#I didn’t have time to get into how Artemis sometimes gets treated like Apollo’s accessory

[quenlake]

You know I feel similarly. I think a big problem is that there’s a big disparity between how much people know about and like Artemis compared to Apollo. It’s very noticeable to me (as an Artemis enthusiast) when people reference Apollo’s myths, domains, and traits but next to nothing of Artemis’s when it’s supposed to be about both of them.

A good portion of people base their personalities off of how they were in Percy Jackson. Inside and Outside the Percy Jackson fandom. So the base dynamic is already Artemis-serious, smart, tough—-Apollo—-laidback, goofy, playful. (Riordan loved this goofy guy-tough girl dynamic.). Like you said, it’s questionable if this fits their mythological characters. And may be indicative of modern gender stereotypes more than anything. (Why isn’t Apollo as the god of knowledge “the smart one”?)

The lack of knowledge about Artemis means that people fill in the blanks in their own ways. Generally there are two ways this goes. Badass woman—and/or opposite of Apollo.

Badass woman: everyone has their own idea of what a badass women looks like. So this type of Artemis comes in lots of variations. Maybe she’s violent, curses like a sailor, stoic, smashes the patriarchy, snarky, rude, etc etc.

Opposite of Apollo: Artemis’s personality is the exact opposite of Apollo’s. However he acts, she acts the reverse. Whatever Apollo likes/is good at Artemis can’t do or dislikes.

Both are flawed in that they don’t factor Artemis’s own mythology and history into her personality. Artemis is more complex than a 2 dimensional stereotype or a mirror of her brother. Artemis and Apollo actually had quite a lot in common. I wonder if people realize that letting them get along well and be in sync is an option.

Because this is getting long I’ll wrap up by saying I strongly agree that Artemis should be allowed to be silly and to have different sides to her. In the myths Artemis cries, she picks flowers, she sings and dances with the nymphs. She’s a daddy’s girl. She’s fickle. She has a short temper. She shows affection to her friends. I wish people knew about this Artemis.

Every time I read a fanfic about Artemis and Apollo, I'm just. Left disappointed. Bc no one thinks of them the way I do and it's sad