Artemis: Mythology, Powers, and Facts About the Greek Goddess of the Hunt

Artemis is one of the most revered deities in Ancient Greek mythology. The Olympian is the virgin goddess of the hunt and wild animals, and is associated with the Moon. She is also the protector of young girls and one of the goddesses who oversees childbirth. The Romans worshiped her as Diana.

Myths depict Artemis as fiercely independent and protective of her chastity. And, while nurturing to young women and those who honored nature, she was often vengeful, punishing those who disrespected her. Hunters and those who lived close to nature often offered sacrifices to gain her protection during their expeditions.

Here is a look at the Greek goddess Artemis, her symbols, mythology, powers, and more.

Who Is Artemis?

Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt, nature, and wild animals. She is also associated with chastity, and is a protector of young girls and women, particularly during childbirth. She is a powerful representation of independence, strength, and the untamed beauty of the natural world.

Artemis is one the twelve Olympian Gods. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin sister of Apollo.

As a huntress, she is depicted with her bow and arrow, and is accompanied by a deer or hunting dogs. She is also associated with the Moon, like her brother Apollo, who is the god of the Sun.

As a lunar goddess, she is linked to the moon, symbolizing cycles of growth, fertility, and the mysterious, untamed aspects of the natural world.

To offer some clarification, Selene is the Titan goddess of the Moon and represents the personification of the Moon. Artemis came later in the Greek pantheon and is a lunar goddess associated with the Moon. (Hecate is another lunar goddess with significant powers.) Artemis is to Selene as Apollo is to Helios.

What Are Artemis’s Powers?

Mastery of the Hunt

Artemis had unmatched skill with a bow and arrow. She could strike any target with perfect accuracy, whether it was animals or enemies. However, she killed anyone who hunted pregnant animals or baby animals.

Control over Wild Animals

As the protector of animals and nature, she had dominion over all wild creatures. She could calm or command animals at will, and many animals were sacred to her.

Lunar Power

Artemis had the power to control the moon’s phases. She also oversaw cycles of time and nature, especially related to women’s fertility.

Protection of Women and Young Girls

Artemis punished those who threatened or harmed women or young girls. She was also a protector of childbirth, and was a midwife just after being born herself. She had the ability to ease labor pains or ensure a safe delivery.

Artemis Myths

1. Birth of Artemis and Apollo

Leto, the mother of Artemis and Apollo, fled from the wrath of Zeu’s wife Hera to give birth. Artemis was born first on the island of Ortygia and helped her mother deliver her twin brother, Apollo, on the nearby island of Delos. (Though, some myths have both born on Delos.) (Source: Homeric Hymns to Apollo)

2. Actaeon’s Punishment

The hunter Actaeon stumbled upon Artemis while she bathed in the forest. Furious at his intrusion, she turned him into a stag, and had him torn apart by his own hunting dogs. (Source: Ovid’s Metamorphosis)

3. Niobe’s Hubris

Niobe, a queen of Thebes, boasted of her superiority to Leto because she had many children while Leto had only two. In response, Artemis and Apollo killed all of Niobe’s children. (Source: Homer’s Illiad)

4. Orion the Hunter

Orion was a giant hunter and a companion of the huntress. Artemis killed him with an arrow and afterward, placed him among the stars as a constellation, but the reason she did so depends on the myth. In one myth, he boasted he was better at throwing a discus than she was. In another, he took advantage of her maiden Opis. In many others, he tried to assault her.

And, in one obscure story written by Istros and referenced by Hyginus in Astronomica, Artemis falls in love with him and nearly marries him until a jealous Apollo tricks her into piercing his head with an arrow.

5. Artemis and Callisto

Callisto, a follower of Artemis, was seduced by Zeus and became pregnant. When she discovered her pregnancy, she expelled Callisto. Callisto was later transformed into a bear and her son Arcas nearly killed her, but both were turned into constellations by Zeus. (Source: Ovid’s Metamorphosis)

6. The Sacrifice of Iphigenia

To appease Artemis, who had sent unfavorable winds to delay the Greek fleet, King Agamemnon was commanded to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia. In some versions of the myth, at the last moment, Artemis spared the girl by substituting a deer in her place and whisked Iphigenia away to serve as her priestess. (Source: Euripides’s Iphigenia at Aulis)

7. The Death of Adonis

Adonis, beloved by both Aphrodite and Persephone, was a skilled hunter known for his exceptionally good looks. Artemis had a wild boar kill him. Depending on the myth, it was either because she was jealous of his hunting prowess or as because she was taking revenge on Aphrodite who killed her favorite follower, Hippolytus. (Source: The Bibliotheca of Pseudo-Apollodorus)

9. The Aloadae Giants

The twin giants Otus and Ephialtes sought to overthrow the Olympian gods. To defeat them, Artemis transformed into a deer and leapt between them. In their attempt to shoot the deer, they ended up killing each other. (Source: The Bibliotheca of Pseudo-Apollodorus)

Artemis’s Symbols and Attributes

Artemis was often depicted in ancient Greek art as a youthful, athletic woman, symbolizing her role as the goddess of the hunt and wilderness. She was typically shown wearing a tunic-like garment known as a chiton which allowed for ease of movement during hunting, and almost always wore a headband or tiara. She often carried her bow and wore a quiver of arrows on her back.

In Roman art, where she was worshiped as Diana, Artemis was sometimes depicted with a crescent moon above her head, symbolizing her association with the moon.

Here are some of the symbols you may notice in sculptures, paintings, or mosaics of the goddess.

1. Bow and Arrows

In almost all depictions of Artemis, she carries her golden bow and arrows, which represent her dominion as goddess of the hunt.

2. Deer

The deer, often shown by her side, is sacred to Artemis. A team of four Kerynitian hinds, immortal golden-horned deer, pull her chariot and she is often depicted with a deer by her side.

3. Crescent Moon

The crescent moon is associated with Artemis as a lunar goddess. It symbolizes her connection to the night, cycles of life and nature, and her role in guiding and protecting women.

4. Hunting Dogs

Artemis has a pack of seven hunting dogs that are her companions. They were a gift from the god Pan.

5. Cypress Tree

The cypress tree is connected to Artemis as her mother Leto gave birth near a Cypress grove. And, according to Pausanius, one her temples was in a Cypress grove.

6. Wild Animals

Many wild animals are sacred to Artemis. These include bears, boars, deer, fresh-water fish, hawks, and the partridge.

Artemis Epithets

1. Agrotera (“Huntress”) – This title was used by many of her cults, including the Greek hunters in Attica. Before battle, they would sacrifice animals in the hopes of winning her favor.
2. Ephesia – This comes from her statue at Ephesus that is shaped similarly to a sarcophagus. In it, she is covered in images of winged victory and wild animals, including hawks, stags, lions, bulls, sphinxes, and bees. She wears a floral wreath, zodiac necklace, and lunar crown and is draped in globe-like objects, which have mystified scholars for centuries. This epithet represents her connection to fertility.
3. Phosphorus (“Bringer of Light”) – This title connected to her in Ancient Messene where she carries a torch and is linked with Hecate.
4. Selene (“Moon”) – This epithet directly links her to the moon, highlighting her role as a moon goddess and her influence over lunar cycles and nighttime.
5. Korytaina (“She who carries the bow”) – This title emphasizes Artemis’s skill in hunting and her role as a huntress, symbolized by her bow and arrows.
6. Alpheia (“Of the Spring”) – This epithet connects Artemis to springs and freshwater rivers.

Artemis’s Temples and Places of Worship

1. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (located in modern-day Selçuk, Turkey) was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built in the 6th century BCE and rebuilt after a fire, it was an enormous structure filled with art and dedicated to Artemis. The ruins can still be visited today, with some remnants of the structure and artifacts displayed in the nearby Ephesus Museum.

2. Sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron

Situated near the modern village of Vravrona in Attica, the Sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron was an important site dedicated to the goddess, particularly her aspect as a protector of women and children. It has been partially restored and includes a temple and a large stoa (covered walkway). It is known for its archaeological significance and provides insight into ancient rituals, such as the Bear Ritual, where girls dressed in yellow outfits and danced like bears in front of her altar.

3. Temple of Artemis at Magnesia

Located in Magnesia on the Meander River in western Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), this temple was constructed in the 4th century BCE, and it became an influential site due to its architectural grandeur and artistic sculptures. Although much of the structure has been lost over time, the remains offer valuable information about Hellenistic temple design. Visitors can explore the site and view the remaining ruins and artifacts

4. Sanctuary of Artemis at Perge

The Sanctuary of Artemis at Perge, in present-day Antalya, Turkey, was another significant site dedicated to the goddess. Dating from the 2nd century BCE, this sanctuary stood on a hilltop outside of town was prominent in the Roman period and was associated with Artemis’s role as a nature goddess. The ruins are accessible and can be explored.