Artemis (Diana)

Artemis, the sister of Apollo and daughter of Zeus and Leto, is the virgin goddess of the hunt who also assists in childbirth. In the Iliad Book 21, she appears like a tearful child who goes crying to her father when her stepmother Hera boxes her ears, but among mortals she is more self-assured. Artemis is an archer with golden arrows, who also dances with the Charites. She takes her virginity and modesty seriously and punishes any infraction. This sometimes leads to conflict with the goddess of love, Aphrodite. When the Greeks under Agamemnon were halted at Aulis on their way to Troy it was because Agamemnon had offended the goddess with a boast that he was as good a marksman as Artemis. The winds were returned so the ships could sail after appropriate sacrifice was made to her. In this case, the sacrifice was Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia. In some versions, Artemis replaces Iphigenia with a deer at the last minute. The Roman equivalent of Artemis is Diana.