Artemis in Context

Like her brother Apollo, Artemis was a popular god among ancient Greeks. A fertility deity known as the “Lady of Ephesus” (pronounced EF-uh-suhs), worshipped by the people of Ephesus in Anatolia, or modern-day Turkey, was believed to be a foreign version of Artemis. The temple at Ephesus, built to honor Artemis, was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Artemis was regarded by the ancient Greeks as the goddess of the hunt. Hunting was an important part of ancient Greek life; although they developed sophisticated agriculture and animal domestication over the centuries, their cultural roots were closely tied to the hunting of wild animals as a means to survive. Hunters offered Artemis the heads, antlers, or skins of their prey, and fishermen likewise offered parts of their catch to her. The close connection between hunting and warfare resulted in her worship as a goddess of warfare in some Greek states.

Artemis was a patroness of young girls, and herself was a virgin goddess. She differed from the other Greek virgin goddess, Athena, in that she was considered the goddess of girls before they married, whereas Athena’s virginity was considered to be asexual (without a sexual orientation). The followers of Artemis are known as “nymphs,” and girls old enough to be married danced and sang at festivals that honored Artemis; it was one of the few opportunities in Greek culture for unmarried men and women to mingle. When girls married, Artemis continued to watch over them—this time as they gave birth. Artemis decided whether a woman lived or died in childbirth, and the Greeks believed that her arrows caused women to die from disease.