Artemis in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Artemis

46 passages from 10 ancient authors that tell of Artemis, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Zeus and Leto's daughter, twin of Apollo, Artemis ruled the hunt, moon, and wild places. Discover her birth, symbols, and myths of Actaeon and Callisto. For the story in one place, read our article on Artemis.

Apollodorus (9)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 1.4.1–5Leto, Apollo and Artemis; Python, Marsyas and OrionAsteria flees Zeus and becomes the island Delos, where the hunted Leto bears Artemis and then Apollo. Apollo takes over the oracle at Delphi by killing the snake Python, kills Tityus for assaulting Leto, and has Marsyas flayed after a musical contest. Artemis kills Orion on Delos, and two reasons are given, a challenge at quoits or violence against the Hyperborean maiden Opis; the section ends with Poseidon's children by Amphitrite.
Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.8.1–2Lycaon and his sons; Callisto and the birth of ArcasThe account returns to Pelasgus and his son Lycaon, whose fifty impious sons serve Zeus a child's flesh; Zeus overturns the table at Trapezus and blasts them, sparing only Nyctimus. In Nyctimus's reign comes the flood of Deucalion's day. Zeus seduces Callisto, a companion of Artemis, and she is turned into a bear and shot; her son Arcas is raised by Maia, and she becomes the constellation of the Bear.
Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome E.3.1–35Paris and Helen; the muster at Aulis and the landing at TroyParis judges the contest of the three goddesses, carries off Helen, and Menelaus and Agamemnon call the Greek kings to arms; Odysseus's feigned madness is exposed and Palamedes is framed. The section gives the catalogue of the Greek fleet at Aulis, the omen of the snake and sparrows, the failed first landing in Mysia and the healing of Telephus, and the sacrifice of Iphigenia. After Tenedos and the abandonment of Philoctetes, Protesilaus is the first to die at Troy, Achilles takes many nearby cities, and the Trojan allies are listed.
Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.5.1–9Dionysus, Pentheus, Niobe and OedipusDionysus roams Egypt, Syria and Thrace, where Lycurgus is punished, and returns to Thebes, where Agave tears her son Pentheus apart; he also turns the Tyrrhenian pirates into dolphins. Cadmus and Harmonia go to the Encheleans and become serpents, and the house of Labdacus continues through Laius, Antiope with Zethus and Amphion, and Niobe, whose children are shot by Apollo and Artemis. Laius, warned against fathering a son, exposes the infant Oedipus, who kills him unknowingly, answers the Sphinx's riddle, marries Jocasta and learns the truth.
Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 1.7.1–10Prometheus, Deucalion's flood and the family of HellenPrometheus moulds men from water and earth, steals fire for them and is nailed to Mount Caucasus, where an eagle eats his liver until Heracles frees him. His son Deucalion survives Zeus's flood in a chest with Pyrrha and makes new people from stones; their son Hellen gives the Greeks their name and divides the country among Dorus, Xuthus and Aeolus. The section then follows Aeolus's children: the Aloads Otus and Ephialtes who pile Ossa and Pelion on Olympus, Endymion, Aetolus, Evenus and Marpessa, and the house of Thestius.
Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 1.8.1–6Oeneus, Meleager and the Calydonian boarOeneus of Calydon is the first to receive a vine from Dionysus, and the Fates declare that his son Meleager will die when the brand on the hearth is burnt out, so Althaea hides it. When Oeneus forgets Artemis in his sacrifices she sends a boar, and a company of heroes is gathered; Atalanta wounds it first and Meleager kills it and gives her the hide. He kills his mother's brothers, the sons of Thestius, who took it from her, and Althaea burns the brand; a second version has him fall in a war against the Curetes. The section ends with Oeneus's later marriage, Tydeus (father of Diomedes) and the revenge of Diomedes on the sons of Agrius.
Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 2.5.1–6The Labours of Heracles (1-6): the Nemean Lion to the Stymphalian BirdsHeracles goes to Tiryns and serves Eurystheus, who sets him labours. He strangles the Nemean lion, kills the Lernaean hydra with Iolaus's help, takes the Cerynitian hind alive, and captures the Erymanthian boar after the fight with the centaurs at Pholus's cave, in which Chiron is wounded. He then cleans the stables of Augeas by diverting two rivers, and scares off the Stymphalian birds with Athena's castanets. Eurystheus refuses to count the hydra and the stables, because Iolaus helped and Augeas paid a wage.
Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.4.1–4Cadmus and the founding of ThebesAfter the death of Telephassa, Cadmus is told at Delphi to follow a cow and found a city where it lies down. He kills the dragon of Ares, sows its teeth to raise the Spartoi, serves Ares for a year, and marries Harmonia. Their daughters Autonoe, Ino, Semele and Agave are named; Semele is destroyed when she asks to see Zeus in his glory, Dionysus is born from Zeus's thigh, and Ino and Athamas rear him and are driven mad. The section ends with Actaeon, torn apart by his own dogs after seeing Artemis bathing.
Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome E.2.1–16Tantalus, Pelops and the house of AtreusThe Epitome describes the punishment of Tantalus in Hades, Pelops' revival after being boiled at the gods' banquet, and his winning of Hippodamia from Oenomaus with the help of the charioteer Myrtilus, whom he then drowns. It follows the sons of Pelops: Atreus and Thyestes quarrel over the kingdom of Mycenae because of the golden lamb, Atreus serves Thyestes his own sons, and Aegisthus, born to Thyestes by his daughter, kills Atreus. It ends with Agamemnon, Menelaus and the children of Agamemnon.

Aeschylus (2)

Aeschylus, Seven against Thebes 78–180Parodos: the Theban women in terrorThe Chorus of Theban women sing in terror of the sound of the approaching army, the clatter of the chariots and the dust, and call on the gods of the city for help. They pray to Athena, Poseidon, Ares, Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis and Hera and beg them to save Thebes from capture and slavery.
Aeschylus, Agamemnon 40–175Parodos (1): the army sails and the omen of the eaglesThe Chorus of old men of Argos recall that it is now the tenth year since Menelaus and Agamemnon sailed against Troy, and say that they are too old to fight and wait at home. They ask Clytaemestra why sacrifices are burning on every altar, then tell of the omen seen as the army set out, two eagles devouring a pregnant hare. They tell how the seer Calchas read it as the capture of Troy and warned that Artemis was angry, and they pray that she will not hold back the fleet with contrary winds.

Euripides (23)

Euripides, Hippolytus 1389–1415aExodos: the dying Hippolytus and ArtemisArtemis tells Hippolytus that his noble soul has been his ruin. He says that he can smell the fragrance of his goddess, and she tells him that it was Aphrodite who ruined him, Theseus and Phaedra. Theseus wishes that he had died for his son and that the prayer had never been uttered, and Hippolytus wishes that men could curse the gods.
Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis 1433–1531Exodos: Iphigenia bids her mother farewell and goes to the altarIphigenia asks her mother why she is silent, and tells her that the altar of the goddess will be her tomb and that she is not to mourn. She asks her mother not to hate Agamemnon and to rear Orestes, and then asks the Chorus to sing for her. She goes out to the altar, saying that she was reared to be a light to Hellas.
Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris 1–66Prologue: Iphigenia at Artemis' temple among the TauriansIphigenia tells the story of her house, from Pelops to Atreus, and how her father Agamemnon, to win a fair wind for Troy, brought her to Aulis to be sacrificed to Artemis, who put a deer in her place and carried her to the land of the Taurians. She is now the priestess of the goddess in a temple where Greek strangers are sacrificed, and she tells of a dream that has led her to think that her brother Orestes is dead.
Euripides, Hippolytus 1255–1324Exodos: Theseus hears the news and Artemis appearsTheseus says that his hatred of his son made him glad of the news, yet feels neither joy nor sorrow at his sufferings, and orders his servants to bring him home. The Chorus sings that Aphrodite rules the hearts of gods and men, and that her power is supreme, and then the goddess Artemis appears. She tells Theseus that he has slain his son on a false charge, explains Phaedra's passion and the lying letter, and says that he misused one of Poseidon's three promised wishes.
Euripides, Hippolytus 1–57Prologue: Aphrodite announces her revenge on HippolytusThe goddess Aphrodite, here called Cypris, says that she rewards those who honour her and punishes the proud, and that Hippolytus, the son of Theseus and the Amazon, scorns her and honours only Artemis. She tells how Phaedra, seeing him, was struck with love for him, and that she herself will bring about the destruction of Hippolytus, and that Phaedra too must die, for her honour. She sees Hippolytus coming from the hunt and goes.
Euripides, Hippolytus 58–120Prologue: Hippolytus honours Artemis and rejects AphroditeHippolytus enters with his hunting companions, singing to Artemis, and offers her a wreath from an unmown meadow, saying that only the pure may gather its flowers. An old servant asks him to honour also the statue of Aphrodite at the gate, and Hippolytus replies that he has no regard for a goddess who is worshipped at night, and goes in. The servant prays to Aphrodite to forgive the young man's pride.
Euripides, Hippolytus 1416–1466Exodos: Hippolytus forgives his father and diesArtemis tells Hippolytus that the wrath of Aphrodite will not fall on him unrequited, since she will punish one of the goddess's favourites herself, and that unwed maidens will cut off their hair for him and that the virgin choir will hymn his memory for ever. She tells Theseus to hold his son in his arms, and leaves, and Hippolytus forgives his father and dies. The Chorus says that the whole city is sorrowing.
Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis 1532–1629Exodos: the messenger reports the sacrifice and the substituted deerA messenger calls Clytemnestra out of the tent to hear a strange and marvellous story about her child. He tells how Iphigenia was led to the grove of Artemis and offered herself bravely, how Calchas laid his sword in the golden basket and Achilles ran round the altar with the lustral water. At the moment of the blow the maiden vanished and a great deer lay dead in her place, and Agamemnon then confirms that Iphigenia has gone to the gods.
Euripides, Hippolytus 215–266First episode: Phaedra raves of hunting, then covers her shamePhaedra cries that she wants to go to the mountain and the pine woods, to hunt with the dogs and to throw the javelin, and prays to Artemis. The Nurse asks why she raves, and Phaedra suddenly recovers, ashamed at what she has said, and asks to be covered. The Nurse covers her, and wishes for death herself, and says that men should not form attachments that are too deep.
Euripides, Hippolytus 669–731Third episode: Phaedra turns on the Nurse and resolves to diePhaedra laments that women have no arts or arguments left, and tells the Chorus that she is undone. She curses the Nurse as a traitress to her friends, and the Nurse admits her fault but says that she wished to save her. Phaedra bids her be silent, makes the Chorus swear by Artemis not to reveal her secrets, and says that she has found one way out of her trouble, and that Hippolytus will learn from her misfortune.
Euripides, Hippolytus 1325–1388Exodos: Artemis reveals the truth to TheseusArtemis tells Theseus that he has done an awful deed in cursing his son on the word of a letter and that Phaedra, though in love, did not betray her chastity but was ruined by Aphrodite. She says that Hippolytus honoured her and that the goddess of Love has been avenged, and that Theseus may find pardon because he did not know. Hippolytus is carried in, and laments his agony and prays for death.
Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris 67–122Prologue: Orestes and Pylades reach the templeOrestes and Pylades come cautiously to the temple and see an altar stained with blood and the trophies of the strangers slain. Orestes says that Phoebus has led him into a trap, since the god told him to bring the image of Artemis to Athens to be freed of his torments, and Pylades says that they must not be seen as cowards, so they decide to hide in a cave by the sea until night.

11 more passages of Euripides that name Artemis

Apollonius Rhodius (1)

Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.445–551The murder of ApsyrtusThe poet laments the power of love, and Medea lures her brother Apsyrtus to a meeting on the island of Artemis, where Jason kills him. The Argonauts destroy his Colchian crew, then sail away by night; the leaderless Colchians scatter and settle on the islands and the Illyrian coast. Argo passes the Hylleans, who help the heroes for a tripod of Apollo.

Callimachus (1)

Callimachus, Hymns 3.1–268Hymn to Artemis: the goddess's childhood wishesAs a small girl on her father's knees, Artemis asks Zeus to let her stay a maiden for ever and to give her a bow, a short tunic, sixty nymphs of Oceanus for her choir and twenty nymphs of Amnisus to tend her hounds, and Zeus smiles and grants it, adding cities. She visits the Cyclopes on Lipara for her arrows, takes hounds from Pan in Arcadia and captures four golden-horned deer for her chariot. The poet praises her favourite places and companions, among them Britomartis, Cyrene and Atalanta, and her shrines at Miletus and Ephesus. He ends with a warning to those who wronged her, such as Oeneus, Otus and Orion.

Aristophanes (1)

Aristophanes, Lysistrata 1189–1320Exodos: the feast and the closing songsThe chorus invite the audience to a feast. An Athenian and a Spartan come out from the banquet, the worse for drink, and the Spartan sings and dances in honour of his country's gods while the Athenians join in. The choruses close with songs to Artemis and the other gods, and the play ends in a Spartan dance song.

Diodorus Siculus (5)

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 5.73.1–5.77.8The gods' discoveries and their Cretan originsZeus is said to have given each god a field of invention: the Muses the letters and poetry, Apollo the lyre, healing and the bow, Hermes the herald's staff, Athena the olive, and Dionysus the vine. The chapters then give an older Heracles, Artemis, Plutus, and the claim that most of the gods began in Crete and spread to other lands.
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.81.1–4.85.7Aristaeus, Eryx, Daphnis and OrionThe historian tells of Aristaeus, son of Apollo and Cyrene, who after the death of Acteon goes to Ceos and helps the Greeks during a plague, and who is honoured as a god in Sicily. He continues with Eryx, son of Aphrodite, with the shepherd Daphnis in the Heraean mountains, and with the giant hunter Orion, whose works in Sicily, at Peloris and elsewhere, are described.
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 5.3.1–5.5.3Demeter and Core in SicilyThe rape of Core is placed in the meadows of Enna, and Athena, Artemis and Core are said to have taken their portions of the island, with the springs of Himera, Arethusa and Cyane given to them by the Nymphs. Demeter, searching for her daughter, passes through many lands and gives the Athenians the first fruit of the wheat after the people of Sicily; the festivals held in Sicily of the two goddesses are described and the tragic poet Carcinus is quoted.
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.50.1–4.53.7The Argonauts III: Medea, Pelias and the return to IolcusWhile the Argonauts are away Pelias puts Jason's father and brother to death, and Jason's mother kills herself. Medea promises to kill Pelias by a trick: she fashions a hollow image of Artemis and, appearing as an old woman made young by drugs, persuades his daughters to boil their father, and the Argonauts then take the palace. Jason gives the kingdom to Acastus, marries Pelias' daughters to notable men, dedicates the Argo at the Isthmus and settles at Corinth, and as the chiefs part Heracles proposes an oath of mutual aid and the games at the Alpheius that he names Olympia.
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.40.1–4.44.7The Argonauts I: Jason and the voyage to PhineusJason, nephew of Pelias, has a great ship built on Mount Pelion and gathers the chiefs of Greece, with Heracles among them. On the way they rescue Hesione at Sigeium, come through a storm thanks to Orpheus' prayers to the gods of Samothrace, and reach Phineus, whose sons are freed by the Boreadae and Heracles. They then put in on the coast of the Tauric Chersonese, where strangers are sacrificed to Artemis.

Aratus (1)

Aratus, Phaenomena 571–737Risings and settings of the constellationsAratus tells which constellations set and which rise as each sign of the Zodiac rises, from the Crab to the Twins, among them Ophiuchus, Boötes, Orion, Cetus, Cepheus, Cassiepeia and Perseus. In explaining why Orion flees when the Scorpion rises, he tells how Orion offended Artemis in Chios and was killed by the Scorpion. The section ends by turning to the Moon's phases as a guide to the month.

Bacchylides (2)

Bacchylides, Epinicians (Odes of Victory) 11.1–126Ode 11: Alexidamus of Metapontion and the daughters of ProetusVictory is honoured as the judge of prowess beside Zeus, and Metapontion rejoices at the Pythian win of the boy wrestler Alexidamus, who lost an Olympic crown to a faulty judgement. The poet tells how Hera drove the daughters of Proetus mad for boasting that their father was richer than she, and how Proetus prayed to Artemis at Lusus, saw them healed and set up her altar. Artemis, the Soother, then went with the Achaeans to Metapontion, where a grove is dedicated to her by the Casas.
Bacchylides, Epinicians (Odes of Victory) 5.1–200Ode 5: Heracles meets Meleager in HadesThe poet sends Hieron a song and compares his own flight to the eagle's, celebrating the victory of the chestnut horse Pherenicus at Olympia and at Pytho. He tells how Heracles went down to Hades for the hound of Hades, saw the shade of Meleager and drew his bow, but was told there was nothing to fear. Meleager tells of the Calydonian boar sent by Artemis, of the quarrel over its hide, and of the brand burned by his mother Althaea that ended his life. Moved to tears, Heracles asks about a sister he might marry, and Meleager names Deianeira; the ode ends with praise of Hieron and a prayer to Zeus.

Epic Cycle (1)

Epic Cycle, Summaries and Fragments 5.1–38CypriaProclus' summary of the Cypria opens with Zeus planning the Trojan War with Themis, the quarrel of the three goddesses, Alexandrus, Helen and the gathering of the Greeks at Aulis. The fragments cover the earth burdened by men, the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Helen's birth to Nemesis, Castor and Polydeuces, and Alexandrus carrying Helen to Ilium.