Artemis is the goddess of wild animals, the hunt and of chastity. Artemis's origin story is a complicated one. She is the daughter of Zeus, the well-known King of gods and the leader of Mount Olympus. Though he had many stories of his greatness, Zeus weakness was infidelity to his wife, Hera.
Zeus impregnated a Titan. Hera became angry upon learning of Zeus unfaithfulness. So, she forbade the Titan from giving birth on land. Eventually, she isolated on an island. There, she gave birth to Artemis and Apollo. According to the Homeric Hymn to Artemis, the twins were born on the island. Either way, most of the accounts say that Artemis was the firstborn, as she was a fierce protector and nurturer of Apollo.
Not much is known about Artemis childhood. Some scholars say that she spent her time participating in archery, perhaps leading to her excellence in hunting. Artemis had a total of 26 siblings. Among the siblings, Artemis was the favorite goddess.
Artemis, as a goddess, was immortal and had a great deal of power over mortals and events on earth. In addition to the powers ordinary to all gods and goddesses, she possesses perfect aim with a bow, the ability to change herself and others into animals, and control disease and healing. Like Olympians, Artemis was super strong and is capable of lifting about 30 tons. Her character and function varied greatly from place to place, but apparently behind all forms lay the goddess of wild nature who danced, usually accompanied by nymphs, in mountains, forests, and marshes. Artemis possessed the Olympian attitude besides killing game she also protected it especially the young, and stands according to the title: The Mistress of Animals. Much like Athena, Artemis preferred to remain a maiden and was sworn never to marry.
Artemis was very protective of her purity, and gave grave punishment to any man who attempted to dishonor her in any form. Artemis didn’t only take care of her own purity, but also defended the innocence of her worshipers. And was merciless if any one of her priestesses ever lost it.
She was the protector of young children and women, and was believed to both bring disease upon women and children and relieve them of it. Artemis was the subject of many works of art throughout Ancient Greece and beyond. Usually, she was shown as a young and beautiful woman carrying a bow and arrow. Typically, she wore a knee-length tunic and was accompanied by various animals.
She was shown alongside various other symbols when talked about as the goddess of the moon. For example, she often wore a crescent moon crown or stood by women and nymphs.
The most famous story involves with Orion, a long-time hunting companion of hers. In fact, he may as well have been known to be Artemis only love interest. She was both the protector and destroyer of young girls and women.
When Artemis was still a little maid, she asked from her father Zeus to keep her maidenhood forever. So, just like Athena, she remained chaste for eternity. And she guarded this vow even more vigorously.
One tale involves Agamemnon, the King of Mycenae. Agamemnon killed a stag in Artemis sacred grove. In regard to it, she sought to punish him gravely. The goddess goaded him, transforming into the winds to ravage his ships as he commenced the Trojan War. Out of fear, he offered Artemis his daughter Iphigenia. The goddess took her, replacing her presence with a deer. The myth does not say what happened to Iphigenia, but some scholars say she became Artemis’s immortal companion. Likewise, the mistress of moon bravely faced obstacles that came along the way with a great inspiration.
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