I chose to focus on Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, because she has always been my favorite goddess. The image above is by the artist Titian, designed approximately between the years 1559 and 1575. The title of this well-known artwork is “The Death of Acteon. The painting depicts the scene when Acteon, a hunter, stumbles upon the goddess Artemis and her handmaidens bathing naked in the forest. As punishment, Artemis transforms Acteon into a stag and sends his own hunting dogs to kill him. The figure of Acteon is illustrated with the head of a stag and the body of a man. Ovid’s Metamorphoses are a common theme
NOT “theme”, BUT “source”E THE VARIOUS MYTHS ARE THE “themes”
in ancient mythological paintings and are used by artists and sculptors alike in the ancient world, “The Death of Acteon” as just one example. The goddess Artemis is the twin sister of the god Apollo and daughter of the mortal Leto and Zeus, king of the gods. She is a fiercely independent figure who is
PLEASE CANCEL “is” OR MODIFY “protects”
also passionately protects her family from any harm that may befall them. Artemis helped her mother safely cross a river, and even helped Leto give birth to Apollo. These actions are why Artemis is also known as the goddess of childbirth and fertility. Artemis has always been my preferred goddess for multiple reasons. I was first drawn to Artemis because along with her other attributes, she is famously associated with animals. Animals have always held a special place in my heart and some of the happiest moments I have are when I am around certain animals, big or small. Artemis, along with Athena, is a “virgin goddess” who prays to Zeus to grant her “eternal virginity.” Artemis is one of the few goddesses who remains a virgin forever, which makes her a unique character among the rest of the gods and goddesses, who are much more “carefree” in their romantic relationships. This is a trait that Artemis and I both hold in high regard, as my parents instilled in me that virginity is a gift and should be saved until marriage. My dad even gave my sister and I purity rings so that we would always have them as a reminder.
Like Artemis, I am very driven and independent in certain situations. Artemis is protective of her family and would do anything to protect them from harm. I treasure time with my family and I always look forward to spending quality time with them. Artemis also is a protector of the nymphs of the forests where she hunts. I find this to be a gesture of loyalty to nature and to the fields created by the gods. Although Artemis is a woman, she does not let that hinder her from performing tasks that are seen as “unwomanly” or “unfeminine”, such as hunting with bows and arrows and participating in warlike activities to protect the ones she loves. Another one of Artemis’ attributes is her association with healing. This has a very personal connection to me because I have struggled with a chronic illness for many years. I have always been drawn to the medical field, even more so now that I have personal experiences with long term sickness. London is a city full of ancient history and is the perfect setting for learning about mythology and its numerous characters. There are museums scattered throughout many corners of this vibrant, unique city. Our mythology professor took our class to the National Gallery, one of the most famous history museums in London. The Gallery has paintings depicting scenes discussed in myth, such as the “Death of Acteon” painting of Artemis that I included towards the top of the page. I chose this specific painting because it depicts Artemis as a strong and powerful figure that is able to take care of herself, without the help of a male figure. I like to think of Artemis as a feminist goddess because she proves that women can survive and flourish in the world without the help of men. Her courage and strength are just two characteristics of her that I admire and how I aspire to live my life.
The Gods and Heroes mythology course is a class I have looked forward to ever since my acceptance into the London Summer study abroad program at The University of Roehampton. In high school, my siblings and I all studied Latin to fulfill our foreign language credit and mythology was one of the key topics. I always looked forward to the days where the whole class was dedicated to solely mythology and nothing else. My teachers would tell us dozens of stories about the gods and goddesses and the crazy shenanigans that would occur on Mount Olympus and the fights that would always break out. Even before high school, I would read books about mythology for hours on end, where I learned all the names of the heroes and the gods and goddesses.
I FEEL THE LACK OF A PROPER DISTINCTION BETWEEN PERSONAL FEELINGS ON MYTHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS AND A REFLECTIVE NARRATIVE/INTERPRETATION CONCERNING THEM.
I quickly jumped at the opportunity to take a mythology course while abroad because no matter how many times I hear the stories, they never become boring or monotonous. Mythology is such an intricate topic with thousands of loopholes and symbolism, and there is always drama that keeps readers intrigued. Although this class was only three weeks long, I have learned many interesting tidbits about mythology and about the gods, goddesses and heroes of mythology. I have seen famous paintings in person and have noticed Greek and Roman mythological details and figures all over London buildings and streets, now more than ever before. My background in Latin from high school helped me feel confident about the subject at hand, and allowed me to have a clearer understanding about Ancient Greek and Roman culture and mythology. I feel that I have undergone a transformation both as a student and as a person as a result of my time abroad. I feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity to learn about the multi-faceted topic of mythology in one of the most historical cities in Europe.
References:
http://www.ephesus.us/ephesus/mythology_of_artemis.htm
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/titian-the-death-of-actaeon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Actaeon#/media/File:Actaeon.jpg
https://www.greek-gods.org/olympian-gods/artemis.php