Artemis Wiki. Artemis (Artemis), daughter of Zeus, forever young and beautiful goddess of the hunt

Artemis - the eternally young goddess Greek mythology, patroness of hunting, female chastity, motherhood. The traditional image of the goddess is a maiden with a bow, usually accompanied by nymphs and wild animals. In Roman tradition she is known as the goddess Diana.

Classic goddess image

In Greek tradition, Artemis is considered the daughter of Zeus and the goddess Leto, as well as the twin sister of the sun god Apollo. According to legend, Hera legal wife Zeus, subjected her rival Leto to severe persecution, including making it difficult for her to give birth.

Fleeing from the wrath of Hera, Leto chose the deserted island of Delos as a place to deliver her pregnancy, where there was no one to help the woman in labor. Artemis was the first of the twins to be born. Apollo's birth was difficult and long, and the newborn goddess helped her mother give birth to her brother. Therefore, Artemis is considered the patroness of motherhood.

At the age of three, the girl was transported to Olympus and presented to her father, Zeus, who promised his little daughter everything she wanted. Artemis asked for a bow and arrows, a retinue of nymphs and a short tunic so that nothing would impede her running, as well as power over forests and mountains.

To these gifts Zeus added free will and the right to eternal virginity. So Artemis became the patroness of hunting, female chastity and fertility. In later tradition she is also considered a moon goddess.

For all her apparent innocence, Artemis is far from the most harmless of the Greek goddesses. According to Homer, in Trojan War Artemis fought on the side of the Trojans along with Apollo. The list of mythological victims of Artemis is quite impressive.

Many myths indicate that the goddess brutally dealt with her enemies and did not forgive offenses, sending misfortunes in the form of wild animals to the offenders, or hitting them with her arrows. There is a well-known myth about the hunter Actaeon, who caught Artemis bathing naked.

The angry goddess turned him into a deer, after which he was torn to pieces by his own hunting dogs. King Agamemnon, who killed Artemis' doe, was also severely punished by the goddess. She demanded a human sacrifice from him, and this victim was to be Agamemnon’s daughter, Iphigenia.

Archaic prototypes of Artemis

The etymology of the name Artemis has not been established. There are different hypotheses on this matter. Some historians believe that her name means “killer,” others agree that Artemis means “bear goddess.”

According to ancient myths, the goddess had not only a human, but also an animal appearance - most often she was depicted in the guise of a bear. Priestesses of the goddess often had to dress in bear skins to perform rituals.

The image of Artemis most likely goes back to the ancient patron goddesses of motherhood, who were associated with both birth and death.

Such images include the Phrygian Cybele, “mother of the gods,” known for her bloody cult, as well as the Akkadian Ishtar, who was the patroness of motherhood and at the same time the goddess of war and strife, also demanding human sacrifice. Artemis, like her cruel and bloodthirsty predecessors, brings natural death to women (her twin brother Apollo brings death to men).

The immortal gods of Olympus have been exciting the minds of people for several millennia. We admire beautiful statues and paintings, read and reread myths Ancient Greece, watching films about their lives and adventures. They are close to us in that, despite all the divine immortality, nothing human is alien to them. One of the brightest characters of Olympus is Artemis of Ephesus.

Who is Artemis?

“Bear goddess”, mistress of mountains and forests, patroness of nature, goddess of hunting - all these epithets refer to Artemis. Among the host of inhabitants of Olympus, Artemis occupies a special place. Her images as a fragile girl delight with grace and beauty. It is difficult to imagine that Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, who is distinguished by ruthlessness and vindictiveness.

But the goddess was famous not only for her cruelty, not only for killing living creatures in the forests, but also for protecting animal world, protected forests and meadows. Women who wanted to give birth easily or die without pain approached Artemis with pleas. The fact that the Greeks considered her revered is evidenced by artifacts mentioning Artemis of Ephesus. The famous temple at Ephesus was burned by Herostratus; there was the famous statue of Artemis with many breasts. In its place, the no less famous Temple of Artemis, included in the Seven Wonders of the World, was built.

Symbol of Artemis

The beautiful goddess-hunter had a retinue of nymphs; she herself selected the most beautiful. They were required to remain virgins, just like Artemis herself. But the main symbols by which Artemis was immediately recognized are the bow and arrows. Her weapon was made of silver, made by Poseidon, and the dog of the goddess Artemis belonged to the deity Pan, from whom the goddess begged her. In the most famous sculptural image, Artemis is dressed in a short chiton, she has a quiver of arrows over her shoulders, and next to her is a doe.

Artemis - myths of Ancient Greece

The goddess Artemis in Greek mythology is a frequently encountered character, but not very kind. Most of the plots are connected with the revenge of Artemis. Such examples could be:

1. The myth of Artemis’s anger at the fact that the Calydonian king Oeneus did not bring the required gifts from the first harvest. Her revenge was a boar that destroyed all the crops of the kingdom.
2. The myth of Agamemnon, who shot the sacred doe of the goddess, for which he had to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to her. To Artemis’s credit, she did not kill the girl, but replaced her with a doe. Iphigenia became a priestess of Artemis in Tauris, where it was customary to make human sacrifices.
3. Even Hercules had to make excuses to Aphrodite for killing a golden-horned doe.
4. Artemis cruelly punished the nymph Calypso from her retinue for violating her vow to maintain virginity, succumbing to the passion of Zeus, the goddess turned her into a bear.
5. The handsome young man Adonis is another victim of Artemis’s jealousy. He was Aphrodite's lover and was killed by a boar sent by Artemis.

Artemis and Actaeon - myth

One of the striking myths showing the tough and uncompromising character of Artemis is the myth of Artemis and Actaeon. The myth tells the story of the beautiful hunter Actaeon, who, while hunting, found himself near the place where Artemis loved to swim in clear river water. The young man had the misfortune of seeing a naked goddess. Her anger was so great that she mercilessly turned him into a deer, which was then torn to pieces by her own dogs. And his friends, looking at brutal reprisal, rejoiced at such a gain for a friend.

Apollo and Artemis

Artemis was born from the ruler of Olympus Zeus, the mother of Artemis, the deity of nature Leto. Zeus, fearing his jealous wife Hera, hid Leto on the island of Delos, where she gave birth to twins Artemis and Apollo. Artemis was born first and immediately began to help her mother, who gave birth to Apollo for a long and difficult time. Subsequently, women in labor turned to Artemis with a prayer for an easy and painless birth.

Twin brother Apollo, patron of the arts, and Atremis were always close to each other and together tried to protect their mother. They took cruel revenge on Niobe, who insulted their mother, by depriving her of all her children and turning her into an eternally crying stone. And another time, when the mother of Apollo and Artemis complained about the harassment of the giant Tityus, she struck him down with an arrow. The goddess protected from violence not only her mother, but also other women who turned to her for help.

Zeus and Artemis

Artemis is the daughter of Zeus, and not just a daughter, but his beloved, whom he early childhood set as an example. According to legend, when the goddess was three years old, Zeus asked his daughter about the gift she would like to receive from him. Artemis wished to be an eternal virgin, to have a retinue, a bow and arrows, to dispose of all the mountains and forests, to have many names and a city in which she would be revered.

Zeus fulfilled all his daughter's requests. She became the undivided ruler and protector of mountains and forests. In her retinue were the most beautiful nymphs. She was revered not in one city, but in thirty, but the main one was Ephesus with the famous Temple of Artemis. These cities made sacrifices to Artemis and held festivals in her honor.

Orion and Artemis

Orion, the son of Poseidon, became the unwitting victim of Artemis. Greek goddess Artemis was impressed by Orion's beauty, strength, and hunting skills. She invited him to become her hunting companion. Over time, she began to experience deeper feelings for Orion. Artemis's brother Apollo did not like his sister's love. He believed that she began to perform her duties poorly and did not keep an eye on the Moon. He decided to get rid of Orion and did it with the hands of Artemis herself. He sent Orion to fish, then invited his sister to hit a barely visible point in the sea, teasing her with ridicule.

Artemis shot an arrow and accurately hit her lover's head. When she saw who she had defeated, she fell into despair and rushed to Zeus, begging him to revive Orion. But Zeus refused, then Artemis asked to at least admire Orion. Zeus sympathized with her and sent Orion to heaven in the form of a constellation, and his dog Sirius went to heaven with him.

Birth of Apollo and Artemis. Among the Olympian gods is a pair of twins, Apollo and Artemis. Their father is the thunderer Zeus, and their mother is the beautiful goddess Leto. Zeus fell in love with her, and Hera, of course, hated her. She sent the terrible dragon Python to pursue the meek Leto, ordering him not to give Leto peace. Python chased the unfortunate goddess from end to end, and not a single country, not a single island sheltered her - everyone was afraid of the monster. Summer barely found refuge on a small rocky island, which in those days rushed along the waves, without permanent place, and was called Asteria. Summer promised the island that if it would accept her, she would glorify it with a magnificent temple. On this island her beautiful children were born. Artemis was born first, and then she helped her mother by delivering her baby. Since then, Artemis, although a virgin goddess, is considered an assistant to women giving birth.

The miraculous appearance of Delos. All nature rejoiced at the birth of divine children, and the island of Asteria stopped at the very place where this happened, its land, previously barren, was covered with greenery, and it itself received a new name - Delos (from the Greek word meaning “to appear”). Leto kept her promise: indeed, a temple famous throughout Greece was founded in Delos in honor of Apollo, one of her children.

Artemis of Versailles.
Circle of Liochara.
Roman copy

Artemis's wish. They say that when Artemis was three years old, she sat on the lap of Zeus and he asked her what gift she would like to receive. Artemis answered him: “Promise to give me eternal virginity, as many names as my brother, a bow and arrow, the duty of bringing light, sixty Oceanids to form my retinue, twenty nymphs who will feed my hunting dogs when I am not on the hunt, and all the mountains in the world; and also give me the city you wish, so that I can be honored in it above all the gods.”

Zeus fulfilled everything according to her wishes. Artemis became the third and last maiden goddess on Olympus. She had no less names than her brother, and perhaps more. She was called “Hunter”, “Arrow-loving”, “Gold-shooting”, there was even Artemis Swamp! The Cyclopes made her a bow and arrows in the forge of Hephaestus, and she shot her first two arrows into the trees, the third into an animal, and the fourth into the city of wicked people who do not know justice.

Ephesus is the city of Artemis.

As for the cities in which she would be honored, here Zeus even exceeded his daughter’s request - not one city, but as many as thirty honored her, and in many more cities she had her share in the sacrifices.

But the main city of Artemis was the Asian city of Ephesus, located on the territory of modern Turkey. Artemis of Ephesus was one of the most famous goddesses in the entire Hellenic world, and a magnificent temple built of marble was dedicated to her. The inhabitants of Ephesus created it for more than a hundred years, and it was so beautiful that in ancient times the temple was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. It took a long time to build the temple, but it died in one night.

Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis.

One Ephesian named Herostratus, a man who did not stand out in any way, really wanted to become famous. To do this, one night he set fire to the temple of Artemis. Of course, he suffered a well-deserved punishment, and the townspeople even issued a decree that the memory of Herostratus should be consigned to oblivion. But the former magnificent temple could no longer be restored, and we still remember the name of Herostratus. “Herostratus glory” is the name given to the glory of a person who has become famous due to a bad deed.

Artemis is the patroness of wildlife. Having received the mountains from Zeus, Artemis became the patroness and mistress of not only them, but also all the animals that lived there. She hunts them, but she also makes sure that no one offends them needlessly; she helps the hunters, but she also takes care that the number of animals does not decrease and their offspring. But Artemis cares not only about them, but also about everything that lives on earth, grows in the forest and in the field: and about the herds livestock, both about people and plants. She causes the growth of herbs, flowers and trees, she blesses birth, wedding and marriage. Beautiful as a clear day, with a bow and quiver over her shoulders, she wanders cheerfully through the forests and fields. Artemis also has a favorite among animals - the fallow deer. Artemis took special care of her, and the doe was often depicted nearby.

Artemis loves more than just bows and arrows and hunting; The sounds of lyres, round dances, and the distant sounds of merry nymphs are also dear to her. In the evening, if the moon is clear in the sky, Artemis and the nymphs join hands and dance in the forest clearings until late at night. And sometimes Artemis and her friends climb along sacred paths to the top of Mount Parnassus, where Apollo loves to be. Often, tired from hunting, she, putting aside her hunting weapon, listens to her brother playing the cithara. They are never at odds with Apollo, treat each other with kindred tenderness, and both passionately love their mother, Leto, not forgiving her insults to anyone. Together they punished the wild giant Tityus, who treated her roughly, and together they punished the arrogant Niobe.

Proud Niobe. Niobe was the queen of the city of Thebes and had seven sons and seven daughters, beautiful as young gods. When one day the Theban women were about to make rich sacrifices to Leto, Niobe saw them and exclaimed: “You are foolish, foolish, O Theban women! You offer sacrifices to this goddess, but why don't you and I give divine honors? After all, I am not inferior to her in beauty, and I have many more children than she does!”

Summer heard such impudent and arrogant speeches and was saddened; She didn’t want to complain to anyone about her insult, but Apollo and Artemis noticed her mother’s grief. They asked for a long time about the cause of the disorder, and finally Summer told them everything as it happened. She wept bitterly from resentment, and rage flared up in the hearts of her children. Loudly shaking the arrows in their quivers, the formidable gods rushed to Thebes to look for the offender.

Death of Niobe's sons. Just at this time, Theban youths competed in agility in a field outside the city. Here are the two sons of Niobe rushing on hot horses, they are far ahead of their rivals, purple cloaks fluttering behind their shoulders. But the string of Apollo's bow rang - and they fell from their horses to damp earth, struck down by golden arrows. Then two more found death: they fought with each other, their bodies were closely intertwined, and Apollo pierced both with one arrow. One by one, Niobe's sons die. The youngest of them begged for mercy, Apollo took pity on him, but did not have time to hold back the deadly arrow: it struck him right in the heart last son Niobe.

Death of Niobe's daughters. The news of the death of her sons reached Niobe. She rushed with her daughters into the field, saw the lifeless bodies and burst into tears. Her heart is torn with grief, but she does not humble herself, she again challenges the immortal goddess: “Rejoice, cruel Summer! You deprived me of half of my children! But even now I’m happier than you, I still have more children than you!” As soon as Niobe fell silent, the ringing of the bowstring was heard again: Artemis shot a formidable arrow. Niobe's daughters stood in mournful silence around their lifeless brothers. And suddenly, without even screaming, one of them fell, then the second, the third... Artemis shot six arrows, leaving Niobe with only one daughter, the youngest. The unfortunate Niobe tries to hide her in the folds of her clothes, she prays to Summer: “You have defeated me, goddess! Leave me at least one daughter! Spare her, oh great summer! But belated prayers are in vain; the poor girl is struck down by Artemis’ arrow right in her mother’s arms.

Niobe's Eternal Tears. Having learned about terrible events, the Theban king, Niobe's husband, stabbed himself with a sword. Niobe stood mournfully over the bodies of the children: she had lost everyone she valued in life. She was numb with grief. The wind doesn’t sway or flutter her hair, her eyes don’t glow with life, nothing touches her anymore. Only frequent large tears fall from her eyes to the ground, one drop after another. The grieving Niobe stood there for a long time, and finally the gods took pity on her: they turned her into stone. And then a gust of wind came and carried the rock to the homeland of the unfortunate queen, to the country of Lydia. And so, ever since then, a rock resembling a man has stood there, and drops of water ooze from it: these are Niobe’s eternal tears falling to the ground.

Artemis and people.

Just from the way Artemis dealt with Niobe’s daughters, it is clear that this goddess is not to be trifled with. Indeed, in case of disrespect towards her, she knew no mercy, and myths are full of stories about cruel punishments, which, sometimes deservedly, but sometimes not, people have endured. For example, she, being a virgin, did not tolerate her companions getting married and having children.

Nymph Callisto. One day Zeus fell in love with one of the nymphs, Callisto. When time passed and Artemis noticed that Callisto was expecting a child, the son of Zeus, she was beside herself with rage. For such a violation, the nymph was banished to the mountains. But when her son was born, named Arkad, Artemis became even more angry and turned Callisto into a bear. Many years later. Arkad grew up and became a famous hunter. One day in the forest he met a bear and was ready to deal her a fatal blow, not knowing that it was his mother in front of him. However, Zeus could not allow the death of his beloved and matricide. He immediately lifted Arkadas and Callisto into the sky and turned them into the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

Actaeon. Artemis also treated the hunter Actaeon cruelly. One day, while hunting in the forest, he accidentally wandered into the place where Artemis was bathing. The goddess was angry: Actaeon saw something that no one should see, neither gods nor people - so let him not be able to tell anyone about it! And the unfortunate hunter was immediately turned into a deer. Meanwhile, a hunt was going on in the forest. Actaeon's comrades with dogs drove away the forest animals; Among their dogs was Actaeon's pack of dogs, the best, the fastest and the most vicious. A deer flashed ahead - and immediately all the dogs rushed after it. Ahead of everyone, of course, raced the dogs of Actaeon. So they caught up with the deer, surrounded it, grabbed onto it, and tore it to pieces. Hunters surround the defeated beast, they are surprised at its size and beauty, they regret that Actaeon has disappeared somewhere and does not see what kind of beast his dogs drove into. And no one notices that completely human tears flow from the eyes of the dying beast. This is how this hunter died for his accidental sin.

Artemis can be merciful. However, if Artemis is treated with respect, she can change her anger to mercy. For example, at the request of Apollo, she pardoned King Admetus and his wife Alcesta, who forgot to make expiatory sacrifices to her when they married, and from Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek army in the Trojan War, she only sought submission, and when he agreed to sacrifice her her daughter (how it happened is described further), she did not allow the girl to die.

Original taken from fruehlingsmond to Artemis
Artemis (ancient Greek Ἄρτεμις, Mycenaean a-ti-mi-te), in Greek mythology the goddess of the hunt. The etymology of the word "Artemis" has not yet been clarified. Some researchers believed that the name of the goddess is translated from Greek language meant “bear goddess,” others meant “mistress” or “killer.” In Roman mythology, Artemis corresponds to Diana. Daughter of Zeus and the goddess Leto, twin sister of Apollo, granddaughter of the titans Kay and Phoebe. Born on the island of Delos. As soon as she was born, she helps her mother accept Apollo, who was born after her.

About her veneration by the Greeks already in the 2nd millennium BC. evidenced by the name “Artemis” on one of the Knossos clay tablets and data about the Asia Minor goddess Artemis of Ephesus, characterizing her as the mistress of nature, the mistress of animals and the leader of the Amazons. In Sparta there was a cult of Artemis-Orthia, dating back to the Cretan-Mycenaean culture. Sanctuaries of Artemis Limnatis (“marsh”) were often located near springs and swamps, symbolizing the fertility of the plant deity. In the Olympian religion of Homer, she is a huntress and goddess of death, who retained from her Asia Minor predecessor her commitment to the Trojans and the function of the patroness of women in childbirth. Artemis spends time in the forests and mountains, hunting, surrounded by nymphs - her companions and who, like the goddess, loved to hunt. She is armed with a bow, wears short clothes, and is accompanied by a pack of dogs and her favorite doe. Tired of hunting, she rushes to her brother Apollo in Delphi and dances there with nymphs and muses. In the round dance she is the most beautiful of all and taller than everyone else by a whole head.

Artemis the hunter. Ancient mosaic

Her servants were 60 Oceanids and 20 Amnisian nymphs (Callimachus. Hymns III 13-15). She received 12 dogs as a gift from Pan (Callimachus. Hymns III 87-97). According to Callimachus, when hunting hares, he rejoices at the sight of hare blood (Hygin. Astronomy II 33, 1).

Bathing goddess of the hunt Artemis surrounded by nymphs

Artemis loved not only hunting, but also solitude, cool grottoes entwined with greenery, and woe to the mortal who disturbed her peace. The young hunter Actaeon was turned into a deer just because he dared to look at the beautiful Artemis. Tired of hunting, she rushes to her brother Apollo in Delphi and there dances with nymphs and muses. In the round dance she is the most beautiful of all and taller than everyone else by a whole head. As the sister of the god of light she is often identified with moonlight and with the goddess Selene. The famous temple in Ephesus was built in her honor. People came to this temple to receive a blessing from Artemis for happy marriage and the birth of a child. It was also believed that it caused the growth of herbs, flowers and trees.

Diana, Hermitage

Homer dedicated a hymn to Artemis:

My song to the gold-shooter and noise-loving
Artemis, worthy Virgin, chasing deer, loving arrows,
The half-sister of the golden-leaved Phoebus the Lord.
Amusing herself with hunting, she is on the peaks open to the wind,
And on the shady spurs he strains his all-gold bow,
Sending wailing arrows at the animals. They tremble in fear
Chapters high mountains. Dense thickets are cramped
They groan terribly from the roar of animals. The land is shaking
And a sea of ​​many fish. She's the one with the fearless heart
The tribe of animals beats, turning here and there.
After the maiden huntress has satisfied her heart,
She finally loosens her beautifully bent bow
And goes to the house of the great dear brother
Phoebus, the far-reaching king, in the rich region of Delphi...

German artist Crane. Diana, 1881

Artemis of Ephesus. Capitoline Museum

It has a lot in common with the Amazons, who are credited with founding the oldest and most famous temple of Artemis in Ephesus in Asia Minor (and the city of Ephesus itself). People came to this temple to receive blessings from Artemis for a happy marriage and the birth of a child. The cult of Artemis was widespread everywhere, but her temple in Ephesus in Asia Minor was especially famous, where the image of Artemis “many-breasted” was revered. The Temple of Ephesus, where the famous multi-breasted statue of the patron goddess of childbirth was located. The first temple of Artemis burned in 356 BC. e., wanting to “become famous”, Herostratus. The second temple built in its place was one of the seven wonders of the world.

Type and attributes of the goddess Artemis. - Diana the huntress. - Punishment of Actaeon. - Nymphs of Artemis. - Goddess Artemis and nymph Callisto. - Type of Artemis of Ephesus. - Amazons.

Type and attributes of Artemis

Sister of the god Apollo - goddess Artemis in ancient Greek, or Diana in Latin, - was born at the same time as her brother. Apollo and Artemis were united by the closest friendship, and the ancient Greeks in their myths give them the same qualities and virtues. Even the facial features of Apollo and Artemis are similar, only in Artemis they are more feminine and rounded.

Artemis (Diana) - goddess of the hunt. Features Artemis - quiver, golden bow and torch. A deer and a dog are dedicated to Artemis.

On most ancient statues, the hair of Artemis (Diana) is tied into one knot at the back of the head, in the manner of Doric hairstyles. In archaic ancient Greek statues, the goddess Artemis appears dressed in long robes. In the era of the highest development of Hellenic art, Artemis is depicted covered with a short Doric shirt.

Most often in paintings, Artemis (Diana) is presented accompanied by her nymphs, scouring the forests in search of fleet-footed deer, or on a chariot, driven by chamois and deer.

Many coins have survived depicting the head of the goddess Artemis and her attributes.

One ancient Greek hymn praising Artemis (Diana) says that Artemis, as a child, asked her father Zeus to allow her to remain an eternal virgin, to give her a quiver and arrows and light short clothes that would not interfere with her running through the forests and mountains. Artemis also asked for sixty young nymphs, her constant hunting companions, and twenty others who would take care of Artemis’s shoes and dogs.

She does not want to own cities; Artemis is completely satisfied with one, because she will rarely stay in cities, preferring mountains and forests. But as soon as women expecting a child in the cities call on Artemis (Diana), Artemis will immediately rush to their aid, because the goddesses Moira () obliged Artemis to help these women because all the goddesses tried to help her mother Latona, when Latona the wrath of Hera (Juno) fell.

Diana the Huntress

The goddess Artemis (Diana), like the god Apollo, has many names: her name is Diana the Huntress, when she is, in the words of the Roman poet Catullus, “mistress of forests, mountains and rivers.”

The best statue of Diana the Huntress is considered to be the one in the Louvre; it is known as "Diana with a Hind", an addition to the famous statue of Apollo Belvedere. There are many repetitions of this statue, but the best of them is the one in the Louvre.

Modern sculptors also often depicted Diana the huntress, but sometimes, contrary to Greek traditions, they represented her naked, for example, the famous Houdon. Jean Goujon gave his Diana a 16th-century hairstyle and facial features famous favorite Diane de Poitiers.

Diana is called Diana of Arkadskaya when she bathes and frolics with her nymphs in the rivers and springs dedicated to her, and Diana Lutsina, or Ilithyia, when she helps with the birth of children.

IN ancient art the goddess Diana was never depicted naked, because, according to ancient myths, when the goddess Diana bathed, a mere mortal could not look at her with impunity; the myth of Actaeon confirms this.

Actaeon's Punishment

In one of the shady and cool valleys, dedicated to the goddess Artemis (Diana), a stream flowed between the banks covered with luxurious vegetation; tired from hunting and oppressive heat the goddess loved to bathe in clear water this stream.

One day the hunter Actaeon, by the will evil rock, approached this place precisely at the time when Artemis (Diana) and her nymphs were happily frolicking and splashing in the water. Seeing that a mortal was looking at them, the nymphs, emitting cries of horror, hurried to the goddess, trying to hide Artemis from immodest glances, but in vain: Artemis was a whole head taller than her companions.

The angry goddess splashed water on the head of the unfortunate hunter and said: “Go now and, if you can, boast that you saw Diana bathing.” Immediately branched horns grew on Actaeon's head, his ears and neck lengthened, and his arms turned into thin legs, the whole body was covered with hair. Overcome with horror, Actaeon runs and falls exhausted on the river bank. Actaeon sees in her the reflection of the deer into which he has turned, and wants to run further, but his own dogs rush at him and tear him to shreds.

In art, Actaeon was never depicted as a stag, but only with small antlers, indicating that the transformation into a stag had begun. Many painters used this mythological plot for their paintings: for example, eighty-year-old Titian painted his famous painting “Diana and Actaeon” for Philip II.

Filippo Lori, Pelenburg, Albano painted several paintings on the same theme. The French artist Lezuer painted the painting “Diana Caught in the Water” by Actaeon, which is very famous from reproductions. He took the moment when the frightened nymphs are trying to hide Diana, Actaeon stands on the bank of the stream, as if struck by the sight of such beauty.

The bathing of Diana and her nymphs served as a plot for many works of art ancient and new art. Rubens painted several paintings, Pelenburg seemed to choose this topic as his specialty, and Domenichino painted a very famous painting, which is now in the Villa Borghese in Rome.

Nymphs of Artemis

Goddess Artemis and nymph Callisto

The nymphs, companions of the goddess Artemis (Diana), are all doomed to remain virgins, and Artemis strictly monitors their morality. Having once noticed that the nymph Callisto did not keep her vow, Artemis mercilessly expels her.

A beautiful painting by Titian depicts the moment when the nymphs try to hide their friend from the angry gaze of the goddess.

Many artists of the Renaissance, including Rubens, Albano, Lezuer, interpreted the same mythological plot.

Jealous Hera (Juno), suspecting that Callisto enjoyed the favor of Zeus (Jupiter), turned Callisto into a bear, hoping that she would not escape from the arrows of the hunters, but Zeus, feeling sorry for Callisto, turned her into the constellation known as Ursa Major .

Type of Artemis of Ephesus

The cult of the goddess known as Artemis of Ephesus is of Asian origin. The goddess Artemis of Ephesus has nothing in common with the sister of Apollo.

According to mythology, the warlike Amazons erected a majestic temple in the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. The Amazons established there the cult of this goddess, personifying the fertility of the earth.

In the temple of Artemis of Ephesus there was a statue of the goddess, reminiscent of a mummy in appearance; the bull heads with which Artemis of Ephesus is all covered are symbols of agriculture. In the hilt, a bee was dedicated to the goddess Artemis.

Amazons

The Amazons, who built the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus, played a large role in Greek myths.

The Amazons were a tribe of very warlike women, they were obliged to serve military service and made a vow to remain virgins for a certain time. When this period ended, the Amazons got married in order to have children. They occupied all public positions and performed all public duties.

Amazon husbands spent their lives at home, performing household duties and nannying children.

Ancient Greek sculptors, wanting to immortalize the Amazons and preserve their memory in posterity, organized a kind of competition with an award for the best Amazon statue. The highest award went to the statue of Polykleitos, and the second to Phidias.

On statues, Amazons are depicted mostly with bare arms and legs, wearing short clothes that expose one side of the chest.

Sometimes, however, Amazons were depicted in Phrygian caps and trousers; In this form, images of Amazons are found on the sarcophagi of heroes and on some painted antique vases.

The painting "Battle of the Amazons" by Rubens, located in the Munich Pinakothek, is considered one of best works this great Flemish master.

The Amazons appear in all the heroic and national myths of the Greeks. IN last time they are mentioned in the Trojan War.

Hercules is the first hero to defeat the Amazons. A painted vase has been preserved, depicting the battle of the Amazons with the Greeks and the conqueror of the Amazons, Hercules, accompanied by the goddess Athena, Apollo and Artemis, the patroness of the Amazons.

ZAUMNIK.RU, Egor A. Polikarpov - scientific editing, scientific proofreading, design, selection of illustrations, additions, explanations, translations from Latin and ancient Greek; all rights reserved.