Artemis (Roman Diana)

The Greek goddess of unmarried women and hunting. Twin sister of Apollo. She is first shown as a Mistress of Animals, sometimes winged; later as a huntress with dogs and female attendants. Her weapon is the bow. She fights beside her brother on various occasions: killing Niobe and her children, and against Herakles over Apollo's tripod. She kills Aktaion who claimed to be a better hunter, or because he saw her bathing naked. She turned him into a stag which was then set upon by his dogs. At Ephesus she was worshipped as a multi-breasted idol (Diana of the Ephesians).

Above left: Artemis and Arktaion. Detail from an Athenian red-figure clay vase, about 480 BC. Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 10.185. © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Licence Plate 11 UK 1007 118

Above middle: Detail from an Athenian red-figure white-ground clay vase, about 500-450 BC. St. Petersburg B2365 © State Hermitage Museum

Above right: Marble statue of Artemis. Selçuk, Ephesus Museum © Ephesus Museum, Selçuk