Newsletter

The fascinating story of Artemis, the mythical goddess of the hunt

Among the most famous Greek goddesses we can cite Artemis, the goddess of nature and hunting. Like the majority of characters in Greek mythology, this goddess has a complex, yet fascinating, history. From his passion for animals to his friendship with the hunter Orion, discover the story of the goddess Artemis.

In Greek mythology, Artemis is the goddess of wild animals, hunting, vegetation, chastity, and childbirth. She is also the patron goddess of young girls, until they are of marrying age. In Roman mythology, she is equated with the goddess Diana. Among the gods of Olympus, Artemis was one of the most respected. The many festivities given in his honor demonstrate the veneration shown to him by the people. The many myths and legends about him also testify to his influence. Daughter of Zeus, the all-powerful god of Olympus, and of the Titanide Leto, Artemis is also one of the three virgin goddesses, alongside Athena and Hestia.

Artemis and Apollo: a closely linked fate

But one of the most salient facts about Artemis is that she is Apollo’s twin sister. Indeed, her story is closely linked to that of her brother and her status as the goddess of childbirth was attributed to her in particular thanks to the birth of her brother. According to legend, Artemis was born a day before her brother Apollo. Her mother gave birth to her on the island of Ortygia, after Hera – Zeus’ wife – forbade her to give birth on Earth, in retaliation for her husband’s infidelity. Then, almost immediately after his birth, Artemis helped his mother cross the strait to the floating island of Delos, where Leto then gave birth to Apollo, with his daughter as a midwife.

Helping her mother to give birth to her brother marked the beginning of her role as a protective guardian of young children and women in childbirth. The story of these twins does not end with their birth. After two difficult deliveries, Leto had to rely on his children to survive. The latter did not hesitate to protect their mother when the giant Tityus – who is also a son of Zeus – attempted to rape Leto in a sacred grove near Delphi. When Leto called for help, Artemis and Apollo came to his aid by shooting arrows at the giant, killing him instantly. Since then, the twins have always remained very close, whether it is to take care of their mother, or just to go hunting and practice archery.

The goddess of the hunt

Artemis was worshiped not only by her mother and brother, but also by her father, the king of the gods of Olympus. When she was only three years old, her father asked her, among other things, what gifts she would like to get from her father. Aware of the immense power of Zeus, she did not hesitate to make six wishes. As mentioned in the Hymnes of Callimaque, these vows were the permission to never get married, to have as many names as his brother Apollo, to have a bow and arrows made by the Cyclops as well as a hunting tunic, to bring light to the world , to have sixty nymphs to take care of his dogs, and to have all the mountains for a domain.

In adoration in front of his daughter, Zeus did not hesitate to grant her all his wishes. It is thanks to the gifts offered by his father that Artemis thus benefited from the status of goddess of hunting and wild nature, but also of chastity. Since she was surrounded by a large number of nymphs from an early age, Artemis also became a goddess of song and dance. It is for this reason that in addition to her bow, her arrows and her chariot drawn by four golden horned deer, she is also represented with a lyre. In addition to his six wishes, Zeus also offered thirty cities to his daughter, and appointed her keeper of the roads and ports of the world.

Artemis and Orion: a tragic friendship

One of the most famous legends about Artemis concerns in particular his story with the giant hunter, Orion. One day, while hunting in the forest, Orion saw the young and beautiful Artemis who was also hunting. In a very short time, they became friends and were spending a lot of time together, whether it was hunting, archery or chatting. Realizing the bond that was forming between the beautiful giant and his sister, Apollo became very possessive of his sister. He feared in particular that, despite his vow of chastity, Artemis would fall in love with Orion and marry him.

Therefore, Apollo hatched a plan to end their friendship and sent a giant scorpion to kill Orion. The hunter then confronted the monster and triumphed by pushing him towards the sea. While Orion was fighting against the scorpion, Apollo visited his sister and told her that Orion was an evil man who had raped Opos, one of his Hyperborean priestesses. He also added that Orion was at this moment trying to escape his anger by fleeing to a distant island. This lie provoked the fury of Artemis who rushed to kill Orion. It wasn’t until later that she found out that her brother had lied. Realizing his mistake, it is with great sadness that Artemis placed Orion’s body among the constellations in homage to their majestic friendship. This is how the famous constellation of the belt of Orion would have appeared.

© Eric Gaba / Wikimedia Commons

A goddess surrounded by many legends

There is a great multitude of stories evoking the goddess Artemis. She would have been involved in the Trojan War as well as in Homer’s Iliad. Due to her great beauty, her story is also linked to those of many characters in Greek mythology who coveted her, despite her wish for eternal celibacy. Among these characters, we can notably cite Adonis, the god of beauty; Actaeon, the grandson of Apollo; or Sipriotes, a young Cretan whom she transformed into a girl because he dared to admire her while she was bathing quite naked in a spring.

— Gilmanshin / Shutterstock.com

Despite her strong character, Artemis was a highly regarded goddess, and she was particularly revered for her status as the protector of fertility, childbirth and young children. In order to worship their goddess, humans have raised a temple in Ephesus – which has been listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – as well as other places of worship in his honor. Likewise, it is also entitled to numerous festivals throughout the year, the most important of which is the brauron festival – a celebration for Artemis, but also for young girls who pass to adulthood.

Even today, Artemis remains present in popular culture, and she is one of the most famous Greek deities. Whether in art, literature, film or video games, Artemis has been evoked and represented in many different ways in the modern world. She notably inspired the character of Katniss in Hunger Games. To go further, also discover the fascinating story of Athena, the mythical goddess of wisdom.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending