According to Greek legend, Artemis was the
daughter of Zeus, and twin sister to Apollo, god of the Sun.
Whilst sometimes regarded as the Moon goddess, Artemis is
more generally accepted as the goddess of the hunt. It is
said that, at her birth, she went to her father Zeus and
asked not for rich clothes, jewellery or ornaments, but rather
for a short tunic, a bow and a quiver of arrows. She settled
in the land of Arcadia and it was there that she hunted the
wild boar, deer and bears that lived in the rugged mountainous
countryside of that region.
Michael Rizzello's portrayal of Artemis displays perfectly
the striking if rather stern features and athletic figure
of the goddess, carrying the weapons of the chase and wearing
the short tunic and traditional cothurus or lace-up buskins
on her feet.
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