Artemis is the goddess of moon, wildlife and hunting. She was born to Zeus and Leto on the Island of Delos, along with her twin brother, Apollo. Myths tell us that Hera was in one of her jealous rages and would not let Leto rest when she was in labor. Leto had to force herself to run and hide. When Artemis was born painlessly, she immediately helped her mother become comfortable and give birth to Apollo.
Artemis is one powerful goddess. She has the power to heal, kill, and protect. Artemis is the safeguard of children and animals. Just like her twin brother, she is remarkable with the bow and arrow. When she was very young, she asked her father, Zeus, for a few wishes. Zeus was quick to grant them all. Her desires included virginity for life, silver bow and arrows like Apollo’s, six nymphs, mountains of the world, and one city in her name. She, along with Athena and Hestia, is one of the three virgin goddesses.
Though Artemis was not always very pleasant, like most of the other gods. She was known to ask for human sacrifices and to cause quick deaths to women who do not please her. Orion and Actaeon, two men, just the once saw Artemis bathing nude in the woods. Artemis quickly transformed them into stags; they were then killed by her fierce hounds.
Artemis is often thought to be on the fine line between good and evil. She sometimes became known as Hecate, the goddess of hell and evil. Every god or goddess has their good and bad side, but in Artemis, the evil side was very often seen more than the good side. Incongruously, it is barely seen in her twin brother Apollo, who is often thought of as joyful and pleasant.
So many temples were built in her honor, the most famous being The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, which is considered one of Seven Wonders of the World. It was made out of ivory and gold, a very magnificent work of architecture.
Callimachus: Hymn to Artemis
"Pray give me eternal virginity; as many names as my brother Apollo; a bow and arrows like his; the office of bringing light; a saffron hunting tunic with a red hem reaching to my knees; sixty young ocean nymphs from Amnisus in Crete, to take care of my buskins and feed my hounds when I am not out shooting; all the mountains in the world; and, lastly, any city you care to choose for me, but one will be enough, because I intend to live on mountains most of the time. Unfortunately, women in labor will often be invoking me, since my mother Leto carried and bore me without pains, and the Fates have therefore made me patroness of child-birth."
Callimachus: Hymn to Artemis
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