Artemis is the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt. Artemis - goddess of the hunt, the moon and fertility

The ancient Greek goddess Artemis is the twin sister of the god Apollo, the first of them to be born. Their mother, Leto, is the titatis of nature, and their father is Zeus the Thunderer. Leto ascended with her to Olympus when Artemis was three years old to present to her father and other divine relatives. “Hymn to Artemis” describes the scene when the auspicious father caressed her with the words: “When the goddesses give me children like this, even Hera’s wrath does not frighten me. My little daughter, you will have everything you want.

Artemis chose for herself a bow and arrows as a gift, a flock of hounds for hunting, a tunic short enough for running, nymphs for her retinue and mountains and wild forests at her disposal. She also noted eternal chastity. Zeus willingly provided her with all this, "so that she would not rush alone through the forests."

The ancient Greek goddess Artemis descended from Olympus and went through the forests and to the reservoirs, selecting the most beautiful nymphs. After that, she went to the seabed to ask the masters of the god of the sea Poseidon, the Cyclopes, to forge arrows and a silver bow for her.

A pack of wild dogs was provided to her by the goat-footed Pan, who plays the flute. The ancient Greek goddess Artemis was impatiently waiting for the night to test the received gifts in action.

Myths say that Artemis did not refuse those who turned to her, asking for help, acting decisively and quickly. But, like all celestials, she was quick to deal with her offenders.

Cult of Artemis

The cult of the goddess was widespread in ancient Greece. Benevolent Artemis was prayed for loved ones. Girls put cut strands of hair on her altar, and brides on the day of marriage gave children's toys. The traveler, upon returning home, could turn to Artemis with gratitude for a happy return, hanging his hat in the divine grove. Someone asked for protection from thieves, promising to perform a ritual sacrifice in honor of the merciful goddess.

Artemis was revered as the patroness of childbirth. Women prayed to her, calling Artemis "healer of pain" and "no pain." They asked her to relieve their labor pains and either help in childbirth or give them an "easy death" from her arrows.

Usually Artemis appears in the images as a huntress: in a short, carelessly belted robe, with bare arms and legs; a quiver hangs on her shoulder, and she clutches a bow in her hand. A half-moon diadem shimmers in her hair. On the coast of Asia Minor, in Ephesus, a temple was erected in her honor, but there she is depicted, surprisingly, in a completely different way: as the mother of all things, with a hundred breasts. In fact, this is not Artemis the huntress, but an Asian goddess, to whose cult the local Greeks joined, looking at their neighbors, but renamed the goddess in their own way.

In Athens, Epidaurus and on the island of Delos, the ancient Greek goddess was also called Hekate, identifying with the goddess who was respected in Asia Minor. Hekate was considered a goddess who roams the cemeteries on moonlit nights, appears accompanied at the crossroads. Hekate was called the goddess of magic, but much more often the ancient Greek myths "settled" her in the kingdom of Hades. In ancient times, a mature woman with two torches in her hands looked from the images. Around the fifth century BC. e. the sculptor Alcmene carved a statue that presented the goddess as one in the form of three women standing with their backs to each other; in their hands were torches and pots. This strange six-armed goddess looks more like Indian deities than Greek celestials.

Of course, first of all, the ancient Greek goddess Artemis was the patroness of hunting, but she was also considered a goddess. Night is her element.

Some legends connect Artemis not only with the image of Hecate, but also with Selene. The three of them form a lunar triad: Selene reigns in the heavens, Artemis rules on the earth, and Hekate in the gloomy and mysterious underworld.

Hunters

Woe to that mortal who dares to cast an immodest glance at Artemis! A legend tells of such an unfortunate ...

Handsome Actaeon was a passionate fan of hunting. Once, together with his friends, he was chasing a beast in the forests of Cithaeron, not knowing that he had crossed the border of the possessions of the hunting goddess. The day was hot. The young men, exhausted by the heat, took refuge under the canopy of a dense thicket, and Actaeon, feeling thirsty, went in search of a spring.

He came across the grotto and heard a cheerful female laugh. Stealthily, he approached closer, tormented by curiosity and saw a naked goddess. Struck by her beauty, the young man froze in place, staring wide-eyed at the ever-young Artemis.

The nymphs had already helped her undress, take off her bow and quiver of arrows, took off her sandals, when the figure of a young man appeared in the opening of the grotto. The nymphs screamed in fright, instantly covering the naked goddess, but it was too late.

Artemis was terribly angry, but resisted and did not kill the young man on the spot. She splashed water on Actaeon in a rage and said:

Go away. And brag, if you can, that you saw Artemis the huntress bathing. Actaeon touched his head, experiencing strange sensations. Fingers stumbled on branched horns. He touched his face ... No, he doesn’t have a face, but a deer muzzle. Actaeon's neck and ears lengthened, arms turned into thin legs with hooves. He rushed headlong to the river bank. A frightened deer was reflected in the water surface, into which the young man turned. Actaeon rushed to look for his comrades in order to tell them about his misfortune. But the hounds, not recognizing the owner in a new guise, rushed at him ...

A few hours later, friends became worried that Actaeon had not returned for a long time, went in search of him, but found only the carcass of a deer, bullied by dogs. They never knew what a terrible death their friend, the only one of the people who managed to see the divine beauty of the daughter of Zeus and Leto.

Thawed Artemis, having learned that the poor young man had died, asked her father to give him a constellation. So, according to legend, Hounds appeared in the sky.

In the legends of the goddess-huntress, another hunter appears. Orion. This person touched the soul of the immortal goddess. The god Apollo found out about his sister's hobby. He did not like the mortal hunter, because of which his sister abandoned her divine duties.

Apollo ordered Orion to catch fish while Artemis was away. God made sure that the mortal swam far into the sea - so that his head was barely visible. Returning Artemis was incited by her brother, expressing doubts that she would be able to hit such a small object. There was a dark object on the horizon. Insulted, Artemis immediately reached for her quiver, not knowing who her arrow was aiming at. The goddess did not miss, hitting Orion exactly in the head.

The waves brought the body of a loved one to her feet. Artemis was horrified, but it was too late. As a sign of deepest regret, the ancient Greek goddess Artemis Orion was placed in the sky. Her only love has become her excitement, and it's sad.

By the way, there is another legend about Orion. It was said that Orion boasted that he was the greatest hunter in the universe. The goddess did not endure this, sending a poisonous scorpion to him. Subsequently, both Orion and the scorpion turned out to be bigger than the gods in the firmament.

Orion is always trying to hide from the scorpion. Scorpio rises in the east when a few of Orion's stars are still visible above the western horizon.

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Ancient Greek goddess Artemis the hunter

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The ancient Greek goddess Artemis is the twin sister of the god Apollo, the first of them to be born. Their mother, Leto, is the titatis of nature, and their father is Zeus the Thunderer. Leto ascended with her to Olympus when Artemis was three years old to present her father and other divine relatives. “Hymn to Artemis” describes the scene when the auspicious father caressed her with the words: “When the goddesses ...

Artemis (Artemis), Greek, Latin Diana is the daughter of Zeus and the Titanides Leto; the goddess of hunting and animals, the mistress of nature, and also the goddess of the moon. In the photo: painting by Batoni Pompeo "Diana and Cupid", 1761, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

She was the twin sister of the god of light and the sun Apollo and, according to the most common legend, she was born on the island of Delos (see the article ""). But according to another version, Summer gave birth to them in the grove of Ortigia near Ephesus; Near this place, the Greeks built the Temple of Artemis, which became one of the "seven wonders of the world."

William Henry Rinehart, Latona and Her Children, Apollo and Diana (1871-74), New York Metropolitan Museum of Art

However, wherever Artemis was born, her origin is clearly Asia Minor; the Hittites also worshiped the goddess of hunting Rutamish (Rtemis), whose sacred animals were deer and fallow deer. In ancient times, her cult spread throughout the Greek and then the Roman world. Artemis was originally revered as the mistress of nature; since her brother was the god of the sun, Artemis, accordingly, became the goddess of the moon. Being the goddess of nature, she was at the same time the goddess of her fertility; under her patronage were forests, groves, meadows, fields, and, ultimately, everything that used to be called flora, or the plant world. Since she was the goddess of fertility and fertility, childbirth was also within her competence: barely born, she already helped her mother Leto (Latone) give birth to her brother Apollo. Artemis was also in charge of healing springs; she could send people into madness, paralysis and sudden death. She never married - she remained a virgin goddess from birth until the extinction of her cult. Hunting was the strongest passion of Artemis, so the artists depicted her as a huntress with a bow and arrow, accompanied by various animals (swan, lion, tiger or deer). And since hunting and war were once very closely related, in some countries Artemis also became the goddess of war. As reported, in Sparta she was once brought human sacrifices, and later they were replaced by another rite: Spartan youths were scourged in front of her statue - this was a kind of preparation for the torment that awaited them in their future soldier's life. Artemis, goddess of the moon, was sometimes confused with Selene, just as her brother Apollo was confused with the sun god Helios.

The Bathing of Diana, Francois Boucher, 1742

The main occupation of Artemis was hunting; she hunted alone or accompanied by a squad of lower goddesses and nymphs. Having hunted freely, Artemis usually went to her brother in Delphi and there she had fun dancing in a round dance with the Charites and singing with the Muses. Some stories about her intervention in the fate of people indicate that she was more hard-hearted than femininely soft. She did not want to forgive Mykensky that he had killed her beloved doe, and therefore she was going to disrupt his campaign against Troy; she relented only after he sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to her. She cruelly inadvertently spied her bathing. When one day the Calydonian king Oineus forgot to sacrifice to her, Artemis sent a huge boar to Calydon, ruining the country. Out of jealousy, Artemis killed (or ordered to be killed) the famous hunter Orion. For insulting her mother Leto, Artemis killed the seven daughters of Niobe.

The plot of "Artemis and Actaeon" on an antique vase

However, there are cases when remorse and sacrifice softened her heart. So, for example, Hercules managed to reconcile with her, although he caught her favorite - the Kerinean doe. Artemis, Hippolyta, Kefalu and other admirers and admirers.

For the Greeks, Artemis was the ideal of female beauty. She even had no reason to participate in the ill-fated beauty contest that caused the Trojan War. True, she did not have the beauty of a stately lady like Hera, or the beauty of a worthy and wise Athena, or the sensual beauty of Aphrodite - but, as we would say today, she was beautiful as an athlete, such as we meet on sports grounds and in swimming pools. Perhaps that is why the Greeks, who highly valued sports and military activities (they had close concepts), it was Artemis who was most impressed with her appearance. And then to the Romans, who identified her with the ancient Italic goddess Diana.

In the photo: the ruins of the Temple of Artemis in modern Turkey. In the background, the Byzantine fortress, the Church of St. John and the mosque of the XIV century.

The Greeks dedicated a number of magnificent temples and sanctuaries to Artemis: in Attic Bravron, in Sparta, on Delos, in Magnesia above Meander, in Lydian Sardis, etc.; she also had a sacred site on the Athenian Acropolis. In Rome, a temple was erected to her on the Aventine; of the rest of her temples in Italy, the most significant was the temple of Diana Nemorenskaya in Aricia, where women mostly made pilgrimages. But the best was the temple of Artemis at Ephesus (Ortigia) - the first temple in the Ionic style. Its construction began in 6th c. BC e. and ended over a hundred years later.

In 356 BC. e. it was set on fire by Herostratus, in 334 BC. e. the temple was restored according to the plans of the architect Deinocrates Artemis The temple was successively the victim of the Goths, earthquakes and the edict of Emperor Theodosius I against pagan temples (383 AD). The remains of its ruins were discovered in 1869 by the British archaeologist D. T. Wood.

The famous statue "Diana of Versailles" is located in the Louvre

Initially, the Greeks portrayed Artemis as a goddess with a moon, then with wings and in a long robe (and she looked like a Christian angel), sometimes as a fertility goddess with many breasts, and finally as a slender girl in a simple, highly tucked and belted sleeveless robe, hunting sandals and short hair. This is how, for example, the famous “Artemis of Versailles”, a Roman copy of the original by Leochar (c. 330 BC, Paris, Louvre) looks like - a pair to the “Apollo Belvedere”. Of the many statues of Artemis the huntress, we note the Roman copy of the Hellenistic original, kept in the National Museum in Naples. Several copies and imitations of archaic Asia Minor statues depicting Artemis, the Ortygian goddess of fertility, have survived (the most famous are in the National Museum in Naples and in the Ephesian Museum in Selchuk). All R. 18th century in Pompeii, a statue of Artemis was discovered with hair covered with pure gold, in a blue robe with a red border, with yellow and pink straps on her sandals, with carmine nails and with a bright red mouth. This important archaeological find served as one of the first evidence that Greek sculptors colored their works.

TV presenter Maria Kravtsova (Marika) as Artemis in Michele Ceppi's calendar.

In ancient vase painting, there are about 400 images of Artemis, one of the most famous is in St. Petersburg, in the Hermitage (“Artemis with a swan” by the so-called “artist Pan”, 5th century BC). An archaic statuette of Artemis (c. 650 BC), found in 1878 on the island of Delos, is listed in the Athens National Archaeological Museum under inventory number 1.

Artemis (Diana) enjoyed no less success among the artists of the new time than among the ancient ones. Of the statues, we will name three "Dianas": Houdon (1790, Louvre), Vasse (1760-1765, Potsdam, Sanssouci Palace) and F. Shchedrin (1798). The most famous paintings are Acteon and Artemis by D. Veneziano (1445-1450), Bathing of Diana by Palma the Elder (beginning of the 16th century, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), Artemis and Actaeon and Titian’s Punishment of Actaeon (1559 and 1560, Bridgewater House and the National Gallery in London), "Artemis and Actaeon" by Brueghel the Elder (National Gallery in Prague), "Diana and the Nymphs" by D. Domenicino (c. 1610, Rome, Borghese Gallery), "Return Diana from the Hunt” and “Diana and Callisto” by Rubens (circa 1615-1617, Dresden Gallery and Prado, Madrid), “Diana with the Nymphs” by Vermeer (2nd half of the 17th century, Mauritshuis, The Hague), “Diana’s Rest” Boucher (c. 1742, Louvre), Corot's "Bathing Diana" (1873), Renoir's "Diana" (c. 1900, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), "Diana" - a poetic work by the Czech artist Zrzavy (1913). The famous painting by P. Bordone "Diana the Huntress among the Nymphs" (c. 1560) burned down during the bombing of Dresden in February 1945.

Fantasy "Artemis", Borislav Bakinsky.

Images from the series “Xena. Warrior Princess" (1995-2001). New Zealand actress Josephine Davison plays Artemis.

In Greek mythology, gods and heroes are central characters. The gods occupy a separate place - in those days paganism flourished, and each city-polis of the country, each region worshiped its patron god, and in general - the entire pantheon. Their head was Zeus the Thunderer, his children were also deities. One of them, the favorite of the people, is Artemis. It will be discussed below.

Young goddess of the hunt

Artemis was the eternally young goddess of hunting, chastity, fertility. Although, it would seem, these things are absolutely incompatible. She is the sister of the god Apollo, the patron of the arts and the personification of the Sun (subsequently, Artemis became the personification of the Moon). The history of her birth and early years is rather convoluted and largely unknown. It is believed that the goddess was born on the island of Delos and was the eldest child of Zeus and the Titanides Leto (Latona).

A few minutes later, her twin brother Apollo was born (this is a clear example of the great love of Zeus, who did not hesitate to constantly go “to the left” with his wife Hera), and Artemis herself helped her mother to resolve the burden.

In many sources, Artemis appears as a kind goddess who patronizes marriage and the successful birth of children. This, of course, is true, but not entirely. Artemis could also punish, and it won’t seem a little. The wrath of the goddess was terrible. No wonder the entomology of her name is “bear goddess”. Yes, and the "profession" obliges - hunting was the main occupation of Artemis. Punishment for disobedience or wrongdoing followed immediately. For example, a severe punishment befell the hunter Actaeon, who spied on Artemis when she was swimming in the river.

As punishment, she turned him into a deer, and Actaeon was torn to pieces by mad dogs. Artemis zealously defended herself and her family. Queen Niobe, who had 7 sons and 7 daughters, once inadvertently spoke about the mother of Artemis and Apollo and boasted to her of the number of children. The revenge of the goddess followed immediately - all the children of Niobe were shot from bows. The same fate awaited those who refused to honor Artemis - the hunter Broteus paid for it with his life. The goddess sent madness on him, and he threw himself into the fire. Another example is Orion, the mythological hunter (the constellation is named after him).

goddess worshipers

Here we need to digress and mention that Artemis turned to her father, Zeus, with a request to preserve her virginity, like some other goddesses (for example,). Naturally, such a valuable gift attracted many - both gods and mortals. Artemis deftly fought off annoying admirers. One of them, Orion, tried to force the goddess into intimacy by force, for which he was killed by her (this is one of the versions). However, there are options that Artemis herself was in love with her hunter companion. Due to the fact that he threatened to destroy all life on earth, mother earth Gaia sent a scorpion to him.

Mourning the loss of her companion, Artemis lifted him up to heaven and made him a constellation. So it’s safe to say that many myths show that Artemis is not at all the meek goddess that many imagined.

Everywhere Artemis appeared with her companions - nymphs. There were about 20 of them. Before starting to serve the goddess, the nymphs take a vow of celibacy and eternal virginity (following the example of Artemis herself). Those who break the vow face severe punishment. The most striking example is the nymph Callisto. As you know, Zeus was very loving and did not miss a single skirt (or tunic).

A beautiful nymph took a closer look at him, and he took on the appearance , shared a bed with her (according to another version, Zeus turned into Artemis, although in this case it becomes unclear how Callisto could lose her innocence). Artemis found out about this and was furious, because Callisto not only broke her vow, but also became pregnant.

In anger, the goddess fired arrows at her former companion. Zeus understood that it was not in his power to save his beloved, but the child could still survive. He sent Hermes to pull the baby out of its mother's womb and take it away from the wrath of Artemis. According to another version, he turned Callisto into a bear and hid it. However, Hera convinced Artemis to kill the bear (after all, a wild beast). Fearing that poor Callisto would have no rest anywhere on earth, Zeus took her to heaven and turned her into the constellation we know as Ursa Major.

Numerous temples were dedicated to the goddess, but the largest and most famous was in the Greek city of Ephesus (now the territory of Turkey). In these parts, Artemis was depicted in a peculiar way - with several breasts, symbolizing fertility and fertility. To a greater extent, the temple became infamous because of a local resident, Herostratus, who decided to write his name in history and burn the temple.

Often, Artemis was depicted as a young maiden, in a short tunic, with a bow in her hands and arrows over her shoulders. She was sometimes accompanied by deer or dogs. Also in the paintings you can see Artemis surrounded by bears. Note that Artemis was one of the most revered goddesses, despite her temperament and vengeful nature.

The immortal gods of Olympus have been exciting the minds of people for several millennia. We admire beautiful statues and paintings, read and re-read the myths of Ancient Greece, watch films about their life and adventures. They are close to us in that, with all the divine immortality, nothing human is alien to them. One of the brightest characters of Olympus is Artemis of Ephesus.

Who is Artemis?

"The bear goddess", the mistress of mountains and forests, the patroness of nature, the goddess of hunting - all these epithets refer to Artemis. Among the host of the inhabitants of Olympus, Artemis occupies a special place. Her images in the form of a fragile girl delight with grace and beauty. It is difficult to assume that Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, who is distinguished by ruthlessness and vindictiveness.

But the goddess was not only famous for her cruelty, she not only killed living creatures in the forests, but also protected the animal world, guarded forests and meadows. Artemis was approached with prayers by women who wanted to give birth easily or die without pain. The fact that the Greeks considered it revered is evidenced by artifacts mentioning Artemis of Ephesus. The famous temple in Ephesus was burned by Herostratus, there was the famous statue of Artemis with many breasts. In its place, the no less famous Temple of Artemis was built, which was included in the seven wonders of the world.

Symbol of Artemis

The beautiful hunting goddess had a retinue of nymphs, she herself selected the most beautiful. They were obliged to remain virgins, like Artemis herself. But the main symbols by which Artemis was immediately recognized are the bow and arrows. Her silver weapon was made by Poseidon, and the dog of the goddess Artemis belonged to the deity Pan, from whom the goddess begged her. In the most famous sculptural image, Artemis is dressed in a short chiton, she has a quiver with arrows behind her shoulders, and next to her is a doe.

Artemis - myths of ancient Greece

The goddess Artemis in Greek mythology is a character often found, but not very kind. Most of the plots are connected with the revenge of Artemis. Such examples might be:

1. The myth of Artemis's anger at the fact that the Calydonian king Oeneus did not bring the proper gifts from the first harvest. Her revenge was the boar, which destroyed all the crops of the kingdom.
2. The myth of Agamemnon, who shot the sacred doe of the goddess, for which he had to give her daughter Iphigenia as a sacrifice. To the credit of Artemis, she did not kill the girl, but replaced it with a doe. Iphigenia became a priestess of Artemis in Tauris, where it was customary to make human sacrifices.
3. Even Hercules had to look for excuses before Aphrodite for killing the golden-horned doe
4. Artemis severely punished the nymph Calypso from her retinue for breaking her vow to preserve her virginity, succumbing to the passion of Zeus, the goddess turned her into a bear.
5. The beautiful young man Adonis is another victim of Artemis's jealousy. He was Aphrodite's lover and was killed by a boar sent by Artemis.

Artemis and Actaeon - myth

One of the brightest myths showing the tough and uncompromising nature of Artemis is the myth of Artemis and Actaeon. The myth tells about the beautiful hunter Actaeon, who during the hunt was near the place where Artemis loved to swim in clear river water. The young man had the misfortune to see a naked goddess. Her anger was so great that she mercilessly turned him into a deer, which was then torn to pieces by her own dogs. And his friends, looking at the brutal reprisal, rejoiced at such a prey of a friend.

Apollo and Artemis

Artemis was born from the ruler of Olympus Zeus, the mother of Artemis, the deity of nature Leto. Zeus, fearing a jealous wife Hera, hid Leto on the island of Delos, where she gave birth to the twins Artemis and Apollo. Artemis was born first and immediately began to help her mother, who gave birth to Apollo for a long and hard time. Subsequently, women in labor turned to Artemis with a prayer for easy and painless childbirth.

The twin brother Apollo, the patron of the arts, and Atremis have always been close to each other and together tried to protect their mother. They brutally took revenge on Niobe, who insulted their mother, depriving her of all her children and turning her into an eternally weeping stone. And another time, when the mother of Apollo and Artemis complained about the harassment of the giant Titius, she struck him down with an arrow. The goddess protected from violence not only her mother, but also other women who turned to her for help.

Zeus and Artemis

Artemis is the daughter of Zeus, and not just a daughter, but a beloved one, whom he set as an example from early childhood. According to legend, when the goddess was three years old, Zeus asked his daughter about the gift she would like to receive from him. Artemis wished to be an eternal virgin, to have a retinue, a bow and arrows, to dispose of all the mountains and forests, to have many names and a city in which she would be revered.

Zeus fulfilled all the requests of his daughter. She became the undivided mistress and protector of mountains and forests. In her retinue were the most beautiful nymphs. She was revered not in one city, but in thirty, but the main one was Ephesus with the famous temple of Artemis. These cities made sacrifices to Artemis and held festivals in her honor.

Orion and Artemis

Orion, the son of Poseidon, became an unwitting victim of Artemis. The Greek goddess Artemis was impressed by Orion's beauty, strength and hunting skills. She invited him to be her hunting companion. Over time, she began to develop deeper feelings for Orion. Artemis' brother Apollo did not like his sister's love. He believed that she began to perform her duties poorly and not follow the moon. He decided to get rid of Orion and did it by the hands of Artemis herself. He sent Orion fishing, then invited his sister to hit a barely visible point in the sea, teasing her with ridicule.

Artemis fired an arrow and accurately hit her lover's head. When she saw who she had slain, she fell into despair and rushed to Zeus, begging him to revive Orion. But Zeus refused, then Artemis asked to be able to at least admire Orion. Zeus sympathized with her and sent Orion to the sky in the form of a constellation, along with him his dog Sirius went to heaven.

The goddess Artemis is one of the most ancient of numerous Greek goddesses. Hunters worshiped her, and besides, Artemis personified the moon .. Her father was Zeus - the main of the Olympic gods, the lord of lightning, and her mother - Summer - who was wildlife, the daughter of the titans Kay and Phoebe. Her twin brother is the golden-haired Apollo, nothing more than the brightest star in the sky, the Sun.

Artemis is cheerful and cheerful, she loves to wander through the deserted clean forests and meadows, always arrives in the company of her nymphs and wild animals. She is the eternally young and virgin patroness of wildlife and youth, giving lovers happiness in marriage. Her favorite pastimes are hunting and archery, but she also makes sure that no one offends the animals in vain. Her task is to help the hunters, but she also watches over the offspring of wild animals and to ensure that their number does not decrease.
However, Artemis loves not only hunting, but also music, singing, dancing and cheerful round dances. She has a wonderful tender relationship with her brother Apollo, they never quarrel, and often her sister likes to listen to her beloved brother play the cithara.

Zeus in ancient Greece was considered the most loving god, who seduced a considerable number of goddesses, nymphs and even mortal women. More than a hundred illegitimate children were born from his love affairs, among whom were the Olympic gods - Dionysus, Hermes and Apollo with Artemis.

The lawful and jealous wife of the god Zeus, Hera, was full of anger and a desire for revenge, because Summer could not find refuge for a long time in order to give birth to her children. The south wind on its wings carried her to the lonely island of Delos, where Leto, in painful childbirth, gave birth to her twins. Artemis was born first and helped her mother at the birth of Apollo, for this reason, women began to consider her the patroness of childbirth and ask for relief from labor pains.

At the age of three, Artemis met her father and other divine relatives. She fell in love with her powerful father so much that he suggested that she ask him for everything she wants. Artemis desired a quiver of arrows, a bow, hunting dogs, nymphs to accompany her, and a short robe that did not prevent her from running through the forests. Zeus gave her the mountains and wild forests, as well as eternal chastity.
Artemis always helped those who turned to her with prayers. However, in truth, the goddess did not have a calm disposition at all, rather her character was a decisive, aggressive and adamant character. She dealt ruthlessly with those who tried to offend or insult her or her mother Leto. Since the goddess was a chaste virgin, she always helped women, nymphs, or even other goddesses who were tried to be abused. Once, the forest nymph Arethusa called to her, on whom, while bathing, the god of the river Alpheus wanted to attack. Artemis quickly appeared at her call, hid the nymph in a cloud and turned it into a spring, thanks to which the nymph was able to hide from her pursuer.

But not always everything worked out so well for the offenders. When a giant named Titius tried to rape her mother, the goddess, without hesitation, struck him down with her arrow. The stupid queen of the city of Thebes, Niobe, was even less fortunate when she decided to brag to Leto that she had more children. This time, both Artemis and Apollo came forward to defend the honor of the mother. He struck with his well-aimed arrows six, and according to other sources, seven sons of Niobe, and Artemis killed all six or seven of her daughters. Niobe itself was turned into an eternally weeping stone.

Ancient Greek myths describe the story of a hunter named Actaeon. The goddess Artemis was offended that he dared to approach the pond where she bathed with her nymphs. Resolute, she immediately turned him into a deer, and the hunting dogs tore him to pieces.

Also known is the story of Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, whom Artemis could not forgive for killing her beloved fallow deer while hunting. And she spared him only after he gave her daughter Iphigenia, whom she made her priestess.
Another notable story is the tragedy of a nymph named Callisto. She was so beautiful that, of course, attracted the attention of the god Zeus. The result of their love date was pregnancy, and when Artemis saw this, the nymph was expelled from her retinue, since only virgins could be present in the environment of the goddess. Abandoned by everyone, Callisto wandered alone through the forests and mountains, where she gave birth to her son Arkas. When Hera became aware of this, out of jealousy, she turned the girl into a bear, and one day her own son, who became almost hit his own mother with an arrow. This, fortunately, was not allowed by Zeus himself. But since he could not cancel the decision of Hera, God had to turn Arkas into a bear, and then they were both transferred to the heavenly stars, and became the most famous constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, which we can observe from our window on a starry night.

There is an opinion that in the city of Ephesus there was a temple of the goddess Artemis, built by the Amazons in the 6th century BC. The temple was rightfully considered one of the greatest seven wonders of the world. People came there to be blessed for the birth of a child or for a happy marriage. Around 356 B.C. e. the temple was set on fire by Herostratus, who, thanks to this act, wanted to be remembered by future generations. Approximately twenty years later, it was restored by the architect Deinocrates. But later he became a victim of earthquakes, as well as the actions of Emperor Theodosius I, who opposed pagan temples.

Also, the temples were located in the Attic Bravron, in Magnesia, on the island of Delos, in the Lydian Sardis and not only. The sacred site of Artemis was also located on the Acropolis of Athens, and in Rome a temple was built on the Aventina. There is evidence that in the temple erected in Sparta, the goddess even brought human sacrifices, apparently knowing about her merciless, one might say, bloodthirsty, character.
Most often, the goddess Artemis is depicted together with her nymphs and accompanied by hounds, dressed in a short tunic, with a bow in her hands. Since she is not only the goddess of hunting, but also, in contrast to her brother, is the moon, she was depicted with a halo of stars above her head, burning torches. You can also find images where she rides a chariot drawn by deer. Since ancient times, many coins have been preserved, on which images of the head of the goddess are applied.

It's no secret that the analogue of Artemis in Ancient Rome was Diana the huntress. One of her best statues is considered to be "Diana with a deer", located today in the Louvre. Unlike modern artists, in ancient times, Diana-Artemis was never depicted naked, since it was believed that a mere mortal could not see her nakedness with impunity. In this regard, the myth of Actaeon, who was mercilessly punished for this, is very widely represented in art. There are many paintings on this subject. She interested such great masters as Titian, Albano, Pelenburg, Lezuer, Filippo Lori, Rubens and others. Perhaps one of the most famous works of art on this subject by the artist Dominico Veniziano is called Actaeon and Artemis.
Also, the artists were very fond of embodying the story of the nymph Callipso in their works. Boucher, Rubens and Titian devoted several paintings to this story.

Sometimes Artemis was depicted as an animal, most often a bear, although her relationship with bears is still not fully understood, therefore this information cannot be called complete.
About four hundred images of the goddess have been preserved in ancient vase painting. The most famous of them is "Artemis with a Swan", located in the Hermitage of St. Petersburg.
In the 18th century, during excavations in Pompeii, a statue of Artemis was found with hair covered with pure gold and colored clothes.

The goddess Artemis personifies the spirit of an independent woman. It allows a woman to follow her personal desires, to succumb to her own impulses of the soul, to do something only for herself.
Given that Artemis is very chaste, she never married, moreover, she did not burden herself with love bonds, and was not subjected to violence. She is pure and virgin, therefore, a woman with her archetype is a decisive independent person who is able to stand up for herself on her own. She does not need to seek male patronage or approval, she lives primarily embodying her own interests, she is independent of men. Moreover, she tends to compete with them or with other representatives of the fair sex and diligently achieve her goal.

The qualities inherent in Artemis are trying to be realized by feminist women. Just as the goddess protected girls from assault and punished rapists, the feminist movement is involved in helping those who have been raped, seeking justice for the victims, and combating factors that traumatize women and children, such as pornography and incest.
The archetype of Artemis glues women to the natural environment, wild nature, quiet solitude, deserted seaside. This allows them to feel peace and harmony with their soul, they can delve deeper into personal problems and indulge in dreams.

Usually the archetype of Artemis manifests itself in girls from childhood. This is the activity of fun, but at the same time the desire to learn. Such children are always eager to learn something new. They are spoken of as concentrated girls beyond their age, with an excellent memory. From childhood, they rush to the defense of the weak, and are not afraid to declare an unfair treatment to themselves or to someone else. In their youth, they love to compete, and are ready for self-restraint and various sacrifices in order to achieve their goal. Everywhere and everywhere their penchant for discoveries is manifested, whether it be new territories or just a neighboring street. Sometimes their stubbornness and apparent excessive self-confidence make everyone else classify them as arrogant and arrogant persons.
The Artemis woman puts all her efforts into her chosen work, and often chooses a profession where she can help. If you look differently, she does not need public recognition, fame, career growth and the possession of large sums of money. She goes to her own goal, sometimes even incomprehensible to other people.

Goddess Artemis is reflected not only in paintings and sculptures, but also in other works of art. For example, it is also glorified in ancient hymns, for example, several hymns of Homer, a similar work by the author Callimachus and one of the Orphic songs. She is one of the characters in the works of the ancient Greek playwright Euripides "Hippolytus" and "Iphigenia in Avlit".

Two asteroids discovered by astronomers in the 19th century are named after Artemis.
The cult of the goddess in ancient times was widespread. She was considered the favorite of the gods, followed justice and led athletes to victory.

It is quite obvious that without Artemis the story about the gods of ancient Greece would have been incomplete. She, like many other gods, is an ambiguous personality, has many features and distinctive features. With all that, there are also permanent elements in it - this is unchanging youth and purity. She is not as widely known as, for example, her twin brother, even if we take into account the fact that Artemis was born earlier, and being the older sister, she would certainly become more famous than Apollo. However, the goddess of this is unnecessary, she is not at all conceited. Helping her brother in all his undertakings, Artemis remained in the shadow of his glory. She was an excellent huntress, and did not aspire to great things, although she could very well be, for example, the patroness of music with her brother. But does it matter, not at all. At the same time, interpersonal relationships did not play a major role in the fate of Artemis.

Family - yes, but not love. All this together creates a peculiar appearance of the goddess, which in many respects differs from all others. Reflections on her own beauty and narcissism were alien to her, instead she gave herself entirely to others, sometimes not thinking about herself. It is no coincidence that a certain archetype has developed on the basis of this goddess, it could not be otherwise. Artemis is the only one of its kind, there are no others, and there cannot be. Probably, the pantheon of gods without her would have been completely different, and Apollo would hardly have learned to shoot so skillfully from a bow, if not for her older sister and her patience. So Artemis is absolutely deservedly included in the list of the main ancient Greek goddesses and everyone should know about her, simply because it is impossible otherwise.