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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Roman Collector, post: 3115380, member: 75937&quot;]Artemis (Roman <i>Diana</i>) was a daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Leto and the twin-sister of Apollo. Her mother was hounded by Zeus&#039; jealous wife Hera throughout her pregnancy and was forced to wander the world in search of safe refuge, which she finally found on the Island of Delos.</p><p><br /></p><p>Artemis was born before her twin brother and, being a precocious divine child, she assisted her mother with Apollo&#039;s birth. She became therefore a goddess of childbirth, and the protectress of girls up to the age of marriage (her twin brother Apollo was similarly the protector of boys). Together the two gods were also bringers of sudden death and disease--Artemis targeted women and girls, Apollo men and boys. But her role as goddess of childbirth is a subject for a future thread.</p><p><br /></p><p>Artemis became identified with Selene (Roman <i>Luna</i>), the moon. As the goddess of the moon, she wears a long robe which reaches down to her feet, a veil covers her head, and above her forehead or on her shoulders she bears the crescent of the moon. In her hand she often appears holding a torch, as on many Roman imperial coins depicting her as <i>Diana Lucifera</i>. But her role as moon goddess is a subject for a future thread.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have already written of her as <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/artemis-tauropolis.309696/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/artemis-tauropolis.309696/"><i>Artemis Tauropolos</i></a> and of the <i><a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/cult-statue-of-artemis-in-neapolis-samaria.289132/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/cult-statue-of-artemis-in-neapolis-samaria.289132/">Ephesian Artemis</a></i>, who was different in many respects from the Greek goddess of the same name.</p><p><br /></p><p>Today, however, I write about Artemis as the goddess of hunting, the wilderness and wild animals. Post your Artemis coins!</p><p><br /></p><p>As the huntress, she is depicted in ancient art as tall, nimble, and with small hips; her forehead is high, her eyes glancing freely about, and her hair tied up behind in such a manner, that some locks float down her neck; her breast is covered, and the legs up to the knees are naked, the rest being covered by the chlamys. Her attributes are the bow, quiver, and arrows, or a spear, stags, and dogs.</p><p><br /></p><p><i><a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=HH+27+1&amp;fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0137" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=HH+27+1&amp;fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0137" rel="nofollow">Homeric Hymn 27 to Artemis</a></i> (Hugh G. Evelyn-White, ed.) well summarizes her in this role:</p><p><br /></p><p>Ἄρτεμιν ἀείδω χρυσηλάκατον, κελαδεινήν,</p><p>παρθένον αἰδοίην, ἐλαφηβόλον, ἰοχέαιραν,</p><p>αὐτοκασιγνήτην χρυσαόρου Ἀπόλλωνος,</p><p>ἣ κατ᾽ ὄρη σκιόεντα καὶ ἄκριας ἠνεμοέσσας</p><p>ἄγρῃ τερπομένη παγχρύσεα τόξα τιταίνει</p><p>πέμπουσα στονόεντα βέλη: τρομέει δὲ κάρηνα</p><p>ὑψηλῶν ὀρέων, ἰάχει δ᾽ ἔπι δάσκιος ὕλη</p><p>δεινὸν ὑπὸ κλαγγῆς θηρῶν, φρίσσει δέ τε γαῖα</p><p>πόντος τ᾽ ἰχθυόεις: ἣ δ᾽ ἄλκιμον ἦτορ ἔχουσα</p><p>πάντη ἐπιστρέφεται θηρῶν ὀλέκουσα γενέθλην.</p><p>αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν τερφθῇ θηροσκόπος ἰοχέαιρα,</p><p>εὐφρήνῃ δὲ νόον, χαλάσασ᾽ εὐκαμπέα τόξα</p><p>ἔρχεται ἐς μέγα δῶμα κασιγνήτοιο φίλοιο,</p><p>Φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος, Δελφῶν ἐς πίονα δῆμον,</p><p>Μουσῶν καὶ Χαρίτων καλὸν χορὸν ἀρτυνέουσα.</p><p>ἔνθα κατακρεμάσασα παλίντονα τόξα καὶ ἰοὺς</p><p>ἡγεῖται χαρίεντα περὶ χροῒ κόσμον ἔχουσα,</p><p>ἐξάρχουσα χορούς: αἳ δ᾽ ἀμβροσίην ὄπ᾽ ἰεῖσαι</p><p>ὑμνεῦσιν Λητὼ καλλίσφυρον, ὡς τέκε παῖδας</p><p>ἀθανάτων βουλῇ τε καὶ ἔργμασιν ἔξοχ᾽ ἀρίστους.</p><p>χαίρετε, τέκνα Διὸς καὶ Λητοῦς ἠυκόμοιο:</p><p>αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ὑμέων τε καὶ ἄλλης μνήσομ᾽ ἀοιδῆς.</p><p><br /></p><p>I sing of Artemis, with arrows of gold, strong-voiced,</p><p>the revered virgin, the deer-shooter, who delights in arrows,</p><p>own sister to Apollo of the golden sword,</p><p>who, over the shady hills and windy peaks,</p><p>draws her golden bow, rejoicing in the chase,</p><p>and sends out grievous shafts. The mountain tops</p><p>tremble and the tangled wood echoes dreadfully</p><p>with the outcry of beasts: the earth quakes</p><p>and the sea also where fishes shoal.</p><p>But the goddess with a bold heart turns every way</p><p>destroying the race of wild beasts,</p><p>and when she is satisfied and has cheered her heart,</p><p>then the huntress who delights in arrows</p><p>slackens her supple bow</p><p>and goes to the great house of her dear brother,</p><p>Phoebus Apollo, to the rich land of Delphoi,</p><p>to direct the lovely dance of the Muses and the Graces.</p><p>There she hangs up her curved bow and her arrows,</p><p>and leads the dances, gracefully arrayed,</p><p>while they all sing with heavenly voice</p><p>how neat-ankled Leto bore children</p><p>supreme among the immortals both in thought and deed.</p><p>Hail to you, children of Zeus and rich-haired Leto!</p><p>And now I will remember you and another song also.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]791401[/ATTACH]</p><p>Artemis standing right, holding bow, drawing arrow from quiver, hound at her side. Roman provincial bronze (25.1 mm, 8.88 g) of Faustina II from Augusta Traiana in Thrace (Moushmov 2982; similar to Sear GIC 1729 &amp; BMC 3.177.1 (Artemis running left)).</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]791402[/ATTACH]</p><p>Artemis standing left, holding patera and bow, quiver over her shoulder; stag at side. Roman provincial bronze (24.2 mm, 9.53 g) of Gordian III from Hadrianopolis in Thrace (BMC 30; Moushmov 2685; Varbanov 3888; Jurukova 476).</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]791403[/ATTACH]</p><p>Artemis standing right, holding arrow and torch; stag at her feet. Roman provincial bronze (23.5 mm, 6.89 g) of Otacilia Severa from Bizya in Thrace (Moushmov 3514; Sear GIC 3991; Varbanov 1592; Lindgren I 759; Youroukova 148).[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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