Artemis

Bronze Diana, 3rd Century BC

Artemis is the Greek goddess of the Moon, hunting, archery, virginity and midwifery. She is one of the members of the Twelve Olympians who ruled the world on top of Mount Olympus. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, older twin sister of Apollo. Her Roman equivalent is Diana.

Artemis is generally depicted as a beautiful huntress wearing a sleeveless tunic and carrying a bow and arrow. She is accompanied by a group of nymphs huntresses. Bow, arrow, quiver and knives serves as her symbols. While deer and stags is her sacred animal.

Ancient Greek myths involving Artemis

Birth

Hera, who was Zeus's wife, discovered that Leto was pregnant and became very angry. She banned Leto from giving birth on any mainland or island known.

Leto found the island of Delos, which floated and so was not an island or mainland, and gave birth there. Hera then locked up the goddess of childbirth, Eilethyia, so she could not give birth to the twins. Then, all the other goddesses convinced her to let her free so she could finally give birth. Leto gave birth to Artemis without any problem. However she was in labor with Apollo for nine days. Artemis helped Leto to give birth to Apollo.

Acteon

A mortal hunter named Acteon stumbled upon Artemis while she was bathing in one of his hunting session with his friends. Artemis discovered him and she was enraged. So she inflicted a punishment upon him for spying on her whilst she was bathing by transforming him into a stag. She sent his own hunting dogs to tear him apart.

Hippolytos

Hippolytos, a companion and devotee of Artemis, was slain through the machinations of Aphrodite, as punishment for his scorning of love and neglecting her worship. Artemis avenged the death of Hippolytos by killing Aphrodite's favourite lover, Adonis. She later petitioned Asclepius to bring the boy back to life, and spirited him away to her sacred shrine in Aricia.

Artemis Media

Statue of Artemis, fresco from Pompeii, 50–1 BCE
Scene from sacrifice in honour of Artemis-Diana. Frecco fom the house of Vettii in Pompeii
Artemis pouring a libation, c. 460-450 BCE.
Minoan seal from Knossos. A goddess flanked by two lionesses, probably the "Mother of the Mountains".
Artemis as Mistress of Animals, Parian pottery, 675–600 BCE
Artemis in front of the altar. Attic Lekythos 475 BC. Sicily
Artemis, Pergamon Museum, Berlin