Artemis Orthia

Artemis, daughter of Zeus and Leto, is well known great Goddess of the ancient Greeks. She represented Female divinity with power not only to inflict evil but also to cure and alleviate the sufferings of mortals. Mistress of animals, the Huntress, Goddess of the moon. She was known for Her beauty and the unpitying wrath when offended. Accompanied by suite of sixty nymphs, seven bitches and six dogs, her chariot was drawn by six stags with golden antlers. She was spending Her time hunting and dancing. Always carrying Her golden bow, quiver and arrows, Artemis was the most independent of the Greek Goddesses.

Loved by many gods and men, only Orion, the handsomest man in the world, was allowed to follow Her, just to be killed by Her. The reasons for his death vary from accident to punishment, but there is a long list of chastisements executed upon wrongdoers by Artemis - Leimon struck down by arrow, Queen Niobe's seven daughters killed by arrows, Python slain by arrows, Tityos sentenced to eternal torture, Aktaion transformed into a stag and then teared apart by his own dogs, Alodais gigants were tricked by Her to kill each other, Bouphagos struck down by arrow, Sipriotes transformed into a Girl, Kallisto transformed into a bear, Melanippe transformed into a black mare, and so on and so forth.

The sanctuary of Artemis Orthia (Upright) in Lakedaimonia was important religious site in Sparta. Two princes (Astrabakos and Alopekos) found small wooden statue of Artemis, which only pure maidens were permitted to see. The two were immediately struck mad at the sight of it. Spartans then, while sacrificing to Artemis, fell to quarreling and fighting among themselves and many were killed directly at the altar. To propitiate the Goddess and stop killing, an oracle said, they should stain the altar with human blood. From that time on Spartan lads were scourged on the festival of Artemis Orthia, until their blood gushed forth and covered the altar. By them stood the Priestess, holding the wooden statue. However small and light, if ever the scourgers spared the lash, then at once the Priestess found the statue grow so heavy that She could hardly carry it. She blamed the scourgers and demanded that the beating be performed properly. So the statue ever since the sacrifices in the Sparta kept its fondness for lads blood.