Artemis (mythology)

Artemis is the Greek goddess of hunting, animals, the Moon, childbirth, virginity & fertility in Greek mythology. She attends to the wilderness and animal. Her Roman equivalent is Diana.
She is the sister of the Greek god of light, Apollo and is the daughter of Zeus and the titan Leto. Artemis is also one of the Moon goddesses. Ancient Greeks didn't disagree with hunting and fishing because they believed that it pleased Artemis.
==Biography==
Hera, wife of Zeus, was angry that he fell in love with the titan Leto so she cursed her and told her she could not have her children on land. Poseidon took pity on her and brought her to the island named Delos. On the island the other gods took pity on her and convinced Hera to undo what she did and Artemis and Apollo are born. When Artemis was young Hera was cruel to her, making the girl run to her father for protection. Zeus would let the weeping girl climb into his lap. Sitting on her father's knee, she asked for six wishes which he granted. Artemis wanted to always be a virgin, live in the forest and mountains, no cities decided to her, many names to set her apart from her brother, nymphs to watch over the animals and her possessions, and to help women. She spent her childhood training to be a huntress. She had Hephaestus make her a bow and arrows and then went to Pan, the goat-legged god of the forest, who gave her dogs to hunt with. When Artemis visited Apollo in Delphi, their mother was raped by the giant Tityos. Her brother defeated the giant and their father Zeus sent him to the underworld.
In one story, Artemis and Apollo go kill the children of Niobe because she said that she was better then Leto. Niobe bragged about having seven boys and seven girls and joked about Leto only having one of each.
In another story, when Artemis and Apollo are babies Lycian Peasants insult Leto, so she transforms them into frogs.
In one story, Artemis has two brothers killed while hunting a deer at the time of the giant war. They could only be killed by each other. The twin giants boasted about being great hunters, how they could not be killed, going to the heavens to kidnap Artemis and Hera and make them their wives. The gods were afraid of them except, Artemis. She was not afraid and would not let that happen.
One story tells about one of Artemis' nymph followers Callisto being turned into a constellation after she was changed to a bear. Her father Zeus tried to kidnap one of his daughters' followers and make her one of his lovers. As punishment Callisto was transformed into a bear. When she was killed Callisto become a constellation.
There are many stories of Artemis protecting women and their virginity. In one story Artemis rescues a girl named Britomartis who threw herself into the ocean to escape King Minos. The girl is turned a nymph and becomes worshipped as a goddess. Syrinx, one of her nymph followers was transformed into river reeds as protection from the Pan the Satyr god who gave Artemis her hunting dogs.
Some people believe that some of the nymphs, mortals, priests, priestess, demigods, demigoddesses, hunters and huntresses who follow the hunting goddess were some of her lovers, but Artemis only had one lover, the great hunter Orion. She loved him so much that she would have given up her virginity to be with him, but there were a few problems. Apollo didn't want his sister to be with the hunter, he fell in love with one of her followers while was in love with Artemis and Orion was killing too many animals. After his death, Artemis was heartbroken. She had him turned into a constellation to immortalize him. The goddess never fell in love again because she didn't want to feel the pain of loss.
Artemis was one of the deities who could not be affected by Aphrodite's powers. The goddess could not make the hunting goddess to fall in love with her or anyone.
In another story, Artemis punished a man named Agamemnon. He killed a sacred stag and boasted about being a better hunter then her. When his fleet prepared for the Trojan war Artemis becalmed the winds. The crew advised Agamemno that the only way to appease Artemis was to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia. Before the sacrifice was made, Artemis saved her and substituted a deer. She sided with her brother and mother in the Trojan war against the Greeks. She helped heal the injured. During the war Artemis battled with Hera and lost. In the battle Hera knocked her bow and arrows on the ground and boxed Artemis in the ears. She fled with tears in her eyes. Her mother Leto picked up her daughter's bow and arrows. Later she found Artemis holding on to her father and crying.
Before the kidnapping of Persephone, Artemis, her nymphs and Athena were picking followers with her when Persephone wandered off. Hades and Zeus made sure that the gods couldn't hear her screams and cries for help. Only two deities heard her; Helios and Hecate. Later, when Persephone was allowed to visit her mother, Artemis and Athena were glad to now that she was alright.
In one myth, Aphrodite kills one of Artemis' favorite hunters, Hippolytus, for choosing to join the hunting goddess and not choosing to fall in love. Artemis becomes angry and kills Adonis, one of Aphrodite's favorite lovers who boasted about being a better hunter then Artemis. She turned Ares, who was jealous that Aphrodite was with another man, into a boar to hunt and kill Adonis. After his death Artemis asked Apollo's son Asclepius to bring back Hippolytus and make him one of her immortal hunters. Aphrodite killed the young man Hippolytus when she found out he wanted to live a single life like Artemis. before his death, Aphrodite tried to make him fall in love with his stepmother. It almost worked, but luckily, Hippolytus resisted. Aphrodite got mad which led the goddess of love to kill the male hunter.
Many mortal men, demigods, giants and gods tried to make the hunting goddess to fall in love with them. Alpheus the river god tried where many had failed to win the heart of Artemis and her nymph followers. Artemis covered herself in mud so he would not recognize her. When the river god went after Arethusa, one of Artemis' followers, the goddess turned her into a spring to keep Arethusa safe.
Artemis would take children or women who were not treated well by the gods or mortals under her wing and protect them, like Atalanta, a baby who was left in the woods to die. Artemis sent a female bear to care for the infant. The bear raised the girl until she became older and joined mortal hunters. In her adventures she showed that she was better than any man she met. She helped kill the Calydonian Boar sent by Artemis to attack Calydon for neglecting to sacrifice the first fruits of harvest. When the boar was killed, the skin was hung in a sacred grove in dedication to the hunting goddess. She was so skilled that people said she rivaled Artemis. When a race was held for men to win Atalanta for marriage, Aphrodite gave one of the men, Hippomenes, some golden apples so he could win the race and the heart of Atalanta. Artemis didn't like that she lost one of her greatest huntresses to the goddess of love. Before Hippomenes won the heart of Atalanta, the Oracle of Delphi saw that the two would be turned into lions for defiling one of Zeus' temples. Apollo warned Atalanta and tired to keep her from getting married, but he failed; the future that the oracle had seen came true.
Like Hecate, the Cypress Tree is sacred to Artemis and her brother Apollo because the trees were one of the plants found on Delos, their birth place.
Artemis and Aphrodite clashed with each other many times due to Artemis not believing in love and Aphrodite's belief in love. Aphrodite tried many times to make those who follow Artemis fall in love. One example is Polyphonte, a woman who wished to remain a virgin and fled to the forests. Artemis let Polyphonte join her followers. An angry Aphrodite decided to make Artemis pay for taking another person away from love. She decided to do something that Artemis would hate so she made Polyphonte fall in love with a bear and give birth to Agrips & Oreius, twin human/bear hybrids. This really disgusted the hunting goddess. This was something she could not forgive Polyphonte or Aphrodite for. Artemis had the animals attack Polyphonte, who was never allowed to have contact with nature ever again. The other gods, who were were disgusted by this action, had the twins turned into a vulture and an eagle while the mother was turned into an owl. The servant however begged not to receive the same punishment. As she did so she was turned into a woodpecker.
Though Artemis didn't want any city decided to her, she had a few temples and a place on Mt. Olympus, but she likes nature more. She loves it so much that Artemis calls the woods her temple.
While staying in Calydon and hunting the Calydonian Boar, Atalanta met prince Meleager, one of the hunters respected by Artemis. Atalanta and the prince loved each other, but Meleager was killed so the two never got married. Meleager's sisters, who grieved over their brother's death, were turned into Meleagrids. Nestor, one of the hunters who took part in the Calydonian Boar hunt, defended Atalanta along with Meleager and a few others when she was not allowed to join the hunt because of being a woman. Atalanta went on a few adventures with Hercules before the Calydonian Boar hunt, before she fell in love with Meleager and before she married Hippomenes.
In two stories, Artemis' dislike for men is very strong when she was seen taking a bath. One of the men who saw her was Actaeon, a skilled hunter who bragged about being better than the hunting goddess and was not kind to the animals he hunted. When Actaeon was hunting, he and his hounds stumbled across the goddess when she was alone and taking a bath. Actaeon was amazed by what he saw. when he saw her, he wanted the goddess to marry him. Artemis, disgusted by his action, turned him into a stag for not respecting her privacy and had him killed by his own dogs. Another young man who saw the goddess bathing was Siproites. When he accidentally stumbled across Artemis and her followers, he apologized. the apology saved his life but Siproites was still punished; he was changed into a female and had to serve the hunting goddess.
When Aphrodite had Hippolytos killed, Artemis worked with Ares, the god of war, to kill one of Aphrodite's lovers, Adonis, who boasted about being a better hunter then Artemis. Ares assisted Artemis in killing the young man because Aphrodite was his lover and no else was allowed to be with her. The hunting goddess turned the god of war into a boar to kill Adonis.
In the story where her brother Apollo turned Ambrogio into a vampire, after Ambrogio struck a deal with Hades, the god of the underworld told the man to earn the hunting goddess's trust so they could steal her silver bow and arrows. Artemis took pity on Ambrogio when he came to her. Artemis soon found out his true intentions and punished him. Ambrogio begged the goddess of the hunt to forgive him. Artemis would only accept his apology if he became one of her hunters and stayed a virgin. He agreed to her terms. Ambrogio had proven to be great, loyal and honorable to Artemis, so the goddess decided to let him borrow her bow and arrows. Ambrogio delivered them to Hades as promised. The god of the underworld removed the vampire's soul and kept it in the underworld and let his body live on earth because he held up his end of the bargain. Hades let Ambrogio take the bow and arrows back to Artemis. Despite the promise he gave her Ambrogio was still secretly in love with the titan Selene. However, Ambrogio learned that his lover was cursed by Apollo as well. She was now mortal and dying. Ambrogio asked Artemis for help because of his loyalty. Artemis agreed to help. After Ambrogio turned Selene into a vampire, Artemis turned her into the goddess of the moon and restored her titan powers. Ambrogio and Selene still loved each other but because Ambrogio pledged his service to Artemis, the two could never be married and Selene ended up falling in love with Endymion and other men. Despite this, her love for other men every night Selene would reach down to the earth with the moon's rays to touch Ambrogio and the other vampires.
In some myths of Artemis being born before Apollo and help her mother with the pain of childbirth is one of the few reasons why she made the choice to stay a virgin. Other reasons to why Artemis stays single and doesn't have kids is because of the headache parents and older siblings have to go through with kids, but despite helping her mother take of her brother even though she doesn't want to have her own children, she cares for them. Artemis may have also made the choice of not liking men because of her family, her father Zeus and the other men in her family being married and having wives while also being in love with many other women. She might have also been discussed about them even loving members of their family which might have made her think all men are just as bad as the ones in her family. Living on Mount Olympus as a little girl, watching and hearing about what her family did plus having a view down on the earth and seeing and hearing some of the things humanity does might be the reason why she chooses to live in the woods, forests, mountains, valleys, nature and hills instead of the cities and Mount Olympus. Even though she seats on one of the twelve thrones of Olympus, to her the loneliness from the gods and people is better. Animals and plants are better company to hang around with.
Artemis had many men try to gain her love. one of them was Buphagus, the son of the titan Iapetus. His lust for her made him chase after her when she ran to escape him. Artemis thought he would give up but he didn't. After he caught her and tried to rape her Artemis was angry and killed him.
When Typhon went to war with the gods Artemis took part in the battle like many of the other Olympians but they could not defeat the giant monster so Zeus ordered them all to flee. The Olympian gods fled to Egypt and turned into animals to escape Typhon. Artemis changed into a cat. This action would have people link her and Bastet to being very similar. Although Artemis went into hiding with the other gods, she is not a coward. The goddess loves fighting and it made her furious that this was a fight she had to sit out. Artemis was furious but not stupid; she knew this was a fight she couldn't win. They had to run and that was not an easy thing for her to get over. When Typhon was defeated and imprisoned by Zeus, the gods were given the okay to return home now that the long battle had ended. 
Artemis was one of the few deities who survived and to still maintain her position as a goddess when the old Greek religion faded away in Ephesus and was replaced with Christianity, even when her temple was destroyed. Unlike the other Greek gods Apollo, Athena, Hephaestus, Hestia, Zeus, Hermes, Ares, Dionysus, Hades, Aphrodite, Hera, etc. Artemis learned to adapt and survive with this religion. She wasn't forgotten like the other deities. Even before Christianity it has been mentioned and shown that Artemis is a survivor. Some stories have her as a goddess that pre-dates Greek mythology. As the Greeks conquered more realms, cities or land some of the gods and religions from those areas fade away. Artemis did not; her skills as a huntress helped her survive the dangers of the wilderness and she used them to survive change as well.
Artemis and Aphrodite had a rivalry that was not no secret. Aphrodite hated that Artemis had some people who believed in the virgin goddess who stay single and don't fall in love. So the goddess of love and beauty would target those who follow Artemis and kill or make them fall in love. This made Artemis mad when Aphrodite did this. Aphrodite's equivalent in Roman mythology is Venus and two impact craters that are named after Artemis are found on the planet Venus with astronomy. Artemis also has an asteroid in the Hecate/Hekate asteroid belt that orbits around Jupiter and she even has her own asteroid belt.
The huntress Artemis has two zodiac signs. They are Sagittarius and Scorpio. While she has two craters, a single asteroid and a hole asteroid belt named after her, there are also things on Earth named after the goddess. They are things that are linked to animals, hunting, the moon, and nature, some plants, places that take care of plants, things that are linked with hunting and places that take care of animals are named after Artemis. The virgin goddess also has things linked to children and women or taking care of children and women named after her.
When Greek mythology ended Artemis, Hecate, Selene and their Roman equivalents Diana, Trivia and Luna joined the Wild Hunt, Artemis was adopted into the Wiccan religion as a triple goddess along with the other Greek goddesses of the moon.
Unlike most of her family, Artemis is one of the few deities who doesn't let new religions, new gods and having no worshipers bother her because she is the goddess of the wild and doesn't care about people. Artemis only worries when something happens to nature. If the wilderness is okay, Artemis doesn't care about the other changes around her. The only people she cares about are the ones who follow her. Those type of people know that mammals are a part of nature and know that humans are mammals just like monkeys, apes, deer, mice, cats, rats and dogs so they understand that humans are a part of nature just like all mammals.
Due to Artemis, Hecate and Selene being triple moon goddesses in some stories there are some people that mistake them as being the same goddess. Some of Artemis' actions have accidentally been listed as things that Hecate or Selene have done and Artemis has accidentally been listed as doing some things that Selene and Hecate have done.
Artemis is also viewed as a protection goddess because of her protecting nature, animals, females and children. Although Artemis is good unlike the rest of her family there are those who believe she isn't and question if she is good or evil. She cares for all the things she protects but some people claim that she is a plague bring to nature, children, women and animals instead of a protector.
Artemis defending her mother and killing Niobe's children for insulting Leto is viewed by some people as an evil act. Artemis taking people (mostly women) into her group of hunters who don't wish to fall in love is viewed by some people as a disease and claim that the goddess corrupts them rather then protects them. Some people even believe that the goddess doesn't care for the animals that she hunts. Which of course all are not ture Artemis is a protection goddess.
Though Artemis didn't get a long to well with men she show some compassion for males. After years of being trapped in tartarus Artemis along with her brother Apollo and mother Leto asked Zeus to finally free Prometheus. But Zeus and the other gods still believed the titan should be punished for stealing fire and giving it to man. Eventually the hunting goddess's anger, tears and pleas convinced Zeus to released Prometheus from his imprisonment.
Before Orion was turned into a star constellation Apollo had managed to trick the greek hero into getting on his sister's bad side. The giant hero killed almost every animal, fell in love with one of Artemis Nymph helpers and finally fell in love with Eos the goddess of dawn who helped him restore his sight. Eos was cursed by Aphrodite to fall in love with many men but could never be with them. When Eos learned the true about Orion she changed her mind about loving him so the giant hunter tried to kidnap her. After Orion's death Artemis and her mother Leto placed him among the stars Orion's story is yet another example of Eos curse of how she can fall in love but could never be with the men that she loves. Orion's story is also tale about how Artemis found love for the first time only to lose it and never to fall in love again.
Because Athena, Artemis and Hestia are more protecting and caring deities when compared to the rest of their family. Athena has felt that Artemis would be a good choice to look after humanity if she was ever willing do so despite the fact that the hunting goddess prefers nature over mankind. Artemis wouldn't mind giving up her throne on Mount Olympus as she doesn't care about ruling over humans and toying with their lives like most of her family.
==Appearance==
Artemis is a goddess who prefers her natural beauty. She is pretty but doesn't like to use her looks to get her way; she relies on her skills. Artemis is beautiful but she is not afraid of getting roughed up, scraps, bruises, dirty or muddy while hunting or fighting.
Because she likes her natural looks Artemis doesn't use her powers to make herself beautiful, doesn't worry about hairstyles, and does not care about the best outfits or style.
==Personality==
Artemis loves nature, animals and hunting. She prefers the wilderness over cities and Olympus. Like her brother Apollo Artemis is protective of her mother. She is also a protector and guardian of the animals, nature, women, children and her nymph followers. Artemis does not wish to be married so she will never experience heartbreak and so she can enjoy the thrill of hunting, fighting for survival, the beauty of nature: the water, the plants, the animals, the mountains, the forests, the moon and the weather.
Artemis is strong and brave; she doesn't bend to the will of others or love. She also will not back down from a challenge. Artemis likes to show that women can do things that men can do. The hunting goddess loves the company of her followers and the animals but also loves the quiet alone time that nature can give. She enjoys the quiet darkness when the moon is visible in the night sky.
Hunters and huntresses love her and respect the goddess who in return looks out for them however Artemis does not share that caring feeling with people who don't show that love and respect for animals and nature. She doesn't care to much for a wealthy fancy life. What she likes are the few things she owns and what ever nature provides her and she expects those who follow her to feel the same way.
Because Artemis doesn't care about love unlike the others Greek deities she has never had an affair with any of her family, her brother, uncles, nephews, father or cousins. Artemis doesn't like those who worship her to fall in love or get married. Those that do are cast out of her group of followers or hunters but because she is the goddess of children and childbirth even though they are not allowed to return the goddess cares for the kids they have as she does for all children.
Artemis is a goddess who does not like to lose and can not broken be. She believes in not giving up, fighting until you win and if you can't win going down fighting. She likes a challenge, likes to fight, likes thrills and likes action.
In some stories people believe that Artemis loved Adonis and Actaeon but the goddess has no love for those who do not care for wildlife and who like to boast. Artemis is a girl that does not believe in boasting which is gloating, bragging, exaggerating, overconfident, laying it on thick and showing off. Those that do are punished for thinking they are greater than everyone.
She is brave, courageous, strong, determined, proud, determined, fearless, serious, adventurous, headstrong, independent, confident, bold and strong willed. Artemis is tough but is also sweet, kind, caring, loving, selfless and gentle to the plants and animals of mother nature.
Living in nature she has seen the beauty and harshness of the wilderness and loves them both, the gentle side and rough side.
Artemis chooses to live in nature to avoid the squabbles, drama, conflict, clashes, feuds and quarrels of humanity and the gods.
Artemis cares for and protects all of the forests, the plants, the woods, the mountains, the hills, the jungles, the rainforests, the swamps, the marshes, the valleys, the groves, the animals, the bodies of water, the soil, the meadows, the fields, the caves and the rocks. Artemis looks after all of nature.
All the characteristics of Artemis personality are the signs of a Scorpio: caring, comfortable being alone, honest, loyalty, brave, independent, strength, strong-will, kindness, tough love, serious, devotion and dislikes boasting. Also cautious about other people, remembers everything good or bad, but still cares for their lover, friends and people close to them even if they are upset. She also is good looking just like all Scorpios also finds enjoyment from action, adventures and thrills. All Scorpios have the desire for their mate to have the same good qualities that they have. Those all the traits of a Scorpio.
==Powers & Abilities==
Like all deities, Artemis has the powers and abilities to do many things which is something that all gods have but because she is goddess of the hunt, archery, tracking, hunting, trapping, senses, communication with animals and survival are her greatest skills.
==Artemis Possessions==
*Silver Bow & Silver Arrows
*Siler Spear
*Silver Moon Chariot pulled by stags
*Silver Moon Circlet
*Tunic
*Sandals
*Dogs
*Stags
*Wild Animals
*Calydonian Boar
==Gallery==
Seignac, Diane chassant (5613442047).jpg
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ArtemisBow.jpg|Artemis in the TV show Supernatural.
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Artemis apple 02.jpg|Artemis in Hercules TV show.
Mythicwarriorartemis11.jpg|Artemis in the Mythic Warriors series.
Artemis (Fantasia).jpg|Artemis in Disney Fantasia.
Wonder Woman Vol 5 6 Textless.jpg|Artemis as a deer and the other Greek Gods as animals in Wonder Woman comic.
RCO011-1.jpg|Artemis aka Moon as a supporting ally to Wonder Woman in the DC Comics.
Artemis.png|Artemis giving her sword to Kratos in the video game God of War.
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Artemis the Loyal.jpg|Artemis in the Goddess Girls books.
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Sculpture artwork tristan macdougall artemis 5.jpg
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73 14-1.jpg|Artemis in a comic book series.
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