The Greek Goddess Artemis

Artemis, the greek goddess of chastity, virginity, childbirth, wilderness, hunt, the moon, and the natural environment. Daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of the god Apollo. Artemis was born on the island of Ortygia also known as Delos, where Leto had found shelter to give birth to her twins after being hunted down by Zeus angry wife Hera. Artemis was protector of hunt and nature, both wild and tame animals were under her protection. She also protected agriculture and anything related to wilderness.

The day of her birth began with plenty complications, to start with her mother could not deliver her and her twin brother Apollo on solid ground (or where the sunshines in other words). Her mother Leto eventually made it to Ortygia, she suffered in strong pain for nine days before she had Artemis. After her own birth Artemis then took place of the goddess of childbirth ( Eilithyia) and acted as midwife and brought her brother Apollo to the world. For that reason she was declared as the new goddess of childbirth taking Elilithyia place.

Eilithyia was the daughter of Hera and Zeus, for that reason her mother had banned her from helping Leto deliver her children because she was angried Leto had seduced her husband and was impregnated. At the very young age of three years, Artemis, sat on her father’s knees and asked him to grant her 6 wishes; to stay virgin; to have plenty of names to set her away from her brother Apollo; to be the Phaesporia or light bringer; to own a bow and arrow and also a knee-length tunic to hunt; to have sixty daughter of Okeanos, all nine years of age to her her choir; and for Amnisides nymphs as her handmaidens to watch her bow and arrow while she rested; and for no city to be dedicated to her she just wanted to rule mountains to help women in labor and with pains of childbirth.

The Greek goddess Artemis served a very important role in Greek mythology, she stood for what she believed, and protected what she loved among the rural populace she was the favorite goddess. Artemis was very feminist and represented all the different aspects of a female. Some traits of Artemis are independent temperament; adventurous; athletic; well integrated; focused; and protective. Some of her symbols are bow, arrow, stags, hunting dog and moon. One of the scared animals Artemis has was deer. Artemis color were silver, white, red, green, and turquoise. Artemis went by many names, her roman name was Diana, but she was also called ; Agrotera the patron goddess of hunters, potnia theron the patron goddess of wild animals, Kourotrophos the nurse of youths, lochia goddess of childbirth and midwives, Cynthia names after her birthplace on mount Cynthus on delos.One of the myths according to that include Artemis is the saga of the goddess. It began when leto pregnant with Artemis and Apollo, they fled heaven, and landed on the island of ortygia in the form of quail. There she birthed Artemis, who assisted her mother with delivery of her twin brother Apollo. When the Aloadai gigantes attempted to storm heaven and take Artemis and Hera for wives, Artemis ran between them in the form of a deer, causing them to cast their spare and strike each other dead.

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