Goddess of the hunt, the wild forests and the moon, protector of young women and wild animals – Artemis was the free spirit of the Greek pantheon. Here is her story and the meaning behind her bow, her hounds and her deer.
Who is Artemis?
Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, the moon and childbirth, and the protector of girls and young women. Daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo, she was worshipped all over the Greek world; her temple at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Romans called her Diana.
In art Artemis is a young, athletic huntress in a short tunic, with a silver bow and a quiver of arrows, often accompanied by hunting dogs or a deer. A crescent moon on her brow marks her as goddess of the night sky. Statues of Diana the Huntress, striding forward with a stag or hound at her side, are among the most loved classical figures.
Birth on Delos
Artemis was born on the floating island of Delos, the only land brave enough to shelter her mother from Hera's anger. Born first, she is said to have helped her mother deliver her twin brother Apollo – which is why women in childbirth prayed to her.
As a little girl sitting on Zeus' knee, Artemis asked for gifts: to remain unmarried forever, to have as many names as her brother, a bow and arrows like his, a short tunic for running, a company of nymphs, and all the mountains of the world as her home. Zeus, delighted, granted them all.
Actaeon and the sacred spring
The young hunter Actaeon once stumbled upon Artemis bathing with her nymphs in a hidden forest spring. Furious at being seen, the goddess splashed him with water and turned him into a stag; his own hounds, not recognising their master, chased him through the forest. The story was a warning to respect the sacred and the wild.
Orion and the stars
Artemis' closest companion was the giant hunter Orion. In one version of the myth he was killed by a scorpion sent by Gaia; in another, by one of Artemis' own arrows, after a trick by Apollo. In her grief, Artemis placed him among the stars, where the constellation of Orion still hunts across the winter sky, forever chased by the Scorpion.
The goddess of the moon
In later tradition Artemis became identified with Selene, the moon, just as Apollo was linked to the sun. She was imagined driving a silver chariot across the night sky, lighting the way for travellers and hunters.
Artemis in art and in your home
Artemis stands for independence, courage and harmony with nature. A statue of Artemis or Diana the Huntress brings energy and movement to a room and is a wonderful gift for women who love the outdoors, for animal lovers and for anyone with a free spirit. Pieces showing her with hounds or a deer look especially good in a hallway, study or garden room.
Related gods
Read the story of her twin brother Apollo and her father Zeus. Browse all the Olympians in our Greek Mythology collection.
