Artemis was the maiden, or virgin, goddess of the hunt. She is usually depicted with her famous bows and arrows, but was also pictured with hunting spears, flaming torches, or as a dancing goddess holding a lyre. She eventually became known as the goddess of the moon as well, while her brother Apollo became synonymous with the sun.

In addition to her silver bow and arrow, the stag and the cypress were sacred to her.

Mythology

Artemis and her brother Apollo were the children of Zeus and Leto. They were born on the island of Delos, after Hera had set a curse upon Leto that she must give birth in a place the sun had not ever shone. Artemis was the first born and assisted Leto in delivering her brother Apollo.

As a child, Artemis sat upon her father’s knee and asked for several wishes, which he granted her. She first wished not to become encumbered by marriage, and so the wish was granted that she would remain chaste for all eternity. She wished for 60 sea nymphs as her hunting companions, stags to pull her chariot, and for lop-eared hounds. As one of only three gods immune to the powers of Aphrodite, Artemis was able to closely guard her virginity.

Artemis would spend much time hunting with Orion, and some stories claim that she was in love with him. Apollo was very protective of Artemis, though, and did not approve of their relationship. He challenged Artemis to prove her skill with her bow by shooting an object far out at sea. Her shot was perfect, not knowing she had been tricked by her brother, and the object was really the head of Orion. Her shot killed her hunting companion.

Another of Artemis’ hunting companions, Callisto, had taken a vow of chastity. Callisto had been taken advantage of, or raped, by Zeus, who had come to her disguised as either Artemis or Apollo. Callisto bore a son as a result of the encounter, named Arcas. Artemis was enraged, and turned Callisto into a bear. Arcas nearly killed Callisto the bear, but Zeus intervened. He then placed Callisto into the heavens, and so was born the constellation of Ursa Major.

Niobe, a queen of Thebes, had fourteen children to Leto’s two children, and so boasted of her superiority to Leto. Upon hearing this, Apollo and Artemis killed all of Niobe’s children with their poisoned arrows. Amphion, Niobe’s husband, either killed himself upon the news of his murdered children or was killed by Apollo. Niobe was turned to stone by Artemis. Zeus had turned the rest of the people of Niobe to stone, so there was no one left to bury them. Finally, on the ninth day following their death, the gods entombed the dead.

Artemis in Popular Culture

• The astrological sign Cancer is ruled by Artemis, due to her association with the moon.

• There is a minor planet named Artemis, as well as planetary craters bearing her name including one on the Moon, and Artemis Chasma and Artemis Corona on the surface of Venus.

• A temple built in her honor in Ephesus (Istanbul), Turkey became one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.”

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