#the retinue of artemis

[bebemoon]

BRITOMARTIS a maiden of crete who became an immortal companion of the goddess artemis after she leapt into the sea in order to flee the lustful pursuit of king minos

[artbyblastweave]

Recently I've been rereading the original Percy Jackson quintology due to one of those periodic nostalgia spikes which we are all sometimes subject to, when the bottom is falling out and things seem grim. And you know, they hold up, it's not a surprise why they've endured as such a fandom juggernaut for going on 20 years and change. I'm enjoying these a lot. I do like that I can identify the exact turning point in Titan's Curse where Riordan cracked his knuckles and went, okay, playtimes over, time to kill some children, at which point being a background character transformed into a major comorbidity, insurance companies started asking people how many times Percy's internal narration had mentioned them in passing.

But one thing that definitely hits significantly differently rereading these things as an adult is everything to do with Artemis. I recognize that from the perspective I'm intended to take, she's the Olympian who's intended to pull the most sympathy. If you're in the target audience of tweens, being part of The Hunt is a sweet deal and a power fantasy. But from an adult perspective that's some Peter Pan shit! An entire retinue of immortal 10-to-14 year olds? Being 13 forever is something that sounds good specifically when you're thirteen or younger and at no other time in your life. Where are the adult huntresses? Do you need to have a very specific strain of youthful despair coupled with a lack of perspective for Artemis's deal to sound good? Altogether it strikes a chord of deep melancholy within me that I am not entirely sure was intentional.

[aroaceleovaldez]

thought: Zoë Nightshade, daughter of Nyx

cause Nyx is often the mother of the Hesperides. And when she's the mother the father isn't always specified. So Zoë being a daughter of Nyx makes sense (especially cause right now the wiki says her mother is Pleione, which wouldn't make her one of the Hesperides, that would make her one of the Pleiades, which is a different and distinct group of nymphs - Pleiades are stars and part of Artemis' retinue. Hesperides are nymphs of the sunset/morning star and the ones in the garden with Ladon. Both are sometimes children of Atlas though. also there is a very specific number of Pleiades cause they're specific stars and have relatively consistent names, versus the Hesperides vary in numbers and have very inconsistent names.)

But just like, think about it thematically. Zoë Nightshade, daughter of Nyx. A nymph of the sunset/morning star, child of the the literal night sky and the titan who holds up the sky. "I can see the stars" HELLO? HELLO??? thank u for coming to my TedTalk

[nyxshadowhawk]

Hellenic Gods Fact Sheets and Hymns: Hecate

Other Names: Trivia, Brimo

Epithets: Anassa eneroi  (queen of those below), Aidonaia (lady of the Underworld), Amibousa (she who changes), Atalus (tender, delicate), Borborophorba (she who feeds on filth), Brimo (angry, terrifying), Despoina (mistress), Eileithyia (of childbirth), Enodia (of the roads), Epaine (dread), Euplokamos (bright-tressed), Khthonia (of the Underworld), Kleidouchos (keeper of the keys), Kourotrophos (protector of children), Krokopelos (saffron-robed), Liparokredemnos (bright-coiffed), Nycteria (nocturnal; of the night), Nyctipolos (night-wandering), Perseis (destroyer/ daughter of Perses), Phosphoros (light bearer), Propolos (guide), Propylaia (the one before the gate), Scylacagetis (leader of dogs), Soteira (savior), Trikephalos (three-headed/of the crossroads), Trimorphos (three-formed), Trioditis (of the three ways), Trivia (of the three ways).

Domains: Witchcraft, magic, necromancy, ghosts, nightmares, death, initiation, the crossroads, gateways, passage between worlds, and the night.

Appearance: [My UPG] A tall (over 6’) woman, neither young nor old, with waist-length black hair, pale skin, prominent cheekbones, a heavy jaw, and intense green eyes. She is usually dressed in black folds molded into a simple dress or robes. She has a severe expression and an intimidating presence. She speaks with a low voice.

Sacred Days and Festivals: Eleusinia (22 Metageitnion). Nemoralia (August 13th-15th). Deipnon, last day of each (lunar) month.

Symbols/Attributes: Torches, keys, daggers, strophalos (iynx wheel)

Sacred Animals: Dog, polecat, serpent, horse, frog.

Sacred Plants: Yew, cypress, garlic, willow, hazel, black poplar, aconite, belladonna, dittany, mandrake, hemlock, asphodel

Elemental Affinity: Darkness, light, fire

Planet: Moon

Colors: Black, saffron, silver.

Crystals: Black onyx, hematite, obsidian, black tourmaline, moonstone, smoky quartz, agate, amethyst.

Incense: Myrrh, almond, cypress, camphor, saffron, mugwort, pomegranate.

Tarot Cards: The High Priestess, The Moon, Death

Retinue: Empousai, ghosts of the dead, dogs, Lampades (torch-bearing underworld nymphs)

Associated People: Witches (and other magic-users), the dead

Offerings: Bread, eggs, honey, garlic, menstrual blood, graveyard dirt.

Syncretized With: Artemis, Diana, Persephone, Eileithyia, Selene, Nephthys, Ereshkigal, Nicnevin, Heqet

Hymns to Hecate

Orphic Hymn to Hecate

Hekate Enodia, Trivia, lovely dame, Of earthly, watery, and celestial frame, Sepulchral, in a saffron veil arrayed, Pleased with dark ghosts that wander through the shade; Daughter of Perses, solitary goddess, hail! The world’s key-bearer, never doomed to fail; In stags rejoicing, huntress, nightly seen, And drawn by bulls, unconquerable, monstrous queen; Leader, Nymphe, nurse, on mountains wandering, Hear the suppliants who with holy rites thy power revere, And to the herdsman with a favoring mind draw near.

Hecate’s Hymn to Herself

I come, a virgin of varied forms, wandering through the heavens, bull-faced, three-headed, ruthless, with golden arrows; chaste Phoebe bringing light to mortals, Eileithyia; bearing the three synthemata [sacred signs] of a triple nature.  In the Aether I appear in fiery forms and in the air I sit in a silver chariot, Earth reins in my black brood of puppies.

(From Porphyry’s lost commentary on the Chaldean Oracles, preserved by Eusebius of Caesaria in Praeparatio Evangelica. According to Porphyry, this hymn was composed by Hecate herself.)

Magical Invocation to Hecate

Approach, you of the netherworld, of earth, of heaven, Bombo! You by the wayside, at the crossroads, light-bearer, night-wanderer, Enemy of light, friend and companion of night, Rejoicing in the howl of dogs and in crimson gore, Lurking among the corpses and the tombs of lifeless dust, Lusting for blood, bringing terror to mortals, Grim one, Ogress [Mormo], Moon – you of many forms, May you come gracious to our sacrificial rites!

(Preserved in Refutation to All Heresies by Hippolytus)

Invocation to Hecate from PGM IV 2708-84

Come, giant Hecate, Dione’s guard, O Persia [daughter of Perses], Baubo Phroune, dart-shooter, Unconquered Lydian, the one untamed, Sired nobly, torch-bearing, guide, who bends down Proud necks, Kore, hear, you who’ve parted / gates Of steel unbreakable. O Artemis, Who, too, were once protectress, mighty one, Mistress, who burst forth from the earth, dog-leader, All-tamer, crossroad goddess, triple-headed, Bringer of light, august / virgin, I call you Fawn-slayer, crafty, O infernal one, And many-formed. Come, Hekate, goddess Of three ways, who with your fire-breathing phantoms Have been allotted dreaded roads and harsh / Enchantments, Hekate I call you

[…]

O Hekate of many names, O Virgin, Kore, Goddess, come, I ask, O guard and shelter of the threshing floor Persephone, O triple-headed goddess, Who walk on fire, cow-eyed BOUORPHORBE PANPHORBA PHORBARA AKITOPHI ERESHKIGAL / NEBOUTOSOUALETH Beside the doors, PYPYLEDEDEZO And gate-breaker; Come Hekate, of firey Counsel, I call you to my sacred chants.

[schweizercomics]

Companions of Christmas, Day 2: Mrs. Claus

Mrs. Claus was once better known by her given name, Alba. She was the nymph of the silver fir tree, a captain in the retinue of the Greek goddess Artemis, and she first met St. Nicholas when he came to do battle with her Lady.

Nick was on a campaign to destroy Artemis's shrines and temples in his Asia Minor diocese in order to keep the Christians in his flock from “backsliding” into paganism. In these attempts, he frequently had to fight Artemis and her retinue, including Alba.

Over the years, Nick and Alba often ran into each other on the same errands of mercy, coming to the aid of a child or creature in peril. Although both were pledged to see the other undone, they found themselves allies in these ventures, first reluctantly, then enthusiastically.

Over the course of many decades and many encounters, Alba came to fall in love with Nick because of his kindness, generosity, and, above all, his fierce devotion to and protection of children, which mirrored her own. And Nick fell in love with Alba because of her unwillingness to stand by while the weak were harmed, the patience with which she sought to understand those who were different from her (patience and tolerance both being virtues that Nick clearly needed a lot of help learning), and the unmitigated joy she took from the natural world and its wonders.

Alba brokered a peace between Nick and Artemis (who presented him with her famous flying deer as a sign of peace and a means by which to better undertake his mission), married Nick, and now stewards the great fir forests of the North Pole, acting as protector and champion to the many creatures who find sanctuary there.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Happy December, friends! Each year around this time I post up drawings of Christmas and other winter holiday figures, along with narratives to explain the practices with which folklorists and holiday buffs might be familiar. When stories exist, I use them; when they don't, I do what I can to piece together what folklore surrounds them to fill in the gaps (or, in some instances, defer to the theories of my friend and fellow narrative reconcilianist Benito Cereno). I hope you enjoy them!

[audreyscribes]

Do you think Artemis could accept a boy as part of her hunt? If so, how would it be?

EDIT [8/22/2024]: The answers to this anon question will take parts of Artemis' Greek Mythos to fill in gaps and be applied in the world building of PJO.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ Alright, mythos wise there have been men part of her hunt. But they are very much the exception to the rule and are not standard. Though it’s not probably in the way you’re thinking either.

However, they are very much exception to the rule but also abided by the rules. These said men were Artemis’ male hunting companions, Orion the giant and Hippolytos. Despite having proof there were men* hunting alongside Artemis, it doesn’t mean they would be part of her hunt for various reasons. Orion is a giant so we can’t really be sure how the whole divinity thing is going on so let’s turn to Hippolytos. Hippolytos was the son of Theseus with Hippolyta/Antiope, and was a devotee of Artemis. He was a hunter and sportsman who turned away from sex and marriage, thus worshiped Artemis and refused to honour Aphrodite. As we’ve seen historically happened with Aphrodite, she causes Hippolytus’ stepmother, Phaedra, to fall in love with him and when he naturally refuses her advances, sets in motion which leads to his death, with the help of Theseus and Poseidon. Artemis steps in when a devotee of hers is harmed and honours him; which depending on the story provided depends how she honours him but regardless his story lives on nonetheless. 

From what I can gather from the mythos of Artemis and her hunting retinue, they have to be dedicated to the hunt and follow the words of Artemis. This applies to the boys as well, but with the extra emphasis they are not to mingle with her huntresses that is outside of being part of the hunt, as well as knowing by hunting alongside with Artemis and her huntresses, they may not have the same benefits and blessing as the huntresses; such as the semi-immortality. 

While Artemis may bless them in some way as part of her hunt, they’re not able to get everything because at the core of it, her domain is female virgins/maidens/girls. So men aren’t able to get the benefits because they’re not part of her domain since with Artemis, it’s females, and with men, it’s Apollo, her twin.  Basically, Artemis would only have men in her hunt if they were truly a devotee of Artemis and are sworn off romance and love like the huntresses, but I wouldn’t say they are directly part of her hunt since they wouldn’t have the benefits and protections due to the limitations of her domain.

This is probably cheating and a loophole, but there is a story of Siproities: Where Artemis turned Siproites, a hunter man/boy who accidentally peeped at Artemis when she was bathing and as punishment, turned Siproites into a girl/woman. Although it’s not unusual for the gods to change peoples’ sexes into the other due to various situations, I subscribed to the version where Artemis probably did it because technically Siproities was a child so she couldn’t exactly kill him because as a child, he fell under her domain of protection but on the other hand, due to being male, it was a slight against her.

If someone really wanted to join Artemis’ hunt, they could ask Artemis that they’re proving their desire to join her hunt and turn into a girl/woman to be able to join, on top of swearing fealty to Artemis and her hunters.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 6: Apollo & Artemis - The Divine Twins

"... but the opinion most universally received was, that Apollo, the son of Zeus and Leto, was born in the island of Delos, together with his sister Artemis; and the circumstances of [their] birth there are detailed in the Homeric hymn on Apollo, and in that of Callimachus on Delos."

- Comp. Apollod. i. 4. § 1; Hygin. Fab. 140.

I would describe my relationship with The Divine Twins as... unbalanced. I have never felt drawn or called to Lady Artemis; despite my love of deer, the woods, and the years I spent working in childcare - I have always felt that the doors of Her temple were closed to me. I personally feel that part of this lies in my transgender identity; this is not to say that transmen or men in general cannot worship Artemis - I've seen quite a few transmen on Tumblr who are joyous devotees to Her. But personally, I have always felt distanced from Artemis.

I do feel as though Artemis tried to call to me when I was young, but I did not feel aligned with Her energies or drawn to Her domains. Then, when I transitioned, I got the sense that Artemis felt betrayed; like She had laid claim to me and was waiting for me to join Her retinue - but instead I left womanhood behind and She felt personally insulted.

I say all of this, not in any way to disrespect Lady Artemis - or to say my experience is indicative of her energy and character towards other devotees. I simply say all of this to share my experience.

On the reverse - Lord Apollo is my patron deity. There is no God or entity that I hold in higher regard. I feel as though Lord Apollo has been quietly waiting for me all my life, almost as if He knew my destiny lied in being his devotee but He wanted me to come to Him on my own.

That isn't to say he hasn't been present in my life before my journey into Hellenic Polytheism - but I do believe He has let the muses guide me rather than His own hand. I felt Kleio enter my life in middle school when I first began writing poetry, and Gods - Euterpe and Melpomene have been with me since I began writing music in the second grade. Ouranie entered my life later, moreso in college when astrology became a larger part of my life and personal practice. But now I've gone off on a tangent, haha.

I've written about Lord Apollo in many other posts on my blog - so feel free to check the Lord Apollo tag if you'd like to read more about my relationship and devotion to him.

Banner/Divider Credit

*You may have seen this info sheet before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[chthonias-guide]

Zeus

Basic Information

Name(s): Zeus, Zef, Dias/Dios

Domain¹:

Thunder, lightning, and the sky

Law and order

Hospitality code (xenia), and by extension, protector of the home and protector of travelers

Protector of the assembly of the people

Chthonic realm

King Of The Gods

Counterparts:

Dyēus (Proto-Indo-European)

Jove/Jupiter (Roman)

Tinia (Etruscan)

Anu² (Mesopotamian)

Amun (Egyptian)

Symbols:

Thunderbolt

Royal scepter

The aigis³

A throne

Eagle

Bull

Oak tree

Olive tree

Typically Wearing:

A crown of olive leaves

A chiton⁴ and cloak (although sometimes he is depicted nude).

Parents: Kronos and Rhea.

Wife: Hera.

Lovers/Affairs:

Metis

Themis

Eurynome

Demeter

Mnemosyne

Leto

Dione

Maia

Persephone

Nemesis

Selene

Gaia⁵

Europa

Io

Semele

Callisto

Thaleia

Alkmene

Danaë

Antiope

Ganymede

Failed Lovers/Affairs:

Aphrodite

Asteria

Thetis

Children:

Hebe and Ares and Eileithyia and Hephaistos⁶ (by Hera)

Athena (by Metis)

The Horae (seasons) and The Moirae (fates) (by Themis)

The Gaces (by Eurynome)

Persephone and Lakkhos (by Demeter)

The Muses (by Mnemosyne)

Apollo and Artemis (Leto)

Aphrodite (Dione)⁷

Hermes (by Maia)

Melinoë and Zagreus (by Persephone)⁸

Helen of Sparta/Troy⁹ (by Nemesis)

Pandia and Ersa (by Selene)

Agdistis¹⁰ (by Gaia)

Minos (by Europa)

Epaphos and Keroessa (by Io)

Dionysus (by Semele)

Arcas (by Callisto)

The Palikoi¹¹ (by Thaleia)

Heracles (by Allmene)

Perseus (by Danaë)

Amphion and Zethus (by Antiope)

Retinue/Entourage:

Zeus’s throne is guarded by the four winged spirits Nike, Bia, Kratos, and Zelos.

Zeus’s personal messenger is Hermes, who also enacted Zeus’s will.

Zeus’s high councilor Themis gave him advice and is seated beside his throne.

Zeus’s personal cupbearer is Ganymede, serving him Ambrosia and Wine at feasts.

Major Myths Of Importance

Birth & The Titanomachy: Prior to Zeus’s birth, Kronos (his father) had received a prophecy that he would be overthrown by his children. To avoid this, he began swallowing whole every child of his. Rhea (Zeus’s mother and Kronos’s wife), in fear of her husband, could only watch. Eventually, with the guidance of her mother Gaia, she hatched a plan to end Kronos’s reign. When Zeus was born, instead of presenting him to Kronos as she had done with her children in the past, she presented to him a rock, which Kronos swallowed. She had given birth to Zeus secretly at Crete, where he was given to the Curetes to be raised. The nymph Melissa and the goat Amalthea specifically played a crucial role in his upbringing. When Zeus came of age, he became the cupbearer of Kronos, who did not know his true identity. With a concoction made by Metis (who would later be his first wife), Kronos regurgitating his swallowed children in the reverse order they were eaten (ie Hestia was swallowed first and regurgitated last, hence where the phrase “Hestia first and last”). Zeus convinced his siblings to rise up against Kronos, and the Titanomachy began. Under Gaia’s guidance, he released the cyclopses and the hecatonchires (hundred-handed giants), who aided him against the titans. After ten years, the Olympian gods overthrew the titans, and established their pantheon on Mt. Olympus. Zeus divided the “universe” between him, and his brothers Poseidon and Hades. The titans were imprisoned in Tartarus, with the exception of those who had aided the gods. Zeus became the king of gods, mortals, and the skies, Poseidon became king of the ocean, and Hades became king of the dead.

The Gigantomachy: In vengeance for her children (the titans) being locked away in Tartarus, Gaia bore the giants, who began immediately hurling rocks and burning oak at the sky. There was a prophecy which stated that the giants would not be killed by the gods alone, and upon hearing this, Gaia sought to harvest a plant which could protect her children (pharmakon). Knowing this, Zeus forbade Eos (the dawn), Helios (the sun), and Selene (the moon) from shining, and harvested all the plant himself. Afterwards, he had Athena summon Heracles, who would be the mortal that would aid them in the battle. Apollodorus goes through each of the giants fates and how they were all taken down, but it is suffice to say that they were defeated (aka I do not want to go through every single giant’s death).

The Seven “Wives”: According to Hesiodic myth, Zeus had seven lovers prior to his marriage to Hera. Metis was the first wife, who was the wisest among gods and men. But, after a prophecy from Gaia and Ouranos which stated that after birthing a daughter, Metis would birth a son that would overthrow Zeus, Zeus decided to swallow the pregnant Metis. As a result, Athena would be born out of Zeus’s head later, and Metis would act as Zeus’s internal monologue and guidance. Zeus then married Themis, who gave birth to the Horae and the Moirai. Aside from Hera, Metis and Themis are the only lovers in this list Zeus is explicitly said to have married. The next lovers are as follows (you can see their respective children in the “basic info” section); Eurynome, Demeter, Mnemosyne and Leto. Finally, he married his final wife (but not his last lover) Hera. To woo her, he turned into a Cuckoo, which is why the cuckoo is featured on her scepter.

Worship and Epithets

Primary Center Of Worship: Olympia, Greece.

Other Notable Centers Of Worship: Crete, Greece (which was widely recognized as his birthplace).

Notable Epithets:

Agathos Deos (meaning the Good God)

Agoraios (given to deities which were venerated as the protector of the assembly/agora)

Alastôr (meaning avenger of evil deeds)

Areios (either meaning the warlike or the propitiating and atoning god)

Asbamaios (meaning the protector of the sanctity of oaths, derived from the city of Asbamaeon)

Gamêlioi (meaning protecting over marriage, and was shared with Hera, Aphrodite, Peitho, Artemis, and sometimes the Moerae)

Hupatos (meaning the most high)¹²

Katharsios (meaning the purifying or atoner)

Maimaktês (meaning the stormy, and was the name the Attic month Maemacterion was derived, and a celebration to Zeus called Maemacteria was held)

Moiragetês (meaning the guider of fate, given to both Zeus and Apollo at Delphi, fitting for the cities role with their oracles)

Nomos (meaning personified law)

Olumpios (meaning the Olympian, and was a general surname given to deities who were said to live on Olympus)

Ombrios (meaning the rain-giver)

Panellênios (meaning common to/worshipped by all people)

Phuzios (meaning god that protects fugitives)

Pistios (meaning god of faith and fidelity)

Polieus (meaning protector of the city, upon which he notably had an altar at Athens)

Sôtêr (meaning the savior)

Sthenios (meaning the powerful)

Xenios (meaning hospitality and protector of strangers, which was VERY important in the time of the Ancient Greeks)

Zugios (meaning presiding over marriage, alongside Hera Zugia).

Notable Fun Facts

He only “fears”¹³ one deity, which is Nyx¹⁴. In Orphic mythology, she delivers Zeus prophecies from the Adyton (a restricted cellar in a Greco-Roman temple).¹⁵

Despite being known for his various affairs and children, he does not place number one as the deity with the most kids (that would be Poseidon).

The Ancient Greeks believed the belly was wear the brain was, and therefore that when Zeus swallowed Metis, he gained her knowledge.

Zeus and Hera’e child Hebe acted as his (and the rest of the gods’s) cubearer until Zeus took Ganymede. It is debated whether or not Ganymede only acted as Zeus’s personal cupbearer or replaced Hebe in that aspect altogether.

1: Zeus's domain varies from place to place, often times the only thing that connected one version of Zeus to a different version of him from another city-state was his name. For example, some local cults venerated him as a Chthonic earth god, rather than the opposite, popularized, Olympian sky god.

2: It is disputed whether or not Anu could be considered the Mesopotamian equivalent of Zeus. Anu is also considered to be the equivalent of Ouranus.

3: Also spelled as “Aegis”. It is an animal skin or shield typically featuring the head of a Gorgon. It is also wielded by Athena, and in the Iliad by Apollo. It may also have been connected to the deity Aex, who nursed Zeus in some myths.

4: Worn in both Ancient Greece and Rome, a chiton is a unisex garment that is fashioned at the shoulders and is made of either wool (Doric) or later linen (Ionic).

5: Zeus and Gaia’s intercourse was accidental. The myth of their union is more closely related to Phrygian mythology. For my sanity’s sake, this will be the only myth that did not originate from Hellas.

6: While certain sources say Zeus fathered Hephaistos, other sources name Hera as the only parent, making him a parthenogenous child.

7: While Homer calls Dione the mother of Aphrodite, other myths say she arose out of the sea foam fully formed after Ouranos's castrated gentile was thrown into the ocean. This lead to Plato making a distinction between Aphrodite Pandemos (Common to all people, child of Dione, and goddess of earthly/sensual pleasures) and Aphrodite Ouranos (Heavenly, born from Ouranos’s castrated gentiles, and goddess of love that transcends the body/physical desires).

8: It is debated whether or not it was Zeus or Hades that fathered Melinoë and Zagreus by Persephone (although in Orphic tradition Zeus fathered Dionysus and the Erinyes by Persephone), as some myths say that Hades is unable to produce life as he is the god of the dead (despite this, some myths said that he fathered Macaria, while no mother is mentioned).

9: Although it is widely recognized that Helen is the daughter of Leda by Zeus, the lost epic called the Cypria says that Helen is the daughter of Nemesis and Zeus.

10: Agdistis was a Hermaphroditic god, but the other gods feared a two-sexed deity, so they castrated him and he became the goddess Kybele.

11: The Palikoi are twin Sicilian deities of hot springs and geysers, that also presided over the solemn oaths sworn upon their springs and provided refuge to escaped slaves in their sanctuary, this is important to note how the Ancient Greeks incorporated other pantheons into their mythology. Okay, I lied, THIS ONE will be the last non-Hellas originated myth, unless I accidentally include more.

12: This also occurs as a poetic epithet, such as in Homer’s Iliad.

13: Although the word used to describe Zeus’s reaction to seeing Nyx isn’t translatable, “fear”, or perhaps “awe-struck in respect”, is an acceptable translation given the scenario.

14: She’s my favorite deity :-}

15: This will probably be the only reference to Orphism in my posts EVER. Only added it because I thought it was important.

[theoihalioistuff]

"[In Megara] there is a temple of Aphrodite, with an ivory image of Aphrodite surnamed Praxis [Πρᾶξις, Action; i.e. Intercourse]. This is the oldest object in the temple. There is also Peitho (Πειθὼ, Persuasion) and another goddess, whom they name Paregoros (Παρήγορος, Consoler), works of Praxiteles." – Paus. 1.43.6

This passage is so heartwarming in my opinion, imagining Consolation as one of Aphrodite's attendants.

— Sitting Venus with attendant (Peitho?) and Cupids - Punishment of Eros - Pompeii (VII 2 23) - Napoli MAN 9257

Also regarding Peitho, I recently found out she's fitted into early argive genealogy, either as the wife of Phoroneus (schol. Eurpides Or. 932 and 1248) or Argos (see below, schol. Eurpides Ph. 1116 quoting Pherekydes fr. 22):

"Argos, the son of Zeus, married Peitho, the daughter of Okeanos. From them came Krios, from whom Ereuthalion descended, and from whom the city of Ereuthalion in Argos is named, and Forbas. From him came Arestor, and from him came Argos, to whom Hera placed an eye on the back of his head and took away sleep, appointing him as the guardian of Io."

According to Persuasion in Greek Tragedy: A Study of Peitho by Richard Buxton, this, in addition to the sanctuary of Artemis Peitho in Argos (set up by Hypermestra in thanks for her acquittal, after she was tried by her father for not killing her husband like her sister Danaids), might offer tantalising tidbits about a relationship between the goddess and the city (perhaps akin to that of Harmonia and Thebes, as personifications who both belonged to Aphrodite's erotic retinue, and genealogical figures who were also concerned with the public sphere). Maybe a stretch but who knows!

— Fragment of a terracotta skyphos, attributed to a follower of Douris, Attic (MET, 07.286.51) - Peitho, Aphrodite and Eros

[elefsina]

15 days of deity devotion: Artemis

Day 1: Basic Introduction

Artemis is the goddess of many great things and incredibly important to me - and I want to use the next 15 days putting her in the spotlight she so very much deserves.

Who is Artemis?

In literature she is listed as goddess of...

the wilderness, animals & hunting; [1] includes: of the wilds, wild beasts and hunting, forest fires, lakes & springs, fishing, roads, and harbors

dawn & frost;

births, infants, children; includes childbirth, protector of the nursing infant, and protector of young girls

maidenhood & marriage;

maiden dance & song;

disease & sudden death; also includes sickness in dogs (rabies)

healing & good health;

ritual purification;

ancestral goddess and protector of the fatherland;

goddess of the Amazons and Hyperboreans. [2]

As you can see, this includes a great many more aspects than you'd expect. This does not even touch upon her connections to human sacrifice (see: Taurian Artemis), fertility (see: Ephesian Artemis), nymphs (in her retinue, along with other mortals and hunters), and many more that I will touch on these next two weeks.

Famous myths

Artemis’ mother Leto was hounded throughout her pregnancy by the jealous goddess Hera but eventually found refuge on the floating island of Delos. There she gave birth to Artemis who assisted her mother as midwife with the birth of her younger twin-brother Apollon.

Kallisto (Callisto) was a handmaiden of the goddess who Zeus seduced by assuming Artemis’ form. When Artemis discovered the girl was pregnant she transformed her into a bear and exiled her to the wilds.

The handsome giant Orion was a companion of the goddess but her jealous brother Apollon tricked her into killing him with a distant bow-shot. In her grief Artemis placed him among the stars as the constellation Orion.

When the Aloadai (Aloadae) giants tried to storm Olympus, Artemis assumed the form of a doe and raced between them, causing the pair to cast their spears, miss, and strike each other dead.

The hunter Aktaion (Actaeon) spied upon the goddess as she was bathing with her nymphs at a spring. Angered, she transformed him into a stag and had him torn apart by his own hounds.

The giant Kalydonian (Caledonian) Boar was sent by Artemis to ravage the lands of King Oineus as punishment for neglecting her in his sacrifices to the gods.

As the Greek fleet were preparing to sail for Troy, King Agamemnon offended Artemis and she becalmed the waters, preventing their departure. To appease the goddess, the king was forced to sacrifice his own daughter Iphigenia. [3]

[1]: Homer, Iliad; Homer, Odyssey; Homeric Hymn 27 to Artemis; Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite; Pindar, Dithyrambs Heracles the Bold; Aeschylus, Agamemnon 140 ff; Aeschylus, fragment 188; Aristophanes, Frogs 1358 ff; Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae 144 ff; Callimachus, Hymn 3 to Artemis; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1.21; Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica; Ovid, Fasti; Seneca, Hercules Furens 406 ff; etc., etc.

[2] rest of the sources can be found here; link

[3] summary as found on theoi.com

Link to the original post by @noctivague

[honoringthor]

🌿Apollo🪻

Aka Apollon, Phoebus

General info.

💛Son of Zeus and Leto

🌻Twin of Artemis, he also had A LOT of siblings.

🏹 He had no spouse but did have a lot of partners often resulting in kids.

🐺 his retinue includes the Muses,

🎨 He is a god of the arts, plague, healing, medicine, illumination, prophecy, knowledge, education, public places, home entrances, herds/flocks, and later he was associated with the sun when he was combined with Helios.

🐀He protects the young, gives the gift of prophecy, and encourages the founding of settlements.

🐦‍⬛His animals are the raven or crow, snake, swan, wolf, mouse, roe deer, cicadas, hawks, foxes, 🐀 🐦‍⬛🐺🦢

🌿Plants include laurel, cypress, larkspur, hyacinth, date palm, more recently sunflowers(they didn't exist in ancient Greece)🪻

🎵 Symbols are lyre, bow and arrow

What do you associate with Apollo?

Sources

Apollo

Wikipedia Apollo

Theoi Apollon

Greek gods

[bebemoon]

HEKAERGE, LOXO & OUPIS three hyperborean (of the mythical northern land) maidens who became immortal companions of the goddess artemis after their deaths on the island of delos. and, on delos, they eternally tend their goddess' shrine

[epistrefei]

HERE is what i have done so far of the timeline (below the cut bc its SO long)

mentions of war, violence, SA, radical religion, drugs, etc

1674 BC - Artemis & Apollo are born to Zeus and Leto. Hera forbids Leto from giving birth on land or water, but the free-floating island of Delos disobeys, allowing her to give birth there. This subsequently roots the island in that place.

Artemis was born first, as it was nighttime, and then acted as a midwife to Leto to deliver Apollo secondly due to his patronage of the sun.

1674 BC - Leto takes Artemis and Apollo to Lycia to bathe and drink from a spring there. The peasants prevent this by stirring up the muddy water and Leto turns them into frogs out of anger.

1674 BC - Zeus kidnaps Apollo and Artemis from Delos to fight Python.

1673 BC - Artemis first hunts at Agrae of Athens after her arrival from Delos.

1673 BC - The cult of Artemis, "Artemis Agoraea", is born in Olympia. The tradition of making a slaughter sacrifice to the Goddess is originated.

1664 BC - First Olympic games

1654 BC - Pandora opens a jar gifted to her and suffers the consequences

1650 BC - The River God Alpheus is in love with Artemis but realizes that he cannot have her heart. When Artemis and her companions at Letronoi go to Alpheus, she becomes suspicious and covers her face with mud to hide from him.

1648 BC - Alpheus attempts to rape Artemis' attendant Arethusa. Artemis takes pity on her and saves her, turning her into a spring in the temple of Artemis Alphaea in Letrini, where the Goddess and her retinue drink.

1630 BC - Bouphagos thinks of raping Artemis. She reads his thoughts and strikes him down at Mount Pholoe.

1628 BC - the Titans attempt to gain power once more but are defeated by the Gods. Atlas is punished by being made to carry the sky. Typhon is defeated and trapped under Mount Etna, a volcano.

1460 BC - Zeus sends a flood to destroy all of mankind after Lycaeon outrages the Gods. Deucalion and his family escape after Prometheus tells them to build an Ark.

1420 BC - Persephone is abducted by Hades.

1415 BC - Artemis saves the infant Atalanta from dying of exposure after her father abandoned her. She sent a female bear to nurse the baby and was then raised by hunters. Atalanta participated in the Calydonian boar hunt and drew first blood, thus winning the hide. She later hung it up in a sacred grove at Tegea as a dedication to Artemis.

1365 BC - Perseus is born.

1363 BC - Apollo and Coronis, Princess of Thessaly, fall in love and become pregnant. While Apollo was away, Coronis began an affair with a mortal man named Ischys. Artemis kills Coronis for this insult against her brother, and Asclepius is born from the dead mother's womb.

1350 BC - Daphnis, a young boy of Hermes, is accepted as a follower of Artemis. He often accompanied her hunting and entertained her with pastoral songs and playing the pan pipes.

1344 BC - Pegasus is born from Medusa's blood after Perseus slays her.

1300 BC - Niobe boasts that she is a better mother than Leto, as she has seven daughters and seven sons in comparison to Leto's Apollo and Artemis. Artemis uses her arrows to kill all of Niobe's daughters while Apollo uses his to kill all of her sons. Their father Amphion, upon seeing his children dead, was struck down by Apollo after swearing revenge. Niobe fled back to Mount Sipylus and was turned to stone. Water poured from her petrified complexion unceasingly.

1286 BC - Herakles is born.

1284 BC - Artemis and Britomartis become lovers, the latter being a hunting Goddess worshipped primarily in Crete. It is rather short-lived, as Britomartis transforms into another aspect of herself known as Aphaea, losing her memories in the process.

1283 BC - Artemis kills Adonis, Aphrodite's mortal consort, for slaying one of her favorite hunters, Hippolytus.

1271 BC - Theseus is born.

1270 BC - All of Greece is plagued by earthquakes and famine.

1268 BC - Broteus, a famous hunter, refuses to honour Artemis and boasts that nothing can harm him—even fire. Artemis drives him mad and causes him to walk into fire on a pyre as a sacrifice , thus ending his life.

1258-1246 BC - The Labours of Herakles take place.

1252 BC - Theseus kills the Minotaur at the center of the labyrinth built by Daedalus.

1246 BC - the birth of Achilles.

1246 BC - The voyage of Jason and the Argonauts.

1245 BC - Orpheus tries to rescue Eurydice.

1243 BC - Actaeon, a hunting companion of Artemis, finds Artemis naked while bathing in her sacred spring and attempts to force himself upon her. Artemis says that he is welcome to share his tale of seeing her in such bareness—if he can manage to share it at all, and she turns him into a stag while setting his own hunting dogs into a frenzy, tearing him apart and consuming him.

1232 BC - The twin sons of Poseidon and Iphimedeia, Otos and Ephialtes (thus known as the Aloadae), grew enormously from a young age. They were aggressive and skilled hunters that could not be killed except by each other. They boasted that as soon as they grew tall enough to reach the heavens, they would take Hera and Artemis as wives. All of the Gods feared them except for Artemis—she turned into a deer and leapt in between them, causing them to throw their spears at one another and resulting in their deaths.

1226 BC - Herakles dies and becomes a God after the Oracle of Dodona predicted such 15 months before.

1215 BC - Agamemnon restored as king of Mycanae.

1210 BC - Orion, a close friend and hunting companion of Artemis, is accidentally killed by her when Apollo deceives her with an archery competition. Fearing that she would fall in love with Orion and marry him, thus breaking her vow, he challenges Artemis while Orion is swimming far away in the sea. He wagers that she cannot shoot the "small dot" in the sea—Artemis, eager to prove being the better archer, shoots and kills him. She placed Orion among the stars in her grief.

1206 BC - Theseus is killed.

1193-1183 BC - the siege of Troy. Artemis halts the winds blowing the Greek ships, stranding the fleet in Aulis after King Agamemnon kills her sacred deer. Artemis demands the sacrifice of his daughter Iphegenia as compensation, however she saves the girl just as she is about to be burnt at the altar and leaves a deer in her place. She brings Iphegenia to Tauris where she led the priests for worship to Artemis.

Artemis supports the Trojans in the war and lures Hera into battle. However, Hera holds her and beats her with her own bow, causing the Goddess to flee to Zeus in angry tears while Leto followed with her bow and arrow.

1190 BC - Artemis stops an invasion of the Amazons at Pyrrichos in Laconia.

1188 BC - Chione, beloved by Hermes and Apollo, says she is more beautiful than Artemis for making two Gods fall in love with her. Artemis promptly shoots off her tongue, thus muting her, as Hermes and Apollo protect her from Artemis' full wrath.

1183-1173 BC - The Odyssey.

1183 BC - In the Odyssey, Artemis descends from a peak and travels along the ridges of Mount Erymanthos that was sacred only to the Mistress of the animals. When the Goddess became wrathful, she would send Erymanthian boar to lay waste to the fields. Artemis brought immediate death with her golden arrows. In the Iliad, Hera stresses the wild and darker side of her character and accuses her of being "a lioness between women".

1180 BC - In the Iliad, Artemis kills the daughter of Bellerophon after he angers the Gods by attempting to fly Pegasus to Mount Olympus.

1160 BC - Zeus' gigantic son Tityos attempts to rape Leto. She called to her children for help, and Artemis and Apollo were quick to rain their arrows down upon him, killing the giant.

1100 BC - Callisto, a beautiful nymph, is the second in command of Artemis' retinue. She pursues her Lady for quite some time, having fallen in love with her, and eventually they begin a secretive relationship. Zeus comes to Callisto in the form of Artemis and seduces her, thus making her pregnant. This greatly angers Hera who turns Callisto into a great bear, which Artemis mistakenly shoots and kills. In her grief, she transforms Callisto and her unborn son into the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

1101-1150 BC - the Iron Age/dark age of Greece begins, humans and the Gods distance themselves from one another.

880 BC - Homer writes his poems.

600 BC - Classical antiquity begins. Ancient Greece is characterized here until 600 AD.

500-499 BC - Artemis engages in a brief but intense relationship with the archaic poetess Sappho while masquerading as a huntress on the island of Lesbos. She often brought Sappho's family bounty in exchange for coin, as they were one of the wealthy in Mytilene.

509 BC - The beginning of the Roman Republic which overthrew the Roman Kingdom. This is the era of classical Roman civilization. During this period, Rome expanded to rule over the Mediterranean.

493 BC - Artemis is venerated by the great general Themistocles and builds a temple in her honour as well as a statue. This births the epithet Artemis Aristobule, meaning the best advisor.

490 BC - the Persians are defeated.

447 BC - The Parthenon is built.

440 BC - Herotodos writes his stories.

332 BC - Alexander III conquers Egypt.

330 BC - Alexander III conquers Persia.

146 BC - Greece is annexed by the Roman Republic during the Battle of Corinth.

51 BC - Cleopatra rules Egypt.

50-40 BC - Artemis travels between Egypt and the Roman Republic guised as a diplomat alongside her sister Athene.

44 BC - Julius Caesar is murdered shortly after being named dictator for life.

30 BC - Cleopatra and Marcus Antonius commit suicide.

27 BC - End of the Roman Republic marked by Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra's defeat at the battle of Actium in 31 BC. The granting of the Senate's powers to Octavian as Augustus effectively made him Emperor and ended the Republic.

Beginning of the Roman Empire.

16 AD - Laphria, a festival in honour of Artemis, is observed every year in Patras where a sanctuary of Artemis Laphria is located on the acropolis. This festival is unique to Patras and included many animal sacrifices as well as fruit from trees.

14 AD - Death of Augustus Caesar.

37 AD - Death of Emperor Tiberius.

41 AD- Emperor Caligula is assassinated.

54 AD - Emperor Claudius dies and Nero succeeds.

68 AD - Nero commits suicide.

79 AD - the destruction of Pompeii due to Mount Vesuvius' eruption. The Gods quarrel over their involvement. Artemis and Apollon attempt to save as many children as possible and largely fail without assistance.

106-117 AD - the Roman Empire at its largest. The Gods are primarily worshipped as their Roman counterparts. Artemis is known as Diana.

126 AD - Hadrian completes the Roman pantheon.

393 AD - The Pythia, Oracle of Delphi, gives her last prophecy to Emperor Theodosius I: "Tell the King that my hall has fallen to the ground. Phoibos no longer has his house, nor his mantic bay, nor his prophetic spring; the water has dried up."

380 AD - Christianity is declared heretical.

395 AD - The Roman Empire splits into the West Roman Empire and the East Roman Empire.

476 AD - the end of classical antiquity and Ancient History.

The West Roman Empire collapses.

The Middle Ages begin, also known as the Dark Ages due to very little being recorded.

1204 AD - The East Roman Empire collapses and is divided into Greek and Latin realms.

1261 AD - Constantinople and the East Roman Empire recovers, although only has regional power, the rest of the territories annexed by the Ottoman Empire.

Christianity is widespread and the Gods are no longer worshipped as widely. They lose power and influence and retire to the shadows before modern history.

1450 AD - The early Modern Era is characterized until 1750 AD. Marked by those such as Leonardo Da Vinci, William Shakespeare, Johann Sebastian Bach, etc.

1453 AD - The East Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire) collapses. Constantinople falls to the Ottoman Empire, which is succeeded by most Mediterranean countries as we know them today.

1650 AD - The Age of Reason characterized until 1800 AD.

1800 AD. - The Modern Era characterized until present day.

1820 AD - Fatigued by internal discord within his family, the Greek pantheon, and his immortality, Zeus steps down as King of Olympus. He retires to the mortal plane and breaks contact with all of the Gods, becoming reclusive.

1822 AD - After a brief power struggle, Hera maintains her title as Queen of Olympus, although assumes a leadership role among the Gods.

1823 AD - Apollo distances himself from Artemis and Leto and becomes recluse.

1853 AD - Most of the Greek pantheon have deserted Olympus and either seek isolation or solace in hedonism. Some even try to live among mortals.

1854 AD - Artemis sequesters herself among the wilderness and travels as a pelt merchant and huntress through Northern Canada.

1870 AD - In America, Artemis travels by horseback as a merchant for some years. She spends much time exacting petty revenge on men who cross her path or mistreat their wives and children.

1900 AD - Ares and Apollo begin collaborating to bring about the end of times and start attempting to recruit other Gods to their cause. They abandon their duties.

1911 AD - Dionysos complains of frequent nonsensical visions that are not contributed to drugs.

[aroaceleovaldez]

do you have any hunters of artemis headcanons? like what do you think a day in the life is like for them? any customs or traditions? or any interesting ocs?

My primary headcanons for the Hunters are a.) Artemis' retinue in mythology has bird nymphs so. bird nymphs. bird nymphs are in there somewhere. and b.) I completely revamp the oath stuff and their dynamic in general because canon handles it extremely poorly, retcons it poorly, and I don't like the vibe.

The version I go with is that Hunters can be any age, species, gender identity, whatever, just as long as they're okay and comfortable that they will probably be referred to femininely a lot of the time. The Hunt is not just young women, and not even predominantly young women, it's a very diverse mix. And that the Hunt does not explicitly forbid relationships, it only forbids relationships if they are distracting and pose a danger to any hunters (i.e. don't be kissing in the line of fire of the arrows), and explicitly forbids having children while under the oath.

The reason for this being that Artemis is protector of youth, women, and a goddess of childbirth, and in her mythology usually the thing she gets pissed about is her Hunters hiding a baby from her - which makes sense! That's one of her aspects! It's kind of dangerous for a pregnant person to be running around in the woods with a bunch of hunting equipment, or to have an infant in that environment. So my interpretation is the specific thing she is getting upset about is her Hunters endangering themselves and/or a youth, cause that essentially spits in the face of what Artemis represents. If they wanna have a kid they're welcome to leave and come back once the kid is old enough (which is what I interpret Jo & Emmie's leaving the Hunt to be - they just wanted to raise a kid). Also there's myths that imply the Hunters may have relationships between themselves so I like to give room for that. And there's a good couple of myths about male Hunters of Artemis so I hate that canon just gives a blanket statement "no" on that one and is so weird about it.

I don't have many interesting ocs for them yet (I'm working on that - I have like fffffour? Hunter ocs right now I think? My goal is to make at least 10) besides thinking about bird nymph huntresses. And as for customs/daily routine, I haven't thought about it much. I mostly just presume training, hiking, camping stuff, following trails and etc, taking care of the wolves/dogs and hunting birds, all that jazz. I do think a lot about how they have hunting birds though and want the fandom to do more with that. Where's Thalia with a pet falconry eagle.

[royal-wren]

Had to follow after your reblog of my art, I’ve never seen anyone who does work with/venerates the Terata before!!!

You'd be surprised actually! Medousa (purely the Hellenic, born a monster variant) and Kerberos (as well as others) are venerated too, and the Khimaira is noted to be a part of the retinue of Hermes. The Seirenes are immortal Nymphai who were attendants of Persephone. Pytho (the child of Gaia was a goddess of prophecy kicked to the curb by Apollon (and Artemis), Keto (and many other sea/water deities to be real) and Hekate are known to be monstrous and have forms to match, and Hera is a mother of monsters. With the Hellenic pantheon, the line between monster and god is thin given they are in the exact same family tree, and while they didn't get the same worship and attention, it doesn't diminish too much for the possibility for something personal to have happened in the past, and now.

My main thing for personal worship is to just worship her as a monstrous goddess embodying the terrors of the sea as much as Keto does, just not as far-sweeping as a regional thing. What's important is that it's cool, it's fun, and most importantly, who's gonna stop me but me? I never know who's going to show up and inspire mutual interest and I'm just living my best life.

[schweizercomics]

Companions of Christmas 2: Mrs. Claus!

Mrs. Claus was once better known by her given name, Alba. She was the nymph of the silver fir tree, a captain in the retinue of the goddess Artemis, and she first met Saint Nicolas when he came to do battle with her Lady. Nick was on a campaign to destroy Artemis's shrines and temples in his Asia Minor diocese in order to keep the Christians in his flock from “backsliding” into paganism. In these attempts, he frequently had to fight Artemis and her retinue, including Alba.

Over the years, Nick and Alba often ran into each other on the same errands of mercy, coming to the aid of a child or creature in peril. Although both were pledged to see the other undone, they found themselves allies in these ventures, first reluctantly, then enthusiastically.

Over the course of many decades and many encounters, Alba came to fall in love with Nick because of his kindness, generosity, and, above all, his fierce devotion to and protection of children, which mirrored her own. And Nick fell in love with Alba because of her unwillingness to stand by while the weak were harmed, the patience with which she sought to understand those who were different from her (patience & tolerance both being virtues that Nick clearly needed a lot of help learning)and the unmitigated joy she took from the natural world & its wonders.

Alba brokered a peace between Nick & Artemis (who presented him with her famous flying deer as a sign of peace and a means by which to better undertake his mission), married Nick, and now stewards the great fir forests of the North Pole, acting as protector & champion to the many creatures who find sanctuary there.