DuckstersDucksters
History Biography Geography Science Games

Greek Mythology

Artemis

Greek goddess Artemis with bow and deer
Artemis by Geza Maroti

History >> Ancient Greece >> Greek Mythology

Goddess of: The hunt, wilderness, moon, and archery
Symbols: Bow and arrow, hunting dog, moon
Parents: Zeus and Leto
Children: none
Spouse: none
Abode: Mount Olympus
Roman name: Diana

Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt, wilderness, moon and archery. She is the twin sister of the god Apollo and one of the Twelve Olympian gods who live on Mount Olympus. She spends much of her time in the forest surrounded by animals such as hunting dogs, bears, and deer.

How was Artemis usually pictured?

Artemis is generally pictured as a young girl wearing a knee-length tunic and armed with her bow and arrow. She often is shown accompanied by forest creatures such as deer and bears. When traveling, Artemis rides a chariot pulled by four silver stags.

What special powers and skills did she have?

Like all the Greek Olympic gods, Artemis was immortal and very powerful. Her special powers included perfect aim with the bow and arrow, the ability to turn herself and others into animals, healing, disease, and control of nature.

Birth of Artemis

When the Titan goddess Leto became pregnant by Zeus, Zeus' wife Hera became very angry. Hera placed a curse on Leto that prevented her from having her babies (she was pregnant with twins) anywhere on the earth. Leto eventually found the secret floating island of Delos, where she had the twins Artemis and Apollo.

Six Wishes

When Artemis turned three years old, she asked her father Zeus for six wishes: Zeus couldn't resist his little girl and granted her all her wishes.

Orion

One of Artemis' best friends was the giant hunter Orion. The two friends loved to hunt together. However, one day Orion boasted to Artemis that he could kill every creature on Earth. The goddess Gaia, Mother Earth, heard the boast and sent a scorpion to kill Orion. In some Greek stories, it is actually Artemis who ends up killing Orion.

Fighting Giants

One Greek myth tells the story of two huge giant brothers called the Aloadae giants. These brothers grew very large and powerful. So powerful that even the gods began to fear them. Artemis discovered that they could only be killed by each other. She disguised herself as a deer and jumped between the brothers while they were hunting. They both threw their spears at Artemis, but she dodged the spears just in time. The brothers ended up striking and killing each other with their spears.

Interesting Facts About the Greek Goddess Artemis
Activities For more about Ancient Greece:

Overview
Timeline of Ancient Greece
Geography
The City of Athens
Sparta
Minoans and Mycenaeans
Greek City-states
Peloponnesian War
Persian Wars
Decline and Fall
Legacy of Ancient Greece
Glossary and Terms

Arts and Culture
Ancient Greek Art
Drama and Theater
Architecture
Olympic Games
Government of Ancient Greece
Greek Alphabet

Daily Life
Daily Lives of the Ancient Greeks
Typical Greek Town
Food
Clothing
Women in Greece
Science and Technology
Soldiers and War
Slaves

People
Alexander the Great
Archimedes
Aristotle
Pericles
Plato
Socrates
25 Famous Greek People
Greek Philosophers

Greek Mythology
Greek Gods and Mythology
Hercules
Achilles
Monsters of Greek Mythology
The Titans
The Iliad
The Odyssey

The Olympian Gods
Zeus
Hera
Poseidon
Apollo
Artemis
Hermes
Athena
Ares
Aphrodite
Hephaestus
Demeter
Hestia
Dionysus
Hades

Works Cited

History >> Ancient Greece >> Greek Mythology



Ducksters Footer Gif with Ducks


About Ducksters Privacy Policy 

 

This site is a product of TSI (Technological Solutions, Inc.), Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use.