Name: Artemis (Greek Spelling; Αρτεμις)

Other Names: Cynthia, Phoebe, Luna, Acraea, Aeginaea, Aeto′le, Amarynthus, Alphaea, Alpheaea, or Alpheiu′sa, iokheaira (epithet), Etc.

Goddess Equivalents from other Mythologies: Diana (Roman), Artume (Etruscan), Kotharat (Canaanite), Bastet (Egyptian), Drvaspa (Zoroastrian), Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto/Tsukuyomi (Japanese)

Titles: nature, childbirth, wildlife, the Moon, the hunt, sudden death, animals, virginity, young women, and archery.

Associated Animals: deer, serpent, dog, boar, goat, bear, quail, buzzard, guineafowl.

Associated Symbols: bow and arrows, crescent moon, animal pelts, spear, knives, torch, lyre, amaranth.

Sacred Plants: cypress, palm, walnut.

Astrological Symbol: Artemis's Astrological Symbol is the Crescent Moon, a short version of the Moon, that can be depicted in many different angles, up, down and sideways.

Abode/Resistance: Mount Olympus

Planet: The Moon

Group: Olympian Gods

(Personal Info)

Parents: Zeus (Father), Leto (Mother).

Place of Birth: Island of Delos, Greece.

Siblings: Apollo (Twin Brother), Half-Siblings; Aeacus, Angelos, Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, Dionysus, Eileithyia, Enyo, Eris, Ersa, Hebe, Helen of Troy, Hephaestus, Heracles, Hermes, Minos, Pandia, Persephone, Perseus, Rhadamanthus, the Graces, the Horae, the Litae, the Muses, the Moirai.

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"Artemis is known mostly as the Greek Goddess of The Moon and Goddess of the Hunt, she is the twin sister of Apollo, the Sun God and God of Music."
Both of them used bows and arrows."

"Although being called a Moon Deity, She's not the only one with the Moon title in Greek mythology, there is Selene the Titan goddess of the Moon and Hecate known as Goddess of Witchcraft but in this case of being a Lunar Deity, she is of the New Moon."

"But Artemis is considered the most prominent Lunar Deity in mythology alongside Selene and Hecate, (Who we will get into at a later date within this series)."
Artemis was mostly seen in the forests in Greece, surrounded by a large group that contained mostly Nymphs, some mortals and hunters."
In Roman Mythology she was known as Diana."

"In the tradition of Greek Mythology and Greek religion in general, Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto a Childhood goddess, she is the Twin sibling to Apollo."
In accounts of their birth it's mostly stated to be part of an extramarital liaison (which I have trouble understanding what that really means so if you know tell me)."
And it's said because of this extramarital liaison, Hera forbids Leto to give birth on any land. (Although we can all know anything about Hera.....she was angry at Zeus for being unfaithful yet again and of course her jealousness)."

"But Leto was able to give birth on the Island of Delos, the only place where she could take refuge to give birth, Artemis was said to be the first born from Leto and help her mother in the birth of her brother Apollo."
This could be the case why she is the Goddess of Childbirth, as she and Apollo were called kourotrophic deity meaning "child-nurturing deity".

"It means being the Patron and protector of young children especially young women and girls, and it was believed Artemis and Apollo would disease upon women and children and relieve them of it."
Artemis was mostly worshiped as the Goddess of Childbirth alongside Eileithyia and Hera, and like Athena and Hestia, Artemis preferred to stay a virgin goddess to never marry and Aphrodite the Goddess of Love and lust has no power over her or the other virgin goddesses whatsoever."

"Artemis in myth and literature is shown as the Goddess of the woods aka Nature, she was surrounded by followers who should never be crossed!".
In some myths to explain this; Actaeon, a young hunter accidentally saw Artemis bathing and thus she was nude, this angered Artemis that she was seen by him in this way and so she turns him into a deer and this he gets devoured by his own hunting dogs as they do not recognize him as their master."

"In another myth, Callisto was a girl in Artemis's group of nymphs who was chased out after breaking her vow of Virginity when she had a relationship with Zeus and was impregnated by him."

In the epics, Artemis halted the winds blowing Greek ships during the Trojan War which stranded the ships in Aulis, this was because King Agamemnon who was the leader of the expedition shot and killed her sacred deer, and demanded a sacrifice by him with the sacrifice being his daughter; Iphigenia, for her slain deer."
Iphigenia is led to be sacrificed at the altar, however Artemis pities her and so she saves Iphigenia from being sacrificed and leaves another deer to be sacrificed in her place in other versions Iphigenia is still sacrificed, but Artemis, her brother Apollo and Mother support the Trojans against the Greeks and challenge Hera in a battle."

"The worship of Artemis was spread out far and wide, she had multiple temples, altars, shrines, and local veneration found everywhere in the ancient world."
One of her Famous temples is the temple at Ephesus who was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World before it was burnt to the ground."

"Artemis is Symbolized by the bow and arrow, a quiver and hunting knives representing her role as the Goddess of the Hunt, the animal the Deer was sacred to her along with the Cypress tree."
From her Roman name; Diana, she is worshiped on the Aventine Hill in Rome, near Lake Nemi in the Alban Hills and in Campania."

(Artemis Description)

"Artemis is shown as a Goddess who likes to hunt and would punish anyone harshly if they dare cross her."
Her wrath represented the hostility of wild nature to humans, Homer has called Artemis; "potnia theron" (πότνια θηρῶν), which means "Mistress of Animals".
This title is also associated with a piece of art which goes all the way back to the Bronze Age, one art by the name "Mistress of Animals" made of pottery and looks like a plate has a woman in between two animals; (This Could be Artemis)."

"Ancient Greeks called Artemis; "Potnia Theron" is also seen on a Greek vase from circa in 570 BCE."
Shows a winged Artemis as she stands by a spotted panther and a deer, one of her epithets; Iokheaira was used by poets to describe her, it means "She who shoots arrows".

"Artemis was often called "Artemis Chryselacatos" which means "Artemis of the golden shafts."
In Homeric Hymn 27 it depicts Artemis by saying this;

"I sing of Artemis, whose shafts are of gold, who cheers on the hounds, the pure maiden, shooter of stags, who delights in archery, own sister to Apollo with the golden sword. Over the shadowy hills and windy peaks she draws her golden bow, rejoicing in the chase, and sends out grievous shafts. The tops of the high mountains tremble and the tangled wood echoes awesomely with the outcry of beasts: earthquakes and the sea also where fishes shoal". - Homeric Hymn 27 to Artemis 1-9.

"Artemis Status is noted as a virgin she avoided having any lovers."
And there are multiple references to Artemis's Beauty in an aspect."
In the Odyssey, Odysseus compares Nausicaa the daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of Phaeacia to Artemis in terms of appearance to win her favor to him."
Libanius had written that Ptolemy was smitten by the Beauty to the Artemis Statues and in some cases her mother; Leto often took pride in her daughter's beauty."

"Several Stories around Artemis had men like Actaeon, Orion, and Alpheus who tried to make her fall in love with them or forcibly only to be thwarted or killed."
Ancient Poets say that Artemis had an imposing height and stature standing much taller than all the Nymphs who accompany her."

"In Athens and Tegea, the people worshiped her as "Artemis Calliste" meaning "The most beautiful", she represented generally as healthy, strong, and active, bearing quiver and bow and accompanied by a dog."

(Myths of Artemis)

Her Birth- "There are various versions to the birth of Artemis alongside her Brother; Apollo, every account agrees that she is the Daughter of Zeus and Leto and the Twin sibling of Apollo."

"Some sources say she was born at the same time as Apollo or earlier and later, neither versions of old myths have actually really stated Them as Twins so it's here and there but they're considered Twins."

"Their birth story told by Callimachus an Ancient Greek poet, scholar and librarian states that Hera was angry at Zeus for impregnating Leto, that she forbade Leto from giving birth on land which was called terra firma meaning "The mainland and even a island was not enough."

"However the island of Delos disobeyed and allowed Leto to give birth there, Delos in some sources was said to be a freely floating island although in some cases she gave birth to Artemis and Apollo on Ortygia."

"Some sources say that Artemis was born first then Apollo, she was a midwife to her mother helping her in the birth of Apollo, and that it says Artemis was born at night representing her relation to the Moon while Apollo was born in the day representing his relation with the Sun."

"When the trouble of childbirth was over, Leto is said to have taken the infants; Artemis and Apollo to Lycia in the Southwest corner of Asia Minor."
Where she finds a spring and tries to drink and bathe the infants in the spring, however three local lycian peasants try preventing the tired Leto after giving birth and her infants from drinking the water."
They stir up the muddy bottom of the spring with their feet so Leto, Artemis and Apollo could not drink from the Spring."
Doing this makes Leto very angry that the lycians refused to offer hospitality to a tired mother and her thirsty babies, she transforms all of them into frogs to forever to be doomed to swim and hop around the spring for there cruel ways."

Artemis's 10 Wishes to Zeus and her Childhood- "During her Childhood not much is really known, A poem by Callimachus says the Goddess "who amuses herself on mountains with archery", this could mean during her childhood she took up skills in Archery not really appropriate for gender at the time considering she was a girl."

"But she made 10 wishes to her Father Zeus, that she Wanted granted from him, those 10 wishes being;

1. To Remain a Virgin forever.

2. To have as many names set apart from her brother Apollo.

3. To have a bow and arrow made by the cyclopes.

4. to be the Phaesporia or Light Bringer.

5. To have a short knee-length tunic, so she could hunt.

6. To have 60 "daughter of Oceanus" all ages of nine to be her choir.

7. To have 20 Amnisides nymphs as handmaids so they will watch over her hunting dogs and bow while she is resting.

8. To rule over all the mountains.

9. To be assigned to any City and only visit when called by mothers about to give birth.

10. To have the ability to help women with the Pains of Childbirth.

"Artemis is believed to be chosen by the Fates as a Midwife since she assisted her mother in the birth of her brother Apollo."

"All of Artemis's companions were to remain a virgin, and Artemis closely guarded her chastity, she had the Symbols of a golden bow and arrow, a hunting dog, the Stag and the Moon."

"Callimachus tells of how Artemis spent her Childhood seeking out the things she would need to be a Huntress, she got her Bow and arrow from the isie of Lipara, where Hephaestus and the Cyclopes worked."

"And although Oceanus's Daughters were fearful, the young Artemis bravely came to them with her bow and arrows, she also visited Pan the god of the forest, who gave her seven female and six male hounds as hunting dogs."

"Artemis then captures six golden-horned deer to pull her chariot."
She practiced Archery first by shooting at trees and then at wild game."

(Artemis's Relationship with Men)

"Artemis you can say to remain a Virgin Goddess, she had no intimate relationships, never had sex as that would.....well you know she wouldn't be a Virgin anymore which is what she stood and represented young girls and unmarried women."
But she did have some relationships with men in her time, and let's just say.....(have no idea what some men were thinking in Mythology thinking they were gonna get away from it because literally what did we just say about when you cross Artemis.....you won't make it out ALIVE! Or have a worse fate in some cases for these men I'm about to mention)."

Alpheus- "The River God; Alpheus had fallen in love with Artemis but he knew he could not win her heart so he decided to kidnap her, when Artemis was with companions at Letrenoi go to Alpheus, she became suspicious of him and so used mud to cover her face and look unrecognizable to him."

"In another story; Alpheus had rapped Artemis' attendant Arethusa, she takes pity on the girl and saves her and transforms into a spring which is said to flow in the temple of Artemis Alpheus in Letrenoi, and Artemis and attendants drink from."

Bouphagos- He was the son of the Titan; Iapetus The Titan of Mortality, he sees Artemis and thinks of rapping her, when Artemis reads his sinful thoughts, she shoots him with an Arrow at Mount Pholoe basically killing him.

Daphnis- He was a young boy and a Son of Hermes, who was accepted by Artemis and became one of her Followers, he would often accompany her in hunting and entertain her with his singing of pastoral songs by playing the pan flute."

Scamandrius- Artemis taught him how to use a Bow and arrow and be great at it, he became an excellent archer with guidance and he used this when participating in the Trojan War.

Broteas- He was a famous hunter, who refused to honor the Goddess Artemis, boasted nothing can harm him, not even fire....(and boy was he wrong) Artemis drove him mad causing him to walk into fire causing him to die.....(again don't cross Artemis).

Siproites- His story is similar with Actaeon, he was a Cretan hunter who just so happened to see Artemis's nude, so Artemis transforms him into a woman.

Calydon- He was a son of Ares and Astynome, who like Siproites and Actaeon seeing Artemis's Nude got his own punishment which was that he got turned to Stone.

(Artemis's Divine Retribution)

"As what has been noted of Artemis is that you don't want to get on her bad side or face a Punishment from her that can either be sudden death (which is a title she also had) or something worse than death, you can use the men explained who got some terrible punishments from Artemis up above but let's talk about Actaeon, because his story is the more famous out of her Divine Retribution list."

Actaeon- "There are mainly surviving versions of Actaeon's Story but to its core it follows one thing, he was a Great hunter who was turned into a deer/stag as a punishment for crossing her, he is the Devoured and killed by his own Hunting dogs although some stories say the Hunting dogs were Artemis's."

"Some versions of the Story say this and that about what he did that made him cross the line by Artemis to make offended with him so she punished him, but one of the most well known versions was that he was a Great hunter who just so happened to see Artemis bathing in her Sacred Spring with her Nymphs, and when he was spotted Artemis offended turns him into a Deer."
He is then Chased by his own Hunting dogs and In some cases his Hunting Partners who do not recognize him in his deer form and so he's ultimately killed by them."

Niobe- "She was the queen of Thebes and wife of Amphion, who proudly said that she was better than Leto (Artemis and Apollo's Mother)."

"This myth is very old, but Homer wrote the myth down as saying, Niobe had given birth to Twelve children divided by Six sons and Six daughters and they were called the Niobids, named after their mother."
Some others say there were more children up to Fourteen."
But the Myth goes that Niobe claimed she was a better mother than Leto for having more children....(which I find insane because probably if she was not a queen and they were born all at the same time and considering.....yeah she wouldn't have enough time to care or raise these twelve kids)."

"Leto heard this and either version of the story, she was upset and offended or got angry with Niobe's pride."
So she calls upon both Artemis and Apollo and commands them to avenge her on what Niobe had said, they take this swiftly and descend upon the city of Thebes."

"When Niobe's sons were hunting in the woods, Apollo sneaks up on them and kills all seven with his Silver bow."
The dead bodies of her sons were brought to the palace, and Niobe wept for them, however she did not stop there and still claimed to be better than Leto...(which come on your kids got killed by your pride take it back now!, No and now her daughters pay the price)."

"Since Niobe still had her daughters she again claims to be better than Leto, and so Artemis part to avenge her mother, just like what Apollo did with her Sons, Artemis kills all of her Six daughters, Niobe begs for the Youngest one to be spared but Artemis does not listen and kills the last Daughter, this makes Niobe so upset she cries and turns into Stone."

"King Amphion when he saw all his sons were killed then kills himself, and their bodies were entombed by the gods."
In different versions of this story Artemis and Apollo do spare one of the children, for they prayed for Leto to help, Niobe had no more children after this."

Orion- "He was a Great Hunter, and became one of Artemis's Hunting Companions after giving up his search for Oenopion, he then met Artemis and her mother Leto, he joined the goddess during her hunting."

"Being a Great Hunter, he claimed her could kill any beast on earth, and this seems to offend Gaia, Primordial Goddess of The Earth, so she sends a giant Scorpion to sting him, Artemis then placed Orion into the heavens where he becomes the Constellation; Orion."

"Another version of this story is that Orion dies after saving Leto from the Scorpion when he pushes her out of the way from its stinger."

"In another version which had a not so kind Orion, Orion had violated Opis; one of Artemis's companions, and so she killed him, in a version by Aratus, he states Orion grabbed Artemis's robe, and she kills him in Self-defense, in other version, Writers had Artemis kill him for trying to rape her or one of her attendants."

"The Greek Writer; Istros the Callimachean wrote that Artemis had fallen in love with Orion and this is apparently the only time Artemis had ever fallen in love, she wanted to marry him and Apollo could not talk her out of it, so Apollo decided to trick Artemis."
While Orion was swimming in the sea, Apollo pointed him out, he was barely a spot in the horizon for where he was standing with Artemis and tells her she could not hit that small "dot" from this angle, this Artemis was eager to prove she was a better archer then her brother so she shot at said "dot" and she killed Orion....(wow Apollo talk about keeping your sister a virgin).

"Artemis is said to have placed him in the Stars as a Constellation after this."
But found in Homer's Iliad, Eos the Goddess of Dawn seduces Orion, this angers the gods and it was not approved of Immortal Goddesses to take mortal men as lovers, and so Artemis was permitted to kill Orion, which she did on the island of Ortygia."

Callisto- "She was the daughter of Lycaon, King of Arcadia and she was one of Artemis's companions, she took the vow of chastity which meant she would remain a virgin and not marry and fall in love with a man."

"However in Hesiod in his lost poem Astronomia, Zeus comes to Callisto to seduce her, this results in her becoming pregnant and although she did hide it for a time, when Artemis found out while bathing, Artemis gets mad and transforms Callisto into a Bear, in this form Callisto gives birth to her son; Arcas."

"The two are captured by Shepherds and given to Lycaon, Thus she loses her child, sometime later Callisto goes into a forbidden sanctuary of Zeus, and is hunted by Arcadians, her son among them."
When she was about to be killed Zeus had saved her and placed her in the heavens as the Bear Constellation; Ursa Major, some say that her Son, Arcas was placed in the stars with her as the Constellation; Ursa Minor."

"There is another version where Hera was the one who turns Callisto into a bear, and Artemis killed her to please Hera, Zeus sends Hermes to take Arcas and then Zeus places Callisto into the sky as a Constellation."

(Artemis in Minor Myths)

"Here are some Minor Myths where Artemis appears in."

"In one myth, Zeus's gigantic son Tityos tried to Rape Leto, Artemis and Apollo prevent this and Artemis kills him with raining arrows."

"There was a princess of Pokis named Chione, who was both beloved by Hermes and Apollo, she boasted that she was more beautiful then Artemis because she got the two gods to fall In Love with her all at once."
"Artemis got furious by this and attempted to kill Chione with an arrow or strike her mute by hitting her in the tongue, however in some versions; Hermes and Apollo protect Chione from Artemis's wrath."

"When Atalanta, a heroine of Greek Mythology was an infant and abandoned by her father in the woods, Artemis sends a female bear to take care and nurse the infant."

"There is another Goddess who we will get into eventually in this Series, her name was Aura, and in some versions, one had Nemesis send Eros to make Dionysus fall In Love with Aura, he intoxicates and rapes her making her pregnant, she becomes deranged and tries to kill herself or cut open her belly as Artemis oversees this, Aura has two sons one of them she eats, But Artemis saves the other, that being Iacchus who became a minor Greek deity."

"Two sons of Poseidon and Iphimedeia; Otos and Ephialtes grew up hugely at a young age they are aggressive and skilled hunters and could not be killed except by each other, the two boasted they will soon reach the heavens and would kidnap Artemis and Hera taking them as their wives."
The gods feared this, but Artemis was not afraid and didn't take this lightly, she Transforms herself into a deer and jumped between the two, some say she transformed into a dove."

"They threw their spears at each other and basically killed each other."
In another version Apollo sends a deer and they accidentally kill each other with their spears."

"There was a version of Adonis's Story where Artemis was angry at him for saying he was a better hunter and as punishment she sends a Wild boar to kill him, in another version it's said that Artemis killed Adonis as in revenge when Aphrodite caused the Death of one of her Hunting Companions; Hippolytus and so as revenge she killed him, yet another version says Ares killed him and not Artemis."

There a bunch more Minor Myths of Artemis, but here are some we will mention here."

(Artemis During the Trojan War)

"Artemis's role during the Trojan War was around that she supported the Trojans against the Greeks alongside her brother Apollo who was a patron god of the City, she was also worshiped in the western part of the city."

"I've already mentioned the Story of how she stopped King Agamemnon's fleet for Killing her Sacred Deer and Boasting to be a better hunter than Artemis."
She requested he sacrifice his daughter; Iphigenia, some versions have Iphigenia sacrificed or saved by Artemis after taking pity and substituting a Deer in Iphigenia's place."

"Other versions tell what happened to Iphigenia after she survives, Artemis either took her to Tavros to lead the priests there or she became an Immortal companion of Artemis."

"The Trojan Hero; Aeneas, was helped by Artemis alongside her Brother Apollo and Mother Leto when he was injured and wounded badly by Diomedes the King of Argos during the War, they secretly took him to the heavens and healed back to health in a Great chamber."

"Artemis also fights with Hera, the Iliad wrote this as it the Moon versus the air around the Earth, she ever scolded Apollo for now fighting Poseidon and told him to never brag again and Apollo did not answer her."

"Hera being angry scolds Artemis for daring to fight her says along with lines;

"How now art thou fain, thou bold and shameless thing, to stand forth against me? No easy foe I tell thee, am I, that thou shouldst vie with me in might, albeit thou bearest the bow, since it was against women that Zeus made thee a lion, and granted thee to slay whomsoever of them thou wilt. In good sooth it is better on the mountains to be slaying beasts and wild deer than to fight amain with those mightier than thou. Howbeit if thou wilt, learn thou of war, that thou mayest know full well how much mightier am I, seeing thou matchest thy strength with mine."

"Hera after this grabs Artemis by the wrists and holding her in place beats her with her own bow, this leaves Artemis Crying and she flees to run to Olympus and cry at the knees of her Father; Zeus."
During this her Mother; Leto picked up her bow and arrows and followed her Weeping daughter."

(Artemis in Pop Culture)

Like many of the Greek Gods and Athena, Artemis has been seen throughout a lot of the media nowadays, here are some."

There is Artemis from the DC Comics, she is an Amazon Warrior and she seems to only bear the name Artemis, similar to the DC Character in the Young Justice series, speaking of DC Comics I will also mention Wonder Woman's Name Diana, could be drived from Artemis's Roman Equivalent.

Another Character who has her name is Artemis from The Sailor Moon Series, Although the Artemis of Sailor Moon is a Male White Cat, he's mostly goofy but has a relationship with Luna who he eventually has a kid with in the 30th century named after Artemis's Roman Equivalent; Diana.

Lastly I'll mention Artemis's role in the Saint Seiya series, it looks to be minor in some cases except for Heaven Overture where she has an Important role."

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"And that's my take in information on the Goddess of The Moon and Hunt; Artemis."

"If there is anything I forgot to miss that is important to Artemis, that I should have mentioned I'll hear you out of it, thank you for reading Artemis's part in Mythos."