Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt

When looking at Greek mythology, there is the Big Three-- Zeus, Poseidon, & Hades. But when pushing those men aside, you would be surprised at how many greek goddess's there is.

Diana of Versailles 

The daughter of Zeus and Leto, Artemis along with her twin brother were born into the greek mythology world. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, wildlife, childbirth, and chastity. Her symbols included her bow and arrow, and her hounds (3). Because she was also a moon goddess, she was sometimes represented with a moon symbol on her head. While there is little to no myths about her childhood, Artemis is said to have helped her mother Leto with the birth of her twin brother Apollo; This helped her to become associated with childbirth and earn a title as a midwife as well. As a young child, she went to her father Zeus with the hopes of him granting her wishes. She asked for 6 things (2,3)...

1.  To always remain a virgin

2.  To have names to set her apart from her brother Apollo

3.  To have a bow & arrow, along with a knee length skirt

4.  To be the Light Bringer

5. To have 60 daughters of Okeanos to be her choir

6.  To have 20 Amnisides Nymphs as handmaidens to watch both her hounds and bow whenever she rested

Artemis and her hound

One of the most iconic myths surrounding Artemis is that of the saving of Iphigeneia. King Agamemnon (king of Mycenae, leader of the greek army in the Trojan war) had disrespected Artemis, saying he was a better hunter than her. Because of this, Artemis made it impossible for his fleet of ships to go out into the sea. Hearing that with a sacrifice Artemis would forgive him, he tied his daughter Iphigeneia to his ship. At the last moment, Artemis switched Iphigeneia with a deer, and let her become her companion (2). Not only did this show how powerful Artemis could be, but also that you can be powerful while still have feelings for others.




While she was knowing for the hunt, it is said that Artemis was a very protective Goddess, and would help any young girl or woman.  When it came to her pack of females, she was very protective and is said to have men ripped to shreds by her hounds if they tried to watch them bathe.  Artemis was constantly coming to help those in need, but she also had her moments of destruction as well. Although most of the destruction was against men who had hurt someone or herself, she was nonetheless ruthless with her approaches. An example of Artemis true powers as not only a goddess but most importantly a female show the story of her hunting companion Orion and herself. While there is many stories of what had happened, it is said that Orion (who was the closest thing to Artemis having a love interest) tried to rape either Artemis or one of her followers Opis. Artemis in defense killed Orion with her arrow (2). Her role as a protector of young girls and women helped Artemis truly embody the role of a feminist.

Work Cited

(1) Cartwright, Mark. “Artemis.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 24 Oct. 2018, www.ancient.eu/artemis/.

(2) “Artemis.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Oct. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis.

“🏹 Artemis.” Greek Mythology, www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Artemis/artemis.html.

(3) Briggs, Erin. “Artemis.” Artemis, 2012, www.fairfieldpaschools.org/cms/lib03/PA01000417/Centricity/Domain/119/artemis.html.
Saint-Pierre, Gaston Casimir. Diane the Huntress.
Lahanas, Michael. “Diana of Versailles.” Diana of Versailles, 2007, www.hellenicaworld.com/Greece/Art/Ancient/en/DianaOfVersailles.html.