The Mythology of Artemis; The Impact on Greek Society

The Mythology of Artemis; The impact on Greek Society

This post seeks to consider how the ancient Greeks experienced and worshipped the goddess Artemis through literature and myth. It will look to show, how the Greeks particularly held Artemis in high enough regard to have her oversee the wilderness to the point of, as mentioned previously, the conservation of the lands for Artemis’ favour. I believe importance rests in how Artemis had specific areas of land designated as sacred to her and as an idea expressed previously, I wish to show how the goddess would show anger at abuse of what was deemed her wildlife.

‘Artemis was a powerful figure in classical mythology, and her influence on ancient attitudes and practices was complex. But several aspects of her character moved those who worshipped her toward the same goal: conservation. First, Artemis was a formidable defender of wild animals and was believed to punish those who killed them boastfully or imprudently. Thus her effect on those who revered her was to inhibit the thoughtless destruction of wildlife. Second, Artemis personified the wilderness. She loved forests and mountains and gave protection to defined areas of sacred space that functioned as wild areas and wildlife sanctuaries. Third, Artemis stood for ethical principles in hunting and land management. By staying the hunter's hand and saving some sections of the landscape from habitat destruction, the worship of Artemis saved a significant portion of the Greek landscape from despoliation for several centuries. Finally, Artemis was a goddess of childbirth, child raising, and the induction of children into adolescence and adulthood. The initiation ceremonies of Artemis Brauronia held by the Athenians encouraged young people to love and respect wild animals.’[1]

We cannot better put the ways in which Artemis affected the Greeks in terms of daily life. There is also the Third Sacred War (356-346 BC) which was primarily caused over the mistreatment of sacred land. Sparta's involvement in this war was, perhaps, pursuing 'Artemisian' interests.[2]

'The war was caused by a large fine imposed in 357 BC on the Phocians by the Amphictyonic League (dominated at that moment by Thebes), for the offense of cultivating sacred land; refusing to pay,'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Sacred_war 

The importance of this is that the mistreatment of sacred land (The Spartans prominently worshipped Artemis) led to further action taken, eventually starting a war. This holds true of Artemis herself. Artemis has a fascinating dualism attached to her as hunter yet hunted. This serves purpose particularly within the myth of herself and Actaeon, somewhat representing the sacred aspect of both herself and her land.

The myth between the two tells of how Actaeon stumbled upon her whilst bathing in a spring and was punished for his infraction of awe and wonderment over her naked body by being turned into a stag and subsequently being killed by his own dogs. From the Euripides play Bacchae  ‘You recall the pitiful end of Actaeon, torn apart by the ravenous hounds he had reared, because he boasted that he was a greater hunter in the mountain glades than Artemis.' [3] 

The myth is also referenced in various interpretations within these classical works which shows how prominent the message projected was.

 

- Ovid Metamorphoses 3.138 onwards.

- Apollodorus 3.4.4

- Diodorus Siculus 4.81.4

 

My personal favourite of these interpretations is that of Apollodorus below.

‘Autonoe and Aristaeus had a son Actaeon, who was bred by Chiron to be a hunter and then afterwards was devoured on Cithaeron by his own dogs.47 He perished in that way, according to Acusilaus, because Zeus was angry at him for wooing Semele; but according to the more general opinion, it was because he saw Artemis bathing. And they say that the goddess at once transformed him into a deer, and drove mad the fifty dogs in his pack, which devoured him unwittingly. Actaeon being gone, the dogs sought their master howling lamentably, and in the search they came to the cave of Chiron, who fashioned an image of Actaeon, which soothed their grief.'[4]

Image. Artemis and Acteon by the Pan painter Greek red figure Krater (470 BC). Found at http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/ArtemisActaeon.html.

In the case of the myth and its various forms we can parallel Artemis’ beautiful body and the interaction between the two with the beautiful landscapes she protects, further providing experience of Artemis unto mortals by providing a message onto the Greeks that she is not to be mistreated (as her land). Of Artemis, her transference of worship into the real world of mortals stands more explicit perhaps than any of the other gods and the reflection of scholarly work provided to us by Hughes’ study of the conservation of her sacred lands shows us that it was very much prominent in Greek thought.

[1] Hughes, D J (Oct. 1990) ‘Artemis: Goddess of Conservation. Forest & Conservation History. Forest History Society 34.4 p.196

[2] Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History XVI . Chapter 26. 
[3] Euripides, Bacchae. 339-340

[4] Apollodorus The Library 3.4.4