HUM-8 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: List Of Fertility Deities, Mighty Aphrodite, Honour
Document Summary
Artemis turned actaeon into a deer so his dogs killed him. removes her hunting gear and clothing (piece by piece), handing each to her attending nymphs. Bad luck was to blame for his death. He stumbles onto gargaphia a sacred spot to artemis. This area is perfect as if humans created it, but they did not. Artemis/diana, who has also been hunting, wants to bathe in this sacred precinct. Actaeon enters the cave and sees her naked artemis gets embarrassed note that. Artemis takes the water and throws it at actaeon. He starts to turn into a stag and cannot speak. He is scared to stay but ashamed to go home. Artemis: niobids, actaeon, orion she herself kills these in myth, honor: what does she think dishonors her? trespassing on sacred ground, killing of animals one ought not, cf. themes of virginity and sexual potential.
