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10 Great Facts about the Greek Goddess Artemis

Artemis is the famously renowned ancient goddess of Greek mythology whose reputation changed the history of the Greece people and women around the world. She was called the goddess of the hunt because she preferred staying in the woods rather than staying around people. As an independent, mighty, and gifted hunter, Artemis chose to keep up a chaste life, never to get married for the rest of her life. Can you imagine a young woman who decides to stay in the forests where wild animals dwell? Artemis was a force to recon as she would encounter several strange and wild animals that tried to destroy her. Luckily, she had mastered her art of hunting as she always had the bow and arrows wherever she went. She also was in the company of hunting dogs that would protect her against predators. She was also a ruthless goddess later worshipped as the goddess of fertility in the Greek kingdom. There are several facts about this virgin goddess that we have never explored.

The following are ten incredible facts about the Greek goddess Artemis:

1. Who were the Family Members of the Great Greek Goddess of Hunt and Chastity?

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The books of history and documentaries recorded have told us that the Greek goddess Artemis was a twin to another Greek god, Apollo, who was the god of the sun, entertainment, and art. Isn’t it funny how a goddess is a sister to a god? The truth is that Artemis’s family consisted of gods and goddesses. Zeus, perceived as the god of the sky and could also control lightning, was the father to Artemis. Last but not least, Leto, the goddess of motherhood, was the lucky woman to be the mother of the famous goddess of the hunt. Artemis was an extraordinary girl who swore to remain pure, never to marry, and stay a virgin until she died. She spent her life hunting and was an excellent huntress who could kill any wild animal.

Also see: Top 10 Facts about Athena, the Greek Goddess

2. Hera was Zeus’ wife whose Anger endangered the birth of Artemis

Zeus had an affair with Leto and got her pregnant which made his wife Hera angry. Hera set off on a mission to ensure that Leto would not have her children. Hera ordered Leto not to be allowed anywhere on dry land to give birth to the twins. She wanted to banish Leto into the sea, where she could give birth to the children under harsh environmental conditions. She assumed that the newborn would die in the ocean. Hera invited Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, to her place when Leto was in labor and looking for a place to deliver her twins. Leto was in labor for over a week on a floating island until Eileithyia was invited. Leto gave birth to Artemis and Apollos on Delos Island.

3. Artemis asked her Father to Bless her when she was a Little Girl

Even at a tender age, Artemis was wise and would speak to her father freely. Therefore she wanted to find out her purpose and destiny in life. She asked her father to give her ten wishes, and out of amusement, Zeus gave his daughter ten wishes. Artemis’ wishes were: to stay chaste for the rest of her life, to be given unique names making her better than Apollo, to have a bow and arrows, to wear short clothes for hunting, to have sixty virgin women followers, to have handmaids to guard her, to be the ruler of the mountains, to help women in labor, and to bring light to her people. Zeus arranged for his daughter to be given whatever she had asked for.

4. Artemis was an Excellent Huntress who would Hunt any Animal with an Arrow

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Artemis could hunt any wild animal with the bow and arrow as a huntress because she was a specialist archer. Her shots were accurate; she would never miss her target regardless of the distance to shoot. Despite being dedicated to helping women alone, Artemis was also willing to help men who would remain respectful to her. She taught a few men how to hunt by teaching them how to use the bow and arrow. One such beneficiary was Daphnis, who was the goddess of commerce. She taught him how to hunt using simple weapons.

5. Artemis is thought to be Responsible for the Death of Actaeon

Actaeon was a skilled hunter in the mountains near Artemis’ territory. He had hunted in the mountains longer than Artemis and knew the place well. While roaming in the forest, Actaeon came closer to a lake where Artemis and her virgin women guards were bathing. He moved closer enough to see the naked women bathing and could not resist the urge to keep staring at their beautiful bodies. Some stories say that Actaeon tried to get to Artemis while she was naked. However, the goddess of hunting was offended and turned the man into a stag. Upon seeing the stag, the hunting dogs failed to recognize that it was Actaeon and attacked the animal and brutally killed him.

6. Artemis’ temple at Ephesus was on the world’s Seven Wonders List

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Artemision was the name given to the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. This temple underwent several transformations through reconstruction to make it one of the most admired places on the planet. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt thrice until the perfect structure arrived. The final temple was considered among the seven wonders of the ancient Greek world and globally.

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7. Artemis was considered the Goddess of Hunting and the Wilderness 

This great goddess had several titles and names as she had wished and granted by her father at an early age. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, chastity, the moon, wild animals, and childbirth, among many other names. Artemis was derived from the Persian word ‘art,’ which means great. Therefore Artemis was a great person from when she was born to her death. She was also referred to as the great mother of nature for being a friend of the natural habitat. She was considered a mother to the wild despite being a virgin.

8. She was Ruthless in Her Punishment as she Showed her Character to Niobe

Artemis was brutal in her decisions and ruthless with her actions, making people fear and respect her. She administered punishment instantly to those who did evil or wronged her. One victim was the queen of Thebes, Niobe. Niobe was a noble and fertile queen with twelve children, six boys and six girls. On one occasion, Niobe insulted Artemis’s mother for having only two children. Artemis received the news and was angry. Alongside her twin brother Apollos, they shot Niobe’s children with the arrows. Niobe was left without a child because all twelve children had been killed.

9. Artemis was equivalent to a Roman Diana, her Roman Name

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The Roman Empire also had gods and goddesses, and the goddess of hunt was Diana. She grew up with characteristics similar to Artemis and had a twin brother, Apollo. Diana was also a goddess of roads, the moon, and several other titles held by Artemis in ancient Greek. The two had similar personalities and lived a parallel life.

10. When the Greeks were sailing to Trojan for war, Artemis demanded Human Sacrifice 

One of the kings disrespected Artemis when he claimed he made a better hunter than her. The king also went ahead to hurt one of the animals that belonged to Artemis. She vowed to revenge against the king during the Trojan War. The Greeks went to war in the neighboring kingdom. However, as they began sailing toward the Trojan, Artemis stopped the weather, and the ships could not move. She asked for human sacrifice before letting the sails continue. Agamemnon was the victim, as his daughter had to be sacrificed before Artemis allowed them to proceed with the journey.

Artemis was a great ancient Greek goddess of the hunt, childbirth, virginity, and wilderness whose reputation surpassed expectations. She was a powerful woman who chose to live a chaste life to set an example to the rest of the Greece women. She was an excellent hunter whose life revolved around the forests and mountains. She was an impressive figure in the ancient world that would help modern women have a sense of power in society.