CLAS104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Potnia Theron, Iphigenia, Eileithyia
Document Summary
Artemis (diana: nature, concerns, hunting and wild animals: she gives success to hunters and protects the wild animals. Called potnia theron mistress of the beasts : nature, concerns, hunting and wild animals, childbirth (along with hera and eileithyia): She is born first of the twins and assists at apollo"s birth. Note the importance of fertility to the greek pantheon; some say that all goddesses are manifestations of original great mother: virginity and young maidens. She is the most militant of the virgin goddesses; She always has a band of young maidens who run the wild woods with her; When greek girls married they left the care of artemis. Amazons worship her especially: moon (selene) cf. Hecate (chthonian deity of fertility, magic, witchcraft, crossroads) and. Artemis" three-fold manifestation: nature, concerns, character, twin (of apollo), archer & intelligent, but deity of nature not culture, merciless: especially as killer of young girls eg.