4.
Artemis:
Goddess of the Hunt and
Moon, Competitor and Sister
ARTEMIS THE GODDESS
Artemis, known to the Romans as Diana, was Goddess of the Hunt
and Goddess of the Moon. The tall, lovely daughter of Zeus and
Leto roamed the wilderness of forest, mountain, meadow, and glade
with her band of nymphs and hunting dogs. Dressed in a short tunic,
armed with a silver bow, a quiver of arrows on her back, she was
the archer with unerring aim. As Goddess of the Moon, she is also
shown as a light-bearer, carrying torches in her hands, or with the
moon and stars surrounding her head.
As the goddess of wildlife, particularly of young wildlife, she was
associated with many undomesticated animals that symbolized her
qualities. The stag, doe, hare, and quail all shared her elusive nature.
The lioness exemplified her regality and prowess as a hunter, and
the fierce boar represented her destructive aspect. The bear was an
appropriate symbol for her role as protector of the young (pubescent
Greek girls consecrated to Artemis and under her protection were
called arktoi or “female bears” during a tomboy phase of their lives).
Finally, the wild horse roamed widely with companions, as did
Artemis with her nymphs.
GENEALOGY AND MYTHOLOGY
Artemis was the first-born twin sister of Apollo, God of the Sun.
Their mother, Leto, was a nature deity, the daughter