DIA'NA (Lat., OLat. Jana, fem. of JallI18, probably connected with Lat. Jupiter, Gk. Dios. of Zeus. Skt. dlr. sky). A Roman goddess, corresponding in most of her attributes to the Greek Artemis. According to the common myths, she was the daughter of Zeus and Leto. the twin sister of Apollo. and therefore worshiped with him at Delos, Meths. and many other places. There seems good reason for believing that this connection with Apollo is one of the later develop ments of the worship of Artemis. It exercised. in time, a powerful influence on literature, art, and religion. To this aspect of Artemis belongs the conception of her virgin purity, a quality which she was supposed to require strictly from others. especially from her priests and priestesses. From the fifth century o.c., Artemis is frequently identified by the poets with Selene, the moon goddess, and Hecate, while still later she was connected with numerous foreign deities, in whose worship the Greeks thought they found kindred rites. Such were the Persian Anaitis from the Oxus, the Thracian Bend is, the Cretan Rritomartis or Dietynna, the goddess of the Tauric Chersonese (the Crimea), who was wor shiped with human sacrifices, and, above all. the great nature-goddess who was the chief deity of Ephesus. where her temple was the wonder of the world. In archaic art, Artemis often appears as winged and grasping two lion; or other wild animals, the so-called 'Persian Artemis': hut later the prevailing type is that of the huntress. with high-girded tunic, armed with bow and quiver, and sometimes grasping a deer. She also appears in long, flowing robe:, and. fl Selene, wears the ereseent moon on her forehead. The Vomaos identified with the Greek Artemis. their Italian goddess Diana. who was also a nature-goddess. Der worship was rapidly Ilene nized. hut the cult in the grove at Nemi (q.v.)
was long preserved. The distinguishing feature of this sanctuary was that the priest must ',sin his position by killing his predecessor; a require ment which in historic times led to this place being filled with runaway slaves. consult Frazer, Golden Donal+ (3 vols., London. 1900).
The conception of this goddess is singularly devoid of unity, and there is (mu•l in the legends and cults which suggests the union tinder a coin mon name of originally diverse ]oral divinities. ENeIl the nanle i. still unexplained. In it any phases of her cult. .krtetnis appears as a naturc-goddcss, as bringing fruitfulness. and as on mountains and in IlleathM S. Or sae rod grates, or even as Conneeted With the swamps and streams. or with husbandry. prominent in the literature and art is the con ception of Artemis as ruler and guardian of the al world. not merely of deer. bear, and other wffld cr•attires, hut also of domestic cattle, for the bull is one of her chosen victims, and the bucolic poetry of the shepherds is said to have arisen at her festivals. Artemis (sometimes directly identified with Eileithyin) was sup posed to protect women in childbirth; she also watched over the growth of children. To her they offered their hair 4)11 attaining maturity, and the maidens, before marriage. dedicated their toys, dolls, and garments. But Artemis does not always appear as the friendly deity. She is also a goddess of death, especially in the case of WOIllell. W110111 she slays with her gentle arrows as Apollo does men. In this aspect. she de manded human sacrifices. and there are nume rous traces of such bloody rites in such Creek legends as that of 1phigenia, and in later sym bolism. See AIN'T!! ; .AIITOOLOGX.