Greece, Macedonia, AR Tetradrachma

Greece, Macedonia, Roman Province, 158-150 B.C., AR Tetradrachma

Macedonian shield with head of Artemis with quiver
Rv. Club in oakwreath

Historical 

Artemis is the Greek goddess of hunting, nature (the wilderness), fertility and the moon. She is one of the twelve great Olympian gods and thus one of the most important deities in Greek mythology. 

Like Athena, Artemis is considered a virgin goddess and the daughter of Zeus. Her mother is the Titaness Leto. Her younger twin brother is the god of the "fine arts" Apollo.

In the forest, especially when hunting, she is considered the mistress and guardian of the animals, which are under her special protection. Her sacred animals include deer, wild boars, bears and dogs. The goddess is particularly often depicted with a stag or her two hunting dogs.

Artemis usually roams the forests of ancient Greece alone or accompanied by her nymphs. Sometimes she is accompanied by her twin brother Apollo.

Since no one is allowed to approach Artemis or her nymphs, every stranger in nature, especially men, must follow the "rules of the forest". If the rules are not observed and carelessly disregarded, as reported in Ovid's myth of Actaion, a cruel death must be expected. Thus Ovid tells how Aktaion, while hunting, surprises the goddess Artemis while bathing, whereupon she turns him into a stag and he is mauled by his own dogs.