The Greek goddess Artemis embodies a mysterious force, one that nurtures wildlife into abundance, but at the same time represents the hunt, along with the cruel downfall of those who ventured into the woods. What is Artemis the goddess of? Get to know this beautiful goddess who is supremely attractive and at the same time fearsome.
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Beginnings of Greek Goddess Artemis
According to Greek mythology, the supreme god Zeus fathered Artemis by the Titaness Leto. Artemis also had a twin brother, Apollo, with whom she shared the skill in wielding the bow and arrow. Fair and highly respected, both twins stood among the twelve deities of Mount Olympus.
Painting by Jean Marc Nattier
Domain of Greek Goddess Artemis
While the other gods took up different realms to govern, Artemis chose the wild. “Give to me all the mountains,” she requested of the king of gods, “on the mountains will I dwell.” Artemis also asked her father for a bow and arrows, which the giants Cyclopes fashioned for her. This weapon she used to hunt games as well as to protect herself.
Dangers Facing the Greek Goddess Artemis
Of course, there were perils facing the virgin goddess as she lived alone in the forest. The mountains were home to dangerous beasts. Mischievous spirits and other supernatural creatures also posed challenges to Artemis. The wilderness held hidden threats, requiring the goddess to be vigilant at all times.
Moreover, being alone in the forest meant that Artemis was isolated from the other gods. When a threat came up, the goddess had no immediate allies to turn to, but had to rely entirely on her own wits and prowess.
Yet the greatest threats that posed the most danger to Artemis came from men and giants, who lusted after the beautiful goddess. While the virgin deity fiercely guarded her chastity, hunters and lascivious creatures ventured into her domain. Despite her commitment to her virginity, Artemis attracted the attention of men, some of whom were formidable foes.
Greek Goddess Artemis Lives in the Forest
Despite the danger, Artemis resolved to live in the forest. She roamed the mountains surrounded by animals. The deer, stags, boars and bears were under her care. She was both their guardian and their huntress.
Indeed, Artemis was also the goddess of the hunt. A famous master of archery, she roamed the forests with a quiver of arrows. Her skill with the bow showed her uncanny ability to strike with precision, both to protect and to take life when necessary.
Painting by Orazio Gentileschi
A pack of loyal hunting dogs accompanied Artemis. She obtained them as a gift from the god of the wild, Pan. These fierce creatures helped her track games through the dense forests.
With her wanderings in the forests, Artemis was eventually associated with the moon. She roamed through the quiet nights of the wilderness, and walked the moonlit mountain peaks. The cover of darkness, illuminated by the moon, was a time when the goddess could truly immerse herself in the mysteries of nature. Her moonlit walks allowed her to be alone with her thoughts.
Artemis was so deeply associated with the moon that, as her twin brother became the god of the sun, so was Artemis confused with the moon goddess Selene.
As a virgin free from the expectations of marriage and motherhood, Artemis represented the wild, untamed aspects of nature.
Painting of nymphs by Charles François Jalabert
Artemis and her Nymphs
Eventually, Artemis had companions. A group of loyal nymphs became her followers. They tagged along in her hunt and, when she was done, tended to her bow and quiver. The nymphs also bathed the goddess.
From I, Japiot, CC BY-SA 3.0
Yet the goddess was very discerning about her companions. She required her followers to take a vow of chastity. Her nymphs swore, particularly by touching her bow, to keep their virginity as the goddess hers.
Roaming through the forest at night, this close-knit sisterhood led a life free from romantic attachments.
From Dr.K., CC BY-SA 4.0
Worship of the Greek Goddess Artemis
Overtime, Artemis became popular among worshipers.
From Zde, CC BY-SA 4.0
Women Worship Artemis
Due to her courage and skill, many young women were drawn to Artemis. The goddess represented a life of freedom and strength, quite different from the typical roles expected of women in Ancient Greece. Artemis also stood as a protector of the vulnerable — not only of the animals and children, but also of women seeking freedom from the conventional constraints of Greek society.
From Dimitris Eleftheriou, CC BY-SA 4.0
Brauronia Festival
One of Artemis’ most famous festivals was held in the village of Brauron in Attica. This rite of passage marked the transition of girls between 5 and 10 years old to womanhood. A crucial part consisted of the young girls dressing in saffron robes as bears, the animal being sacred to Artemis. This festival, which featured dancing, was so important to the Athenians that they, as the Suidas encyclopedia says, “decreed that no virgin might be given in marriage to a man if she hadn’t previously played the bear for the goddess.”
Painting by Johann Heinrich Tischbein
Men Respect Artemis
Even men worshiped Artemis. Hunters invoked the blessing of the goddess of the hunt, and asked her permission as they ventured into her abode. Advancing into the forest, the men offered prayers, appealing for success in the chase.
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The Greek Goddess Artemis Meets Strangers
Though the wilderness was a remote space, far from the reaches of ordinary men, it was not inaccessible to strangers. There were those who dared to step into Artemis’ domain. Hunters in particular entered the dense, shadowy woods in search of game.
What happened when they saw a woman alone in the woods? What happens if they saw Artemis bathing in the wilderness?
Painting by Peter Paul Rubens
In ancient Greek society, women were quite vulnerable. When they were caught alone or away from the protection of male family members, they were easy prey for men who desired to exploit their vulnerability. Moreover, the wilderness, what with its isolation, was a place where men thought of violating women without fear of retribution. This is illustrated in many stories where gods and men, upon seeing a woman alone, attempted to abduct or assault her. Often the woman was a follower of Artemis.
Hunters Intrude on Artemis
Hunters in particular were prone to stumbling upon Artemis in the wild. These men might be skilled and noble, but they might also succumb to the base instincts of preying upon women.
The story of Actaeon is a famous example of a hunter’s intrusion upon Artemis’ private space. The hero saw the goddess while she was bathing, presumably naked. Some say it was an accident, but others assert that the skilled hunter intentionally spied on Artemis, gazing upon her with lust.
Satyrs Pursue Artemis & her Nymphs
Satyrs were wild, lustful creatures. With their insatiable appetite for pleasure, these half-human half-goat beings roamed the forests in pursuit of women, particularly nymphs. Some of their frequent targets were Artemis’ followers.
Driven by their unchecked desires, the satyrs would often pursue and prey upon the nymphs. The beastly creatures often spied on the nymphs bathing in secluded streams or dancing in the woods, and hoped to catch them unaware. Then the satyrs relentlessly advanced on the nymphs and disrupted their serene lives. Their lady, Artemis, was no less attractive a target for the lascivious creatures.
Engraving by Tommaso Piroli
Giants Capture Artemis
Among the most infamous of those who pursued Artemis were two giants. Known as the Aloadae, Otus and Ephialtes were powerful sons of the sea god Poseidon. In their arrogance, the twin brothers sought to overthrow the gods of Olympus, and capture Artemis and Hera for their brides.
With their immense strength, the towering brothers piled mountain upon mountain on Olympus, and attempted to climb up the abode of the gods. Otus had her eye on Artemis, and the two giants agreed to make her Otus’ bride, while the other brother would get the queen of gods, Hera, for himself.
Unlike Hera, Artemis charged forth to confront the two invaders. After transforming herself into a deer, she darted into the brothers’ midst. Clueless that it was her, the giants fell upon her. They were so strong, and Artemis, by her own strength, could not resist them.
Drawing by Girodet-Trioson
Gods Prey on Artemis’ Followers
Even the gods were not above preying on Artemis’ beautiful nymphs. No less than her own brother and father pursued Artemis’ followers.
Brother Pursues Artemis’ Nymph
Artemis’ twin brother, the god Apollo himself, pursued her nymph Daphne. Intent on claiming her, Apollo chased Daphne through the forest. Desperate to escape Apollo’s pursuit, Daphne cried out to the mother goddess Gaea for help. The nymph did escape physical violation, but she lost her human form and freedom, for the goddess of the earth transformed her into the laurel tree, just as Apollo was about to touch her.
Father Seduces Artemis’ Follower
Another famous example is the story of Callisto. Callisto swore her chastity under Artemis’ care, but no less than the latter’s father, Zeus, preyed on her. To approach Callisto, Zeus disguised himself as Artemis. He knew the nymph would lower her guard around her beloved goddess. Then Zeus took advantage of her trust and seduced her, leaving her deeply ashamed and pregnant.
Men Abduct Artemis’ Devotees
Not only the nymphs, but mortals who worshiped Artemis suffered in the hands of men. In one of her Brauronia festivals, the young girls who participated were abducted. The Pelasgian men ambushed the girls, no more than ten years of age, and took them home to Lemnos on fifty-oared ships. There they forced the little girls to be their concubines.
Lows of the Greek Goddess Artemis
Artemis could not always protect her followers from the desires of men and gods, especially those of her own kin. At one point, she even ended up killing her own nymph.
Some say that when Zeus’ wife, Hera, discovered his affair with Callisto, the queen of the gods turned the nymph into a bear. When the bear came up against her lady in the forest, Artemis, who was hunting, slayed her with the bow and arrow. The dedicated follower thus fell by the hands of her own lady.
Artemis Protects Herself and Followers
Despite her vulnerability as a female deity, Artemis was anything but weak. Fierce and independent, she protected herself and her followers against the advances of lascivious men.
Artemis of the Bow and Arrow
Artemis’ primary means of defense was the bow and arrow. In fact, she was a famous master of archery. One can thus see images of Artemis aiming her arrow at lusty satyrs. She wielded this weapon with such lethal precision that made her more than capable of fending off any man who attempted to harm her. Indeed, men who sought to defile her nymphs or invade her sacred spaces often met a swift and violent end.
Artemis Outwits Giants
Similarly, when the giants Otus and Ephialtes sought to capture Artemis, she outsmarted them. Knowing that the brothers were superior in strength, Artemis did not engage them directly. Instead, she transformed herself into a deer and darted in between them.
Eager to capture their prize, the giants simultaneously drew their spears and thrust them at the deer. They did not realize that Artemis had cleverly positioned herself between them, so that their spears pierced each other, while Artemis gracefully dodged. Thus, though the goddess was physically outmatched, her once-mighty opponents fell, thanks to her intelligence and cunning.
Artemis Curses Actaeon
Not only can Artemis shapeshift into an animal, but she can also transform people into beasts. This she did with the hunter who looked at her bathing. She transformed Actaeon into a stag, who was torn apart by his own hunting dogs.
Many feel for the man and disapprove of what Artemis did, but at that point Actaeon was someone who could attempt to violate her, as the men of old did to girls who were by themselves. Although ruthless, turning a potential aggressor into a beast protected Artemis, and sent a stern warning to other men not to disrespect the goddess of the wild.
Artemis Immortalizes Nymph
In the case of Callisto, some say that Artemis banished her upon learning that the nymph was pregnant. Others assert that the goddess had no idea of how her father seduced the nymph – not even as the nymph, turned into a bear, walked into her in the forest and prompted her to shoot with her bow and arrow. Ultimately, in her remorse, Artemis preserved the bear among the stars. Callisto became the Ursa Major constellation.
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Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Wild
Artemis is the goddess of the wilderness, and the wild represents her power. The untamed forest mirrored the goddess’ own independence. Men who entered it often found themselves at the mercy of forces they could not understand or control. Thus, while the wilderness appeared lawless to men, it was actually governed by an unseen justice, one that punished those who sought to harm the vulnerable.
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