106:, as described by Aeschylus, the Greeks had earned the disfavor of Artemis by shooting one of her sacred stags and thus were unable to put to sea against the Trojans due to disfavorable winds, conjured by the goddess. In lines 1446â1468 of Euripides' 'Iphigenia at Tauris' we find a reference to this origin myth: "And you, Iphigeneia, beside the holy stairs of Brauron you must hold the keys for the goddess herself: where you will die and be buried, and â as a delight for you â they will dedicate the finely woven material of woven cloth which by chance women having lost their lives in childbirth abandon in their homes. I command you to send forth these Greek women from the ground due to their correct intentions.â
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was a defender of wild animals, and was believed to punish harshly those who killed them for objectionable reasons. She was also identified with wildlife, and many areas were designated as sanctuaries and refuges where the hunting or killing of wildlife was either prohibited or restricted. Artemis was symbolic of ethical principles of hunting and wildlife management. These principles stemmed from the belief of primitive hunters and gatherers who believed that living things were sentient, intelligent beings, deserving of respect. Due to these factors, when embarking on hunts, hunters needed to be mindful of the respect and reverence due to nature and wildlife.
296:(double flute). The young girls also carried baskets of figs. Little is known about what each stage of the ritual meant, but it is understood that they each symbolized a gesture of devotion to Artemis in return for her protection over the young and guidance on their way to maturity. Early on the participants wore actual bear skins, but by the 5th century BC bears had become scarce. The skins were substituted with krokoton. These short, saffron-yellow chiton dresses were meant to symbolize the bear skins and were "shed" during the final ritual to symbolize the participant's maturation.
142:) because a priestess of Artemis Triklaria entertained her lover in the sanctuary. The punishment was so severe because the young priestess had committed a triple violation: violation of the standards of purity for the sanctuary, violation of the requirements of sexual purity for service to Artemis, and, because the priestess represented all the young women of the community, violation of the social requirement that young women be kept from sexual experience until the time of marriage." The young participants in the
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desperation, she shrugs out of her robes and tries wordlessly to reach out to the elders, hoping that in their pity they will release her from her hell. Iphigeniaâs shedding of her robes is an act done by the âbearsâ of
Brauronian Artemis, as depicted by vases which show the bears having shed their robes and naked, an act which is significant as the fulfillment of a bearâs career. Iphigenia makes the original sacrifice and the âbearsâ continue the ritual by shedding their saffron robes.
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young boys, would gather to celebrate
Artemis, the great she-bear. They did this by assuming the image of bears themselves and performing certain rituals. Vases depict images of races and dancing to honor the goddess. The dance, also called the "arkteia", was made up of slow, solemn steps meant to imitate the movements of a bear and was performed to a tune from a
279:
Since she was associated with territorial boundaries, defensive positions, and the wilderness, many of the sanctuaries were located at the periphery or near water. Whether located on a mountain, marshy area, or near a river, water was often a focal point in the sanctuaries. Brauron was located where a river flowed into the
207:. The wealth of archeological artifacts documenting this festival in the form of painted vases and tablets suggests it was widely known; evidence suggests that the "girls that took part in the Athenian Braurania were a 'select few chosen from the best families'" to represent the entire community. French historian
179:
Athenians consulted the oracle and they told that there would be a release from the plague if they compelled their virgins to play the bear, as blood price for the death of the animal. The
Athenians decreed that no virgin might be given in marriage to a man if she had not previously played the bear for Artemis."
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Thanks in large part to Greek beliefs in regards to
Artemis, large sections of the Greek landscape were preserved for many years. For this reason, Artemis is seen as an early pioneer and patroness of environmental education and the worship of the virgin goddess is in large part responsible for many
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There is evidence that during the 5th century the festival at
Brauron was celebrated every 4 years; earlier on it may have been an annual event. The site at Brauron may have flourished as far back as the Neolithic and Mycenaean periods. During the festival young girls, and it seems that on occasion
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which is the deme nearest to
Brauron) "and spend time there; and it became tamed. A virgin was playing with it and, when the girl began acting recklessly, the bear was provoked and scratched the virgin. Her brothers were angered and speared the bear and because of this a plague fell upon Athens. The
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A major part of the
Arkteia was the presence of animal symbolism. The symbolism served to give the children (aged five to ten years old, ideally ten) an introduction to environmental education and concern for nature. This is due in large part to Artemisâs reputation as a protector of wildlife. She
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The worship of
Artemis at Brauron, and throughout ancient Greece, had several effects on Classical society. Two have already been noted: the need to appease Artemis affected the women participants and temples of Artemis were consciously placed in defensive or contested locations. Another, the dance
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said of the cult practices, "The myth is not difficult to explain: in exchange for the very advance of culture implied by the killing of wild animals, an advance for which men are responsible, the girls are obliged before marriage â indeed before puberty â to undergo a period of ritual 'wildness'."
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Cole suggests that âthe theme that unites the most distinctive sites of
Artemis is the idea of dangerous or threatened passage. She was particularly associated with places of narrow access⊠sensitive places necessary for a cityâs defense but also the places most vulnerable to enemy penetration.â
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Another myth is much more simple. According to this myth, two
Athenian men killed a bear sacred to Artemis, who, âresponding by sending a plague that would cease only if the Athenians would consecrate their daughters to her, the âbear Artemisâ, every five years.â Artemis was worshipped as the
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In response, an oracle declares that a human sacrifice is required and Agamemnon orders his daughter, Iphigenia, to come forward for the sacrifice but under false pretenses. The attendants seize her and she is gagged to prevent her cries from reaching the ears of the gods. In a final act of
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would be ark-temnis, âbear-sanctuary,â or more fully paraphrased, âshe who establishes (or protects) the bear sanctuary.â Such sanctuaries were commonly and most characteristically groves of trees near water. The placement and structure of the temple at
68:." "The initiation ritual for girls was called the Brauronia, after the location of Artemis' shrine at Brauron, in Attica, where the ritual, performed by girls before they reached puberty, took place." Brauron is the site where
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The stages described in this excerpt have been attributed the rituals of the Cult of Artemis at Brauron. Though some sources disagree, it is most commonly accepted that the participants were between the ages of 5 and 10, as in
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As soon as I was 7 I was an arrhephoros (sacred basket carrier). Then at 10 I was an aletris (miller of corn) for the foundress, and shedding my saffron robe I was an arktos (bear) at the Brauronia. âAristophanes
244:âŠThe textiles and garments actually donated survive only in the list preserved on stoneâŠâ At Brauron there have also been found certain vase fragments depicting what is certainly initiates and participants in the
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Hughes, J. Donald (October 1990). "Artemis: Goddess of Conservation". Forest & Conservation History (Forest History Society and American Society for Environmental History) 34 (4): 191-197.
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world. This is evident from the presence of Artemis shrines and followers in various regions across ancient Greece. One of the most famous worshiping sites for Artemis was in
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Great-She-Bear and the girls, who were required to undergo a period of ritual âwildness' before puberty, were her images, the arktoi, and often wore bear masks in rituals.
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were expected to act in a certain way to stay in good favor with Artemis. "The anger of Artemis was always a risk. One commentator describes the girls celebrating the
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carried significance because its features were often included in the worship of Artemis. Besides Brauron, many other temples devoted to Artemis worship existed.
174:, "the reason that young girls at Athens had to play the bear was because a wild bear used to come to the deme of Phlauidoi" (this is a mistake, it should be
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Cole, Susan Guettel (2004). Landscapes, Gender, and Ritual Space: The Ancient Greek Experience. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp.193
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Cole, Susan Guettel (2004). Landscapes, Gender, and Ritual Space: The Ancient Greek Experience. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp.184
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Harris, Stephen L. and Gloria Platzner, eds. Classical Mythology Images and Insights. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2004, 335.
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of Arkteia, dealt in part with the wilderness aspect of Artemis. The Arkteia marked the beginning of the transition of a parthenos to a
283:. The structure of the temple highlighted the nearby river because water was essential to the rituals performed in honor of Artemis.
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young girls danced for Artemis, in some places playing the role of animals. At the Attic site, or Brauron, in the rite called
49:. Artemis is said to have presided over all the biological transitions of females from before puberty to the first childbirth.
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Blundell, Sue and Margaret Williamson, eds. The Sacred and the Feminine in Ancient Greece. New York: Routledge, 1998, 36.
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Blundell, Sue; Williamson, Margaret (1998), The Sacred and the Feminine in Ancient Greece, New York: Routledge, pp. 30-34
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Blundell, Sue and Margaret Williamson, eds. The Sacred and the Feminine in Ancient Greece. New York: Routledge, 1998, 30.
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Blundell, Sue and Margaret Williamson, eds. The Sacred and the Feminine in Ancient Greece. New York: Routledge, 1998, 33.
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Vidal-Naquet, Pierre (1981). Formes de Pensées et Formes de Société dans le Monde Grec. Paris: Francois Maspero. pp.196.
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Walbank, Michael (1981). "Artemis Bear-Leader". The Classical Quarterly (Cambridge University Press) 31 (2): 276-281.
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Osborne, R. 1989. âReview: Girlsâ Transitions in Attic Ritual and Art.â The Classical Review 39: 273
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as âsoothingâ or âappeasingâ the goddess⊠Another says that girls had to âplacate the goddess for their
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Hughes, J. D. 1990. âArtemis: Goddess of Conservationâ. Forest & Conservation History; 34:191-197
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Stinton, T. C. W. 1976. âIphigeneia and the Bears of Brauron.â The Classical Quarterly 26:11-13
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in particular the offerings include, âimplements such as
568:(October 1990). "Artemis: Goddess of Conservation".
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