Artemis (Diana in Roman) was one of the most famous Greek Goddess in Greek Mythology. She was the goddess of hunting and the moon and had a very relevant role for the Hellenics.
Artemis, Artemis or Artemisia is the Greek Goddess linked to wildlife and hunting; later, it also became associated with the moon and magic. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and Apollo's twin sister. Its Roman equivalent was Diana. Homer refers to him as Artemis Agrótera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wild lands, Lady of the Animals". The Akkadians believed that Artemis was the daughter of Demeter, goddess of agriculture.
Artemis is a goddess of the moon, of hunting, of wild animals, of the wilderness, of childbirth and of virginity and protector of girls in the ancient Greek religion. It has been described as the best hunter among gods and mortals. Bow and arrows are your constant companions. The deer, the bear and the cypress were consecrated to him.
A member of the Greek pantheon, it is a common presence in Western culture. An asteroid, 105 Artemis, and the craters Artemis Chasma and Artemis Corona from the planet Venus were named after this goddess. His brothers are: Apollo, Athena, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Dionysus, Heracles
Several conflicting accounts are given in Greek mythology of the birth of Artemis and his twin brother Apollo. All reports agree, however, that she was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and that she was Apollo's twin sister.
A tale by Calímaco says that Hera prohibited Leto to give birth in any land (the continent) or in an island. Hera was angry at Zeus, her husband, because he had betrayed her with Leto. Poseidon, taking pity on Leto, took her to the island of Delos (or Ortígia in the Homeric hymn to Artemis) that was floating, not being a continent or an island, for Leto to give birth there. When at last the island of Delos received her, Ilícia, daughter of Hera and goddess of childbirth, was held by her mother in Olympus. Only after Zeus distracted Hera, can Ilícia help Leto and deliver the twins. Artemis has no son!
In the history of Crete, Leto was worshiped in Festus and in the mythology of Crete, Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis on the islands known today as Paximadia. Myths also differ as to who was born first, Artemis or Apollo. Most stories depict Artemis being born first, becoming his mother's midwife after the birth of his brother Apollo. We recommend: Apollo, Greek God of the Sun
Artemis' childhood is not fully reported in any surviving myth. The Iliad reduced the figure of the goddess to that of a girl, who, after being hit by Hera, weeps up to Zeus' lap. A poem by Callimachus to the goddess "having fun in the mountains with a bow and arrow" tells how, when she was three years old, Artemis, while sitting on the lap of her father, Zeus, asked her to grant him six wishes: if always virgin; having many names to differentiate her from her brother Apollo; be the Light Carrier; have a bow and arrow; a knee-length tunic so she could hunt and have sixty "daughters", all nine years old known as "the hunters of Artemis", to be one of her companions, the nymph, mortal, or demigod must do one vow of eternal chastity with Artemis herself thus gaining immortality and the blessing of the goddess. She wished she had no city dedicated to her, but to rule the mountains and to have the ability to help women in labor pains.
Artemis believed that she had been chosen by the Fates to be a midwife, especially since she had helped her mother deliver her twin brother Apollo. All his companions remained virgins, and Artemis closely watched his own chastity. Its symbols include the bow, the golden arrow, the hunting dog, the deer, and the moon. Callimachus says that Artemis spent her childhood looking for things she would need to be a hunter, so she obtained her bow and arrows on the island of Lípara, where Hephaestus and the Cyclops built.
Okeanos' daughters were afraid of the young goddess, but Artemis boldly approached and asked for the bows and arrows. Callimachus then tells how Artemis visited Pan, the god of the forest, who gave him seven dogs and six dogs. She then captured six golden deer and placed the horns to pull her carriage. Artemis practiced with his bow, first shooting at trees and then at wild animals. Check: Apollo, Greek God of Sun
As a virgin, Artemis aroused the interest of many gods and men, but only his hunting companion, Orion, won his heart. Orion was accidentally killed either by Artemis or Gaia.
Alphaeus, a river god, was in love with Artemis, but he realizes that he could not do anything to win his heart, so he decided to capture her. Artemis, who was with her companions at the river, finds Alfeu, but, suspicious of her motives, she covers her face with mud so that the river god does not recognize her. In another story, Alphaeus tries to rape Artemis' protected nymph, Arethusa. Artemis took pity on Arethusa and saved her, turning Arethusa into a fountain on the island of Ortigia, in Syracuse, Sicily.
Bouphagos, son of the titan Iapetus, sees Artemis and thinks of raping her. Reading his sinful thoughts, Artemis strikes him on Mount Foloi.
Sipriotes is a boy, who, either because he accidentally sees Artemis in the bath or because he tries to rape her, is transformed into a girl by the goddess.
Check: Polyphemus and Odysseus
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