. I'm always a hunter. And you are a victim. No man who has seen me naked has a right to live. | „ |
| ~ Artemis |
Artemis, also known as Diana, is the Greek goddess of the hunt and one of the most widely venerated of the twelve Greek deities or Dodekatheon on Mount Olympus. Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the older-twin sister of Apollo.
Overview[]
She was the Greek goddess of the hunt, the moon, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, virginity and protector of young girls, bringing and relieving disease in women; she often was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrows. The deer and the cypress were the most sacred to her. She was an Olympian and a virgin goddess. Being a virgin goddess, she is one of the few goddesses not affected by Aphrodite's manipulations.
History[]
Daughter of Zeus[]
Insulted at Zeus' infidelity, Hera cursed Leto while she was pregnant, forbidding her to give birth on land or sea. Fortunately, she found an island that did not touch the ocean floor, so it was neither land nor sea, and thus bore her children. Artemis was born first, then miraculously aided as midwife in the birthing of her brother.
Artemis spent her childhood in the hills and forests, training with her bow and hunting beasts. As she grew older and more beautiful, she also grew proud and ruthless when slighted or dishonored, especially against those that claimed to be better hunters than she.
Goddess of the Hunt[]
Artemis became the Goddess of the Moon after being trained by the Titan goddess Selene to take her place as the ruler of the moon. She was called the Mistress of Animals which allows her to control most animals in the world. She and her twin brother Apollo are known as the "Twin Archers." Artemis' handmaidens are known as the Hunters of Artemis, a group of young women that have turned their back from the company of men and have pledged themselves to the goddess.
Although Artemis is more often thought and recognized as the daughter of Leto, there is a myth that she is actually the daughter of Demeter, with no say on who the father would be. Artemis is typically shown with a bow and arrow that represents the crescent moon and its silver rays. She is most often depicted as wearing a crescent moon above her forehead. Artemis is a maiden Goddess, never to marry or bore children but also a Mother goddess that guards and helps women during childbirth. She is also shown being followed by a fox, stag, leopard, or lion and sometimes even a combination of them.
Artemis loved to run through forests with Nymphs, hunting while being armed with a set of bow and arrows that were made for her by Hephaestus and Cyclopes. Artemis had the ability to bring and relieve women of disease and sickness. In later Hellenistic times, she assumed the ancient role of Eileithyia in aiding childbirth. For centuries and still today, Artemis is worshipped around the globe. Her name is invoked by hunters seeking prey and by midwives during childbirth. Sacrifices are made in her name before a new military campaign. Adolescent girls are sent to her shrine to serve for one year. Beautiful, deadly, and chaste, Artemis is a focused woman and a fearsome warrior.
Vengeful Huntress[]
Artemis never loved any man and would vehemently reject any advances made by a male whether they be a man or a god. The only known male that she did form an attachment to was the hunter Orion. Orion was Artemis' hunting companion. In some stories, he is killed by Artemis, while in others he is killed by a scorpion sent by Gaia. In other versions, Orion tries to violate Opis, one of Artemis' followers from Hyperborea, and Artemis kills him. In a version by Aratus, Orion grabs Artemis' robe and she kills him in self-defense. While sometimes he brags that he will kill every single animal in the world and Gaia takes offense and sends a scorpion to kill him.
Artemis was also said to be the Greek goddess whom hunted creatures that were not part of or were twisted and warped parodies of the megafaunal kingdom. They were creatures of the night, or monsters, that threatened the livelihood of both the mortals and her followers as well. Artemis' hunters were also said to join the goddess during her hunts, becoming some of the earliest known hunters in human history with Atalanta being among them. Moreover, it is also revealed the Artemis would at times join forces with the likes of werewolves when hunting vampires. She was the first to discover the werewolves, thereby confirming the survival of Lycaon and his children, but she remained silent instead of relaying the discovery to her father as the lycans did not pose a threat.
Artemis, like most of the other gods, was also known to be enviously petty especially when a mortal boasts of their superiority in the skill of the hunt compared to Artemis herself. One example was in some versions of the story of Adonis, Artemis sent a wild boar to kill him as punishment for his hubristic boast that he was a better hunter than her. In other versions, Artemis killed Adonis for revenge. In later myths, Adonis is a favorite of Aphrodite, who was responsible for the death of Hippolytus, who had been a hunter of Artemis. Therefore, Artemis killed Adonis to avenge Hippolytus' death. In yet another version, Adonis was not killed by Artemis, but by Ares as punishment for being with Aphrodite.
The Aloadae[]
The twin sons of Poseidon and Iphimedeia, Otos and Ephialtes, grew enormously at a young age. They were aggressive skilled hunters and could not be killed unless by each other. The growth of the Aloadae never stopped, and they boasted that as soon as they could reach heaven, they would kidnap Artemis and Hera and take them as wives. The gods were afraid of them, except for Artemis who captured a fine deer (or in another version of the story, she changed herself into a doe) and jumped out between them. The Aloadae threw their spears and so mistakenly killed one another.
In another version, Apollo sent the deer into the Aloadae's midst, causing their accidental killing of each other. In another version they start piling up mountains to reach Mount Olympus to catch Hera and Artemis, the gods spot them and attack. When the twins had retreated the gods learn that Ares has been captured. The Aloadae not sure about what to do with Ares lock him up in a pot and Artemis turns into a deer and they kill each other.
Trojan War[]
Artemis may have been represented as a supporter of Troy because her brother Apollo was the patron god of the city, and she herself was widely worshipped in western Anatolia in historical times. In the Iliad she comes to blows with Hera when the divine allies of the Greeks and Trojans engage each other in conflict. Hera strikes Artemis on the ears with her own quiver, causing the arrows to fall out. As Artemis flees, crying to Zeus, Leto gathers up the bow and arrows.
Artemis plays a significant role in the war. Like Leto and Apollo (who was widely worshipped in Troy), Artemis took the side of the Trojans. At the beginning of the Greek's journey to Troy, Artemis stilled the sea, stopping the journey until an oracle came saying they could win the goddess' heart by sacrificing Iphigenia, Agamemnon's daughter. Agamemnon once promised the goddess he would sacrifice the dearest thing to him, which was Iphigenia, but broke that promise. Other sources[which?] said he boasted about his hunting ability and provoked the goddess' anger. However, Artemis saved Iphigenia because of her bravery. In some versions of the myth, Artemis made Iphigenia her attendant or turned her into Hecate, goddess of night, witchcraft, and the underworld.
Aeneas was also helped by Artemis, Leto, and Apollo. Apollo found him wounded by Diomedes and lifted him to heaven. There, the three deities secretly healed him in a great chamber.
Personality[]
Artemis is a level headed individual with a cool personality. She is a focused, reserved, mature, confident, and reasonable woman but also stoic, serious, and extremely pragmatic. She is regarded by most deities and demigods as aloof and distant. She only ever showed emotion with her brother (annoyance and joy), and her hunters. She is competitive and quick to prove her potential, and knows what she's good at. She may appear at first to be abrasive and intimidating, but is genuine and cares for her friends.
Artemis is strong and brave; she doesn't bend to the will of others or love. She also will not back down from a challenge. Artemis likes to show that women can do things that men can do. Courageous, headstrong, bold, and adventurous, Artemis can be both a loyal friend and a formidable rival. The hunting goddess loves the company of her followers and the animals but also loves the quiet alone time that nature can give. She enjoys the quiet darkness when the moon is visible in the night sky.
Unlike her twin brother Apollo, Artemis is less "easy-going" and has a much greater understanding of mortals than most of the other Olympians, much like her half-brother Hermes. She is among the more sympathetic and selfless deities, weighting individuals by their actions and choices as opposed to their potential. While she does have a better understanding of mortals, Artemis chooses to live in nature to avoid the squabbles, drama, conflict, clashes, feuds and quarrels of humanity and the gods.
Artemis possesses deep care for maidens and will hurt anyone who tries to harm one. Her hunt is mostly comprised of young girls she had rescued. Her care also extends to children both male and female. Artemis possesses a soft spot for children earning her the title, Protector of Young Children. Artemis has a principle that she keeps close to her heart and follows and it is "boys do not become targets until they are men or if they have done something horrible to a woman."
