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Artemis (Greek: Ἄρτεμις) was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the
twin sister of Apollo. She was the goddess of hunt, animals, childbirth and
virginity.
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Artemis name could be related to Bear (Greek: Αρκτος), supported by the bear cult of the goddess in
Attica where a sanctuary was established in Brauron (Greek: Βραυρων)
since Iphigenia’s return from
the land of Taurus.
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Many gods and men were attracted to Artemis, but only her
hunting companion, Orion, won her heart. A scorpion sent by Apollo, who wanted to
protect his sister honor killed Orion, a giant and a legendary hunter. Apollo to appease his bereaving sister threw
Orion and his dog to heaven. Orion became
the most beautiful constellation and Sirius the brightest star in the winter
sky of the northern hemisphere. There
are many myths about Artemis and the bear; such as she became enraged when Callisto,
one of her nymphs who allowed Zeus to seduce her and bear him a son, Arcas, the
ancestor of Arcadians. Artemis changed her into a bear then shot and
killed her. As Orion, she was sent up to the heavens, and became the
constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major) commonly known as the Big Dipper. In an another myth, Artemis sent a wild boar to kill Adonis as
punishment for his hubristic boast that he was a better hunter than she.
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Artemisia I (Greek: Ἀρτεμισία) was
queen of Halicarnassus in Asia Minor, who allied and fought for Xerxes I, during the second Persian
invasion of Greece. She personally
commanded her fleet at the naval battles at Artemisium and allegedly was the
admiral of the Persian fleet at Salamis in 480 BC. Herodotus,
states that she was the only female commander on either side and praises her
decisiveness, intelligence, and courage.
The Great King Xerxes during the battle of Salamis said that if his men
fought like Artemisia, a woman, no army could stand in his way.
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Artemisia is a large, diverse
group of plants of the daisy family of Asteraceae. Artemisia species grow in temperate climates,
usually in dry or semiarid habitats. Notable species include A. annua
(sagewort), A. vulgaris (mugwort), A. tridentata (big sagebrush), A. absinthum
(wormwood), A. dracunculus (tarragon). Most species have strong aromas and bitter
tastes. Artemisin a compound found in A.
Annua has been used for medicinal purposes since the time of Hippocrates. Treatments containing artemisinin-combination
therapies are used in malaria while a recent study reports potential therapeutic
effects in breast cancer.
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