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Artemis, otherwise known as Selene, was the moon goddess, sister
to Apollo, the sun god. She drove her silver chariot across the night sky,
drawn by white stags, and shooting arrows of silver light with her bow.
She alone swung the tides, now hurling the waves to shore, now letting
them subside in silvery ripples, giving her a certain power over Poseidon,
despite his being king of the sea. Artemis was also the goddess of the
hunt and ran down the slopes and through forest glades, followed by troops
of laughing dryads. She was known to punish those who killed more than
they could eat, having them be thrown by their horses and lose their way
in the woods to be killed by wolves; wild animals were sacred to her, especially
the bear, wolf, lion and all kinds of wild birds. She was known to be cold
and aloof, despising cities and their crowds. She admired the goddess Athena,
her half sister, and took similar vows of chastity, which she then tried
to impose upon her dryads. She was known also, in some stories, as the
patroness of young lovers, lending for their revels and shadow to hide.
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