Artemis

Also known as: Cretan huntress / Dian / Diana / Our Artemis · Family: Gods · Role: goddess · First appears: Aeschylus, The Seven Who Fought Against Thebes — Scene 1

Artemis, daughter of Leto and Zeus, is named among the siblings of Athena and Apollo. In The Seven Who Fought Against Thebes, she is invoked as a guardian of Polyphontes, while in Aias she is associated with Aias’ disastrous slaughter of the army’s herd. The Bacchæ recalls her rivalry with Actaeon, who was torn apart after boasting that he surpassed Diana in the chase.

In Hippolytus, Hippolytus rejects Aphrodite and marriage while honoring Artemis above every other deity. After Theseus, persuaded by Phaedra’s accusation, unjustly kills Hippolytus, Artemis tells him, “Theseus, wherefore dost thou, wretched man, take delight in these things, seeing that thou hast slain in no just way thy son,” and grants Hippolytus lasting honors among the virgins of Trœzene. She also commands Theseus to listen and urges Hippolytus not to remain at enmity with his father.

At Aulis, Calchas declares that Iphigenia must be sacrificed to Artemis so the Greek army can sail against Troy, and Agamemnon prepares the rites. When Iphigenia offers herself, Artemis replaces her with a stag, makes her vanish from the altar, grants the Greeks a prosperous voyage, and carries her to Tauris, where she installs her as priestess. Iphigenia later performs the sacrificial duty given by the goddess, who is also invoked as the Cretan huntress, Dian, and Diana.