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The Gods of Ancient Greece: Artemis Artemis is the goddess of wild animals, of hunting, and childbirth. She is the child of Leto and Zeus, and twin sister of Apollo. Like him, she also has a dual aspect; she is a virgin goddess, but yet also is the goddess of childbirth. According to one version of the myth, Leto first gave birth to Artemis on the island of Ortygia (the word means “quail”). Artemis then helped her mother cross over to another island, Delos, where Apollo was born.
Artemis is often described as dancing through the mountainside or meadows with the Nymps who are her friends. They are accompanied by wild animals, especially suckling ones, which she often nurses. There is an image of Artemis from Ephesus which shows her with many breasts, much like a mother animal has. (See photo posted after this lesson.)
In art she wears the short khiton (instead of the longer peplos) and has a girl’s hairstyle. This shows that she, like her brother, is considered to be of a youthful age. Also she carries her bow and arrows, and next to her is an animal such as stag.
The palm tree is sacred to Artemis because it was to this tree that her mother clung in agony as she gave birth to the goddess. The bear and the deer are especially sacred to her. Obviously as a goddess of wild animals she would have these associations. She shares the love of deer with her brother, but the bear is unique to her. The origins of this are most likely lost in history, but perhaps her name is connected to that of bear, which in Greek is arktos. Young girls at Brauron were dedicated to Artemis, and called arketoi. They remained virginal and in her service until their marriage. Women generally had no “coming of age” ritual, but before a woman married, she gave her toys, locks of hair, and other girlhood things to Artemis in her temple.
Her temple at Ephesus is one of Seven Wonders of the World. Her cult there was so strong that when St. Paul went there, preaching Christianity, they would not even think of converting. The temple had been burned down several times, and then rebuilt. Even today, there has been one attempt to rebuild the temple, but not much progress has been made.
She and her brother were also worshipped on the now deserted island of Delos. Notable there is the “Horn Altar” made out of the horns of goats that Artemis killed as a sacrifice to her father.
The Mounikhia festival is held in honor of Artemis in the month of Mounikhion (early spring). It celebrated both her aspects as huntress and as a lunar goddess. A she-goat was sacrificed, and also she was offered moon-cakes, called amphiphontes, meaning “shining all around.” (Campbell, p. 283)
Variant names for Artemis are Ortheia and Potnia Theron, meaning “Mistress of Animals.’
Agrotera, “of the wilderness”
Hegemone, “she who leads”
Laphria, “of the hunt”
Lokhia, “protector in childbirth”
Puronia, “fiery”
Tauropolos, “bull-hunting”
(Campbell, pp. 65-66)
Muse, sing of Artemis, sister of the Far-shooter, the virgin who delights in arrows, who was fostered with Apollo. She waters her horses from Meles deep in reeds, and swiftly drives her all-golden chariot through Smyrna to vine-clad Claros where Apollo, god of the silver bow, sits waiting for the far-shooting goddess who delights in arrows.
And so hail to you, Artemis, in my song and to all goddesses as well. Of you first I sing and with you I begin; now that I have begun with you, I will turn to another song.
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. But the goddess with a bold heart turns every way destroying the race of wild beasts: and when she is satisfied and has cheered her heart, this huntress who delights in arrows slackens her supple bow and goes to the great house of her dear brother Phoebus Apollo, to the rich land of Delphi, there to order the lovely dance of the Muses and Graces. There she hangs up her curved bow and her arrows, and heads and leads the dances, gracefully arrayed, while all they utter their heavenly voice, singing how neat-ankled Leto bare children supreme among the immortals both in thought and in deed.
Hail to you, children of Zeus and rich-haired Leto! And now I will remember you and another song also.
From: “Online Medieval and Classical Library,” http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Hesiod/hymns.html
incense—powdered frankincense
Hear me, O queen, Zeus’ daughter of many names,
Titanic and Bacchic, reverend, renowned archer,
torch-bearing goddess bringing light to all, Diktynna, helper at childbirth.
You aid women in labor, though you know not what labor is.
O frenzy-loving huntress, you loosen girdles and drive cares away;
swift, arrow-pouring, you love the outdoors and you roam in the night.
Fame-bringing, affable, redeeming, mannish,
Orthia, goddess of swift birth, nurturer of mortal youths.
Immortal and yet of this earth, you slay wild beasts, O blessed one,
and your realm is in the mountain forests. You hunt deer,
O august and might queen of all, fair blossoms, eternal,
sylvan, dog-loving, many-shaped lady of Kydonia.
Come, dear goddess, as savior, accessible to all
the initiates and bring earth’s fair fruits
and lovely Peace and well-tressed Health;
and do banish disease and pain to mountain peaks.
Translation by A. Athanassakis
Once Agamemnon was hunting and killed a stag. He was so proud of himself that he bragged that not even Artemis herself was as skilled as he was. Artemis was offended at his hubris, and when the day came for Agamemnon and others to sail to Troy, she refused to let the winds blow in a favorable direction. An oracle said that the only way that Artemis would be appeased was if Agamemnon sacrificed his virgin daughter, Iphigeneia to her. He was horrified at the though and refused. However, after some time he changed his mind, as he and the other men had to go to Troy and retrieve Helen. He prepared for the sacrifice. At the last minute, Artemis miraculously substituted a deer for Iphigeneia, and the girl was saved. However, she was not to return to her ordinary life. Instead Artemis brought her to Taurus and trained her to be one of the Goddess’ priestesses.
I also include here a beautiful quote that I feel really captures the nature of Artemis:
“But loftiest of all is an encounter with the sublime. It dwells in the clear ether of the mountain peak, in the golden iridescence of mountain meadows, in the lightning glint of ice-crystals and snowy slopes, in the silent astonishment of field and forest when the moonlight bathes them in its glow and drips glittering from the leaves. Here everything is transparent and weightless. Earth itself has lost its heaviness and the blood is no longer conscious of its dark passions. A dance of white feet seems to hover over the ground, a chase to pass through the air. This is the divine spirit of sublime nature, the lofty shimmering mistress, the pure one, who compels delight and yet cannot love, the dancer and huntress who fondles cubs in her bosom and races the deer, who brings death when she draws her golden bow, reserved and unapproachable like wild nature, and yet, like nature, wholly enchantment and fresh excitement and lightning beauty. This is Artemis.”
-- Walter Otto, The Homeric Gods: The Spiritual Significance of Greek Religion, Beacon Press, Boston, 1964, pp. 81-82.