The gods

Who is the older twin, Artemis or Apollo? What does this older twin do after being born? What do they do with their gifts?

Artemis. After being born, she helped her mother Leto give birth to her twin Apollo. She then passed her gifts of childbirth to Eileithyia (daughter of Zeus and Hera)

What is Artemis the goddess of? (5)

the hunt, wild nature, childbirth, virginity, the moon

Who are the parents of Artemis and Apollo? Where were the twins born?

Apollo and Artemis are the children of Zeus and Leto, they were born on an island called Delos

Leto, Artemis, Apollo, Niobe and her 14 children

Niobe Queen of Thebes bragged in a display of hubris that she was superior to Leto (mother of Artemis and Apollo) because Leto only birthed 2 children while Niobe had birthed 14. Angry, Leto complained to her children who avenged their mother. Artemis killed all 7 of Niobe’s daughters while Apollo killed her 7 sons. Weeping Niobe was turned to stone, and her stone form continues to weep eternally

Actaeon

• Elite young man who defied Artemis and was transformed into a stag

• Actaeon was out hunting with his friends and his hunting dogs. Actaeon got lost and stumbled upon a cave where Artemis was naked, bathing, surrounded by her attendants. Angry, Artemis splashed some water onto Actaeon which turned him into a stag. Actaeon was then hunted, killed, and torn to pieces by his own dogs.

who became known as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor?

Callisto (attendant of Artemis) and her son by Zeus, Arcas

Callisto and Arcas

Callisto was an attendant of Artemis, raped by Zeus and fell pregnant, but decided she still wanted to be Artemis’ attendant. Artemis was outraged (whole virginal goddess thing), and Callisto gives birth to a son Arcas who grows up and has a good life. Callisto is then somehow turned into a bear and lives out her life. Arcas is out hunting and almost unknowingly kills his mother but Zeus intervenes and turns Arcas into a small bear. Later, they are turned into the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

describe Orion’s life prior to his hunting partnership with Artemis

Orion wished to marry Merope, the daughter of a king named Oenopion. Oenopion did everything he could to delay and deny the marriage. Orion grew impatient, snuck into Meroe’s quarters and raped her. Oenopion blinded Orion and sent him away, Orion eventually made his way to Crete where he hunts and eventually dies

how does Orion die? (2 possibilities)

1. Orion hunts on Crete and kills many animals which angers Artemis. Artemis sends a scorpion to kill him but he is somehow saved and turned into a constellation

2. Orion gets close with/becomes hunting partners with Artemis (who mind you is a virgin goddess) which her brother Apollo does not like. Apollo tricks Artemis into shooting Orion while he is swimming. Once she realizes what she has done, Artemis sort of brings Orion back to life as a constellation

What happens in Eurypides’ Hippolytus?

• Hippolytus (Theseus+Hippolyta), much like his birth mother Hippolyta is a devoted follower of Artemis and intends to remain a virgin, avoid love etc… which angers Aphrodite.

• Aphrodite curses Phaedra (second wife of Theseus) to fall in love with Hippolytus. Phaedra resists but after two years, she confesses to a nurse of some sort who reveals Phaedra’s feelings to Hippolytus.

• After the nurse (ish) reveals Phaedra’s feelings to Hippolytus, he goes off on a misogynistic rant about how women are a blight on existence.

• Phaedra overhears this rant and worries that Hippolytus will reveal her feelings to Theseus, so she writes a note accusing Hippolytus of trying to seduce her and then commits suicide

who is Hippolytus? Who are his birth parents? who raised him?

Hippolytus is the son of the Amazonian Queen Hippolyta and the hero Theseus. After Theseus and Hippolyta’s relationship didn’t work out, Theseus raised Hippolytus with his new wife Phaedra (daughter of Minos)