Artemis' Appearance: Usually, an eternally young woman, beautiful and vigorous, wearing a short costume which leaves her legs free. At Ephesus, Artemis wears a controversial costume which may represent many breasts, fruits, honeycombs, or parts of sacrificed animals. Scholars are undecided on how to interpret her outfit. Artemis' Symbol or Attribute: Her bow, which she uses to hunt, and her hounds. She often wears the lunar crescent on her brow. Strengths/Talents: Physically strong, able to defend herself, defender and guardian of women in childbirth and of wildlife in general. Weaknesses/Flaws/Quirks: Dislikes men, whom she sometimes orders torn apart if they see her bathing. Opposes the institution of marriage and the subsequent loss of freedom it entails for women. Parents of Artemis: Zeus and Leto Birthplace of Artemis: The island of Delos, where she was born under a palm tree along with her twin brother Apollo. Spouse: None. She runs with her maidens in the forests. Children: None Some Major Temple Sites: Brauron (also called Vravrona), outside of Athens. Ephesus in Turkey. Basic Story: Artemis is a freedom-loving young woman who likes to roam the forests with her female companions. She doesn't care for city life and keeps to the natural, wild environment. Interesting Facts: Though Artemis didn't care much for men, young boys were welcome to study at her sanctuary at Brauron. Statues of both young boys and girls have survived and can be seen at the Brauron Museum. Some scholars assert that the Artemis of Ephesus was actually a completely different goddess than the Greek Artemis. Common misspellings:
Artemus, Artamis, Artemas, Artimas, Artimis. The correct spelling is Artemis.
