Artemis is a revered goddess in Greek mythology. She is often considered Zeus and Leto’s daughter and celebrated for her love of hunting virgins and virgin huntresses.
Hera punished Leto for becoming pregnant by Zeus by ordering that all connected lands not provide shelter to her during labor. As a result, Leto searched for somewhere safe to give birth until eventually finding Delos as the birthing location.
Apollo
Apollo was an ancient Greek god associated with music, healing, archery, and prophecy. As one of the Twelve Olympians, he represented both sun and day, symbolizing beauty and perfect order as expressed in nature; he would often appear wearing a lyre and carrying a bow adorned with symbols such as his monogram on its emblems; he often took the form of an attractive youth wearing one and carrying another as depicted below.
Artemis was Apollo’s twin sister and the goddess of hunting and the moon. Artemis often appeared alongside Apollo as his companion and rival as one of their divine archers.
Ancients believed Apollo was a god of music, healing, arrows, and light and their protector. Additionally, they thought he could use his hands to heal illness or injuries through rituals performed at the Greek Olympian Games and ceremonies performed to invoke his power.
Apollo was immortal, yet he still needed to take precautions not to overindulge in ambrosia – the food of the gods – which caused him to age quickly as an adult. Milk was necessary to prevent further rapid aging. Furthermore, Apollo was known as an excellent hunter and musician, often seen playing the lyre with stringed chords.
As a young child, Zeus killed the monsters Python and Tityos that terrorized Leto when searching for a place to give birth – to avenge Hera who was furious with Zeus for cheating on her.
Apollo had many strengths, yet one major weakness was love. He fell madly in love with every beautiful nymph, woman, and goddess he encountered, but most did not reciprocate his affections, leading to many heartbreaks for himself and those close to him. One such lover was Daphne, an eternal virgin whom Apollo pursued until she asked Peneus to change into a laurel tree instead – an act which still pays homage to Daphne – that eventually became one. Apollo would wear a laurel wreath in her memory on special occasions!
Artemis
She is the goddess of hunting, animals, nature, childbirth, innocence, childrearing, and music. The daughter of Zeus and Leto often appears pictured as a virgin hunting animals with a bow and arrows, depicted with hunting dogs at her side. Known as a sexual predator in Greek mythology and known for protecting flocks ruthlessly when necessary (her Dark-Hunters were her protectors), as the god of wilderness, she will often assume animal-like forms for her adventures!
Artemis was Apollo’s twin sister and daughter of Leto and Zeus. As the divine huntress of Greek mythology, Artemis is typically depicted with a bow, arrows, and hunting dogs; together, she and Apollo are divine archers representing two sides of life – wild aspects versus civilized aspects, sun versus moon.
Apollo and Artemis shared a highly close brother-sister bond. While their personalities may have differed greatly, they coexisted harmoniously despite this. Artemis represented hunting and nature, while Apollo represented music and poetry.
Artemis first assisted her mother, Leto, during childbirth for Apollo; Hera became angered and prohibited her from further helping other pregnant women give birth. Yet Artemis quickly developed midwifery skills and went on to assist many pregnant women.
Artemis was a mighty goddess who symbolized femininity. Her attributes include a bow and arrows, representing her love of archery and hunting dogs as her pack. Artemis was a beautiful and athletic goddess with small hips and an agile body; her long locks hung loose around her shoulders. Often dressed in white with a cloak or cape. Artemis protected the wilderness while remaining a seductive and mysterious goddess.
Leto
Leto was the daughter of Titans Coeus (Intelligence) and Phoebe (Moon). She is best known as mother to Apollo and Artemis – the two deities associated with hunting and archery, respectively – while she served as goddess of childbirth and midwifery. Leto often appeared with Artemis as twin figures representing nature; some Greek myths held that Artemis was older by two minutes than her.
Leto becomes pregnant due to her affair with Zeus, and after his jealous wife Hera finds out, Hera forbids her from giving birth anywhere under the sun – forcing Leto to travel the globe searching for an appropriate place when Ares or Python attempt to hunt down and destroy Leto before finally giving birth on Delos Island.
Leto was an outlier among Olympian gods and goddesses, defying expectations by standing against all odds even when all hope seemed lost and refusing to give in or surrender when others did so. She stood firm even when all seemed lost; no need for Olympus or cities for her power or control!
Leto was not only a maternal figure; she was also a powerful woman who wouldn’t back down from any fight, possessing a vicious temper and refusing to accept abuse from others – as evidenced in her transformation of Lycian peasants into frogs after they prevented her newborn babies from drinking from a fountain due to its contamination with mud.
Leto is the main Titan goddess associated with Apollo in Greek culture and patron of childbirth. A loving mother figure and protector of nature alike, Leto takes excellent delight in caring for her offspring and nature in general – but is fiercely protective of those closest to her, such as family and friends, and will strike out at anyone attempting to harm or insult them.
Hera
Hera was famous for her jealousy and vindictiveness – traits amplified by Zeus’ many extramarital affairs. After discovering Leto was pregnant with twins, Hera cursed her inability to have children of her own, yet still, she gave birth to Artemis and Apollo, whom Hera fiercely protected.
Hera was the goddess of hunting, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, virginity protection and marriage among other matters. Additionally, she served as queen of the gods. Born of Kronos and Rhea, Hera was her brother’s half sister alongside Hephaestus (fire/metalworking god), as well as Zeus himself – two influential figures revered Hera greatly.
Hera was often depicted in mythological tales with an archaic bird representing her, such as a cuckoo or peacock, which may refer to how Zeus lured Hera away from being virginal by impersonating a cuckoo and tricking her into marrying him; her mother Gaia later presented Hera with two golden apples symbolic of immortality as wedding presents from Zeus.
Hera, as Queen of the Gods, was respected and revered among Greek heroes for her strength and ferocity as the Queen of Heaven. Hera played an influential role in some of Hercules’ arduous deeds and stood as their advocate after Paris chose Aphrodite as the fairest among her rivals, protecting the Trojan war heroes by defending Hera instead.
Hera was revered as a protector of children and those suffering illness or injury, such as Io, who was saved from Kronos being swallowed as she gave birth by turning into a cow to distract him! Additionally, Hera was said to be behind some of the fierce monsters Hercules faced down, such as Nemea’s terrorizing Lion and Ladon dragon who guarded her sacred apple trees, a gift from Artemis herself.
Hera took revenge against Zeus’s Arcadian lover Callisto by turning him into a bear and hunting him down with Artemis or her son, either alone or assisted by Artemis. Additionally, Hera inflicted madness upon another of Zeus’s lovers: wine god Dionysus. Additionally, Hera used an arrow from her magical bow to kill Python, an enormous serpent that protected the Delphi oracle.
