Marble statue of the Ephesian Artemis, Turkey. (125-175 A.D.)
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy of Corel Corporation.
Artemis
In Greek mythology, Artemis was born with her twin brother Apollo in the island of
Delos. Their parents were Zeus and Leto. Artemis was the goddess of woodland and the
personification of the Moon. She was also known as the goddess of
the hunt.
She was depicted as a eternally young and skilled huntress. She was always accompanied by a group of her attendants, the beautiful virgins the Amazons, who were warriors and huntresses like her. Artemis was the symbol
of virginity. She punished those who would violate her virginity or that of her
attendants.
Artemis and her brother Apollo had vindictive tempers. According to a
Greek legend, they killed most of the children of Niobe, who had insulted her mother Leto comparing favorably her children with the twins Artemis and Apollo. In another occasion, furthermore, they were said to have killed Tityius for attempting to rape their mother Leto.
Romans identified Artemis with their goddess Diana.
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