Artemis
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Artemis (; Ancient Greek: Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of hunting, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was often said to roam the forests and mountains, attended by an entourage of nymphs. The goddess Diana is her Roman equivalent.
Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin sister of Apollo. In most accounts, the twins were produced by an extramarital liaison, for which Zeus's wife Hera forbade Leto from giving birth anywhere on solid land. Only the island of Delos allowed her to give birth to her children. In one account, Artemis is born first and then proceeds to assist Leto in the birth of the second twin, Apollo.
Artemis was a kourotrophic (child-nurturing) deity, being the patron and protector of young children, especially young girls. Artemis was worshipped as one of the primary goddesses of childbirth and midwifery along with Eileithyia and Hera. She was also a patron of healing and disease, particularly among women and children, and was believed to send both good health and illness upon women and children. Artemis was one of the three major virgin goddesses, alongside Athena and Hestia. Artemis preferred to remain an unmarried maiden and was one of the three Greek goddesses over whom Aphrodite had no power.
In myth and literature, Artemis is presented as a hunting goddess, who roams the wilderness surrounded by her retinue of nymphs. The hunter Actaeon is said to see her bathing naked, upon which the goddess transforms him into a deer; he is then devoured by his own hunting dogs, who do not recognize their master. In another story, Callisto is driven away from Artemis's company after breaking her vow of virginity, having lain with Zeus. In the Epic tradition, Artemis halted the winds blowing the Greek ships during the Trojan War, stranding the Greek fleet in Aulis, after King Agamemnon, the leader of the expedition, shot and killed her sacred deer. Artemis demanded the sacrifice of Iphigenia, Agamemnon's young daughter, as compensation for her slain deer. In most versions, when Iphigenia is led to the altar to be offered as a sacrifice, Artemis pities her and takes her away, leaving a deer in her place. In the war that followed, Artemis supported the Trojans against the Greeks, and she challenged Hera in battle.
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated Greek deities. Her great temple at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, before it was burnt to the ground. Artemis's symbols included a bow, arrow, and quiver, and the deer was sacred to her. In later times, she was identified with Selene, the personification of the Moon.
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