THE GODDESS ARTEMISA: The highlights, characteristics and more

The Goddess Artemis, a worthy representative of Greek Mythology, who was part of the Olympic gods, and had the gift of being the owner of hunting, forests, animals and all wild nature, and was also the protector of virginity. . We invite you to learn about her interesting life by reading this article.

Introduction

We have the opportunity, through this article, to introduce you to the life of the Goddess Artemis, since this was one of the deities that was most revered by all the inhabitants of ancient Greece, therefore forming part of everything that was the development of his mythology.

As many people already know, most of the facts that originated in antiquity, especially those of Greek or Roman origin, have been made known, through a series of poems, legends and myths, written by many literary artists who shone in those times.

Logically, the gods as such were not real beings, but they represented spiritual forms that were worshiped by the ancient inhabitants of these regions, in order to have their help, especially in matters related to the government of the territories, and even in cases famous romantic stories that have become known as the Troy stories. (We invite you to know who the God Hermes was)

These gods had the power to mix in the lives of mortals and thus fulfilled all their wishes, since they even had relationships with these beings of the earth, leaving descendants as a result, who were considered a race of demigods.

The truth is that the gods who resided on Mount Olympus, under the orders of their king Zeus, had the power to decide the lives of mortals, just as if they were their masters. Consequently, for men to be able to count on the help of the gods, they had to pay tribute to them and make offerings to them.

In this article we are going to introduce you to the life of the Goddess Artemis, who was highly revered by mortals, thanks to the fact that they believed that she could relieve their illnesses, especially in the case of women; and that she also allowed them to count on hunting animals as the basis of her food. We therefore invite you to continue reading this book, which you will surely love.

Who is it? The Goddess Artemis

The Goddess Artemis was part of the twelve gods of Olympus, being the daughter of the god Zeus in his union with the goddess Leto; and she was the twin sister of the god Apollo, who was considered the god of the sun, with many qualities for logic, reasoning, music and also as a healer; Some even say that he could predict the future.

For her part, and logically, the goddess Artemis, who was her twin sister, was endowed with almost as many or more qualities than the god Apollo himself. She had a free spirit, being a lover of all animals and especially nature. She stood out for being the protector of all the young maidens and her chastity.

But like all gods, she was also vengeful and impulsive when offended. She generally acted independently, always appearing self-confident; For this reason, when it came to fighting, she was a fierce warrior, being difficult to control even by the other gods. (You may be interested in knowing about The Trojan War)

She generally appeared as a sweet and chaste maiden, or she could be like a ferocious creature, which is why she was associated with the bear; but that she was especially venerated when the harvest was reached, which is why the first fruits of the earth were always for her.

Her revenges have also been legendary, as she could reach limits that no other god would reach. An example is the case of Niobe, who had twelve children, six men and six women of unmatched beauty, who died from the arrows launched by this goddess and her twin brother.

The reason was simply that Niobe offended her mother Leto, boasting that her capacity as a mother was greater than Leto’s, since she had had twelve children while the goddess had only two. (You can also visit our article about the God Ares)

The highlights of his biography

It is interesting to know how this goddess emerged in Greek mythology, which has played an important role in the entire historical development of this culture. As mentioned, the Goddess Artemis is the daughter of the god Zeus and the goddess Leto, in whose birth she gave birth to two twin gods, who were Artemis and Apollo.

Regarding the birth of this goddess, stories are reported where it is considered that the goddess Hera, who was the consort of the ruler of Olympus, Zeus; She had forbidden Leto to give birth on the mainland or on an island, but she disobeyed and gave birth to her twins on the island of Ortygia.

In the stories captured in Virgil’s literary works in the Aeneid, it was considered that the god Zeus had turned Leto into a quail, so that she could give birth safely, without being discovered by Hera, and in this way he had his twins without pain, because it was just like laying an egg.

Most authors consider that Artemis was born before Apollo and therefore that she had been her mother’s midwife for the birth of her brother Apollo. This is not a strange fact, since many of the gods were born as adults.

In the songs of the Iliad, the literary work of the famous poet and writer Homer, reference is made to Artemis, as a girl, who was beaten by Hera and runs crying into the arms of the God Zeus.

It is also related in the poems of Callimachus, that the goddess Artemis liked to play in the mountains, practicing with the bow and arrow. But on one occasion she finds herself sitting on Zeus’s knees and takes the opportunity to ask them for a series of wishes. (We suggest you read the article about the Goddess Aphrodite)

These were gifts that she requested to be granted by the god Zeus, who was the most powerful within Olympus, therefore he asked her to always be a virgin, to be given many names, to have a magical bow and arrow made by the Cyclops, to have daughters. of Okeanos for her choir, possess Amnisides nymphs as maidens, rule the mountains and be the patron saint of women in childbirth.

She always considered that she had gifts as a midwife and therefore wanted to help all women with their labor pains, this by virtue of the experience gained by helping her mother with the birth of her brother Apollo. She always kept her chastity well, and she had a series of symbols that represented her, such as the golden bow with her arrow, her faithful dog that accompanied her hunting, the deer and the moon.

One of the most interesting aspects of the biography of the Goddess Artemis is the fact that she always wanted to remain a virgin, since many gods and men were interested in her. For her part, Artemis only felt love for Orion, who was a mythological giant, considered in some literatures as a great hunter.

But it is considered that he died accidentally from an arrow shot by Artemis, although others say that it was due to the poison of a scorpion sent by the goddess. Another character who seeks to win the heart of Artemis was Alpheus, who was a river god, who, not having the love of the goddess, decides to capture her. But she hides herself, covering herself with mud so as not to be recognized by this god.

Another of the well-known legends says that on one occasion Boupthagos, who was the son of the Titan Iapetus, observed the Goddess Artemis while she was bathing naked in a spring, so he imagined in his thoughts how he could rape her.

But the cunning goddess reads his sinful thoughts and strikes him, subsequently punishing him by turning him into a girl because he has offended this goddess with his thoughts. There are many other stories like this, but to know the Goddess Artemis better, we are going to present her characteristics, since it is through them that she has been considered a Greek goddess.

Own characteristics

This goddess of Olympus has been endowed with a series of characteristics, which identified her entire life, and even positioned her as the virgin goddess of hunting and the moon; For this reason we are going to highlight each of the important aspects present in this goddess, which have remained a legacy for all humanity.

Artemis was the daughter of the god Zeus in his concubine union with the goddess Leto, and was also the twin sister of the god Apollo. She was an independent goddess, who did not like to follow conventional rules or laws, generally followed by the other gods. She valued her virginity and freedom at all costs; which is why she never wanted to depend on any man, nor did she give herself the opportunity to succumb to love.

She was protective and caring; but on the other hand she could be vengeful, even causing harm to those who wanted to protect her. As a hunter she was strongly linked to nature, for this reason most of her life was spent wandering through the forests. Her companions were the nymphs, with whom she shared the hunt for panthers, lions and deer. She was always armed with her bow and arrows, which were magical, since the Cyclops had made them for her. She also protected many of the wild animals, especially those she considered sacred. Her chastity was eternal, for this reason she could live without suffering the distractions of love, without being next to any man or without getting married. Her companions and devoted followers of hers also had to be virgins, which is why she protected them, avoiding any threat to her chastity. This was even the subject of a legend, where Actaeon once saw her and her nymphs bathing naked, and was punished for invading her privacy, turning him into a deer, which was chased by her dogs. Artemis became the patron saint of childbirth, and even attended the birth of her twin, Apollo. She had an important role as a protector and caregiver of health, but it is known that she could also cause and spread diseases, such as rabies, leprosy and gout.

Meaning

The life and qualities of the goddess Artemis have had a wide meaning within the entire history of Greek mythology; She was the twin of the god Apollo, a representation of wild nature and the Moon.

Who always proved to be a divinity who possessed innocence, who was a virgin, but who also had a free spirit, being a symbol of strength, purity, motherhood and protector of hunting animals, especially wild ones.

Being called in many other ways such as the ones we are going to leave you below, since as previously mentioned, this was one of the wishes that he asked to be granted to his father, the god Zeus, in order to be able to be differentiated from the god Apollo; therefore the names that have been given are.

Allevia, Amaryssia, Courage, Dytynnaia, Hecate, Elaevolos, Elafiaia, Hello, Emery, Appeal, Lafaria, Limnitis, Mummy, Diana, Savior, Tricyria and Philomerika. Many names but all to identify the same deity, the goddess Artemis, or Diana as she is known among the…