Her great temple at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, before it was burnt to the ground. In the war that followed, Artemis supported the Trojans against the Greeks, and challenged Hera into battle.Īrtemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities her worship spread throughout ancient Greece, with her multiple temples, altars, shrines, and local veneration found everywhere in the ancient world. 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. Artemis demanded the sacrifice of Iphigenia, Agamemnon's young daughter, as compensation for her slain deer. 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. In the story of Callisto, the girl is driven away from Artemis' company after breaking her vow of virginity, having lain with and been impregnated by Zeus. In the myth of Actaeon, when the young hunter sees her bathing naked, he is transformed into a deer by the angered goddess and is then devoured by his own hunting dogs, who do not recognize their master. In myth and literature, Artemis is presented as a hunting goddess of the woods, surrounded by her chaste band of nymphs. Artemis preferred to remain an unmarried maiden and was one of the three Greek goddesses over whom Aphrodite had no power. Believed to send both good health and illness upon women and children.Īrtemis was one of the three major virgin goddesses alongside Athena and Hestia. Artemis was worshipped as one of the primary goddesses of childbirth and midwifery along with Eileithyia and Hera.Īrtemis was also a patroness of healing and disease, particularly among women and children. Artemis was a kourotrophic (child-nurturing) deity, that is the patron and protector of young children, especially young girls. Usually, Artemis is the twin to be born first, who then proceeds to assist Leto in the birth of the second child, Apollo. Only the island of Delos gave refuge to Leto, allowing her to give birth to her children. For this, Zeus' wife Hera forbade Leto from giving birth anywhere on land. In most accounts, the twins are the products of an extramarital liaison. In Greek tradition, Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. The goddess Diana is her Roman equivalent. She was often said to roam the forests and mountains, attended by her entourage of nymphs. In later times, she was identified with Selene, the personification of the Moon. In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Artemis ( / ˈ ɑːr t ɪ m ɪ s/ Greek: Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols. This article contains special characters.
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