Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities and one of the oldest.^[1] In Greek mythology of the classical period, Artemis (Greek: (nominative) Ἄρτεμις, (genitive) Ἀρτέμιδος) was often described as the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. She was the Hellenic goddess of forests and hills, child birth, virginity, fertility, the hunt, and often was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrows.^[2] The deer and the cypress were sacred to her. In later Hellenistic times she even assumed the ancient role of Eileithyia in aiding childbirth.

Artemis later became identified with Selene,^[3] a Titaness who was a Greek moon goddess, and she was sometimes depicted with a crescent moon above her head. She was also identified with the Roman goddess Diana,^[4] with the Etruscan goddess Artume, and with the Greek or Carian goddess Hecate.