Artemis is a goddess.
Artemis ( [ ˈɑːrtᵻmᵻs ] Ἄρτεμις , Modern Greek : Άρτεμις , Ártemis , [ ár.te.mis ] ) was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities . Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera , Potnia Theron : `` Artemis of the wildland , Mistress of Animals '' . Potnia Theron ( Ἡ Πότνια Θηρῶν , `` The Mistress of the Animals '' ) is a term first used ( once ) by Homer ( Iliad 21 . An Artemis type deity , a ` Mistress of the Animals ' , is often assumed to have existed in prehistorical religion and often referred to as Potnia Theron , with some scholars positing a relationship between Artemis and goddesses depicted in Minoan art and `` Potnia Theron has become a generic term for any female associated with animals . ''