During Ancient Greek times, the gods and goddesses were worshipped on a regular basis. The Greek Goddess Artemis was one of these goddesses. Considered to be one of the Twelve Olympians, she was known as the Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon and she was included in some of the major myths about the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus. Later on, she was also adopted by the Romans, who renamed her Diana. Here’s more information about her:
Artemis’ Family
Zeus, the King of the Gods, is Artemis’s father. Her mother, however, was not Hera, the Queen of the Gods. Zeus cheated on Hera with Leto, a Titan Goddess. Leto became pregnant with twins – Artemis, and her brother Apollo. There are many stories about Artemis’s birth and some of them have conflicting information. One of the most popular is that Artemis was born a day before Apollo, and some suggest that because she was born first, she was able to act as her mother’s midwife.
Stories Involving Artemis
Artemis was known for her mental strength and physical prowess. She is also described as having a formidable temper. Judging by the stories of the gods and goddesses, it is possible that she inherited her temper from her father, Zeus. However, her relationship with Zeus was strained and they argued constantly. Artemis wished to remain a virgin but Zeus constantly wanted to force her into an arranged marriage.
In another myth, she and her twin were furious about a human queen’s boast that she had fourteen children while Leto only had two. To avenge their mother’s slight, they killed all fourteen of the queen’s kids. She often cursed people who got on her nerves, such as the hunter Orion. He killed one of her scared animals and she turned him to the constellation that we now call Orion.
Because Artemis wasn’t Hera’s child, there was also tension between Artemis and the Queen of the Gods. Her brother, Apollo, also had a strained relationship with the goddess. Hera was so displeased with Zeus and Leto for what they did that the other gods and goddesses were afraid to be part of Leto’s life. They were afraid that Hera would unleash her wrath.
Worshipping Artemis
Artemis was primarily looked at as a goddess who oversaw some of the daily activities in Ancient Greek. This included hunters, midwives, virgins, wild animals, hunting dogs and children. Although we refer to her as the goddess of the hunt, this truly only represents a small portion of what she was known for in ancient times. She was also referred to as the Goddess of the Moon and also the Virgin Goddess.
Artemis is considered to be one of the main goddesses that was worshipped in Ancient Greece is considered to be one of the Olympians. Temples to Artemis can be found in places like Athens and Ephesus.
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