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 . She was the Hellenic goddess of the hunt , wild animals , wilderness , childbirth , virginity and protector of young girls , bringing and relieving disease in women ; she often was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrows . Potnia Theron ( Ἡ Πότνια Θηρῶν , `` The Mistress of the Animals '' ) is a term first used ( once ) by Homer ( Iliad 21 .