Cult of Artemis at Brauron - The Wrath of Artemis

The Wrath of Artemis

Artemis needed to be appeased or the results could be disastrous. “One legend describes how the polis of Patrai was punished with plague (loimos) and famine (limos) because a priestess of Artemis Triklaria entertained her lover in the sanctuary. The punishment was so severe because the young priestess had committed a triple violation: violation of the standards of purity for the sanctuary, violation of the requirements of sexual purity for service to Artemis, and, because the priestess represented all the young women of the community, violation of the social requirement that young women be kept from sexual experience until the time of marriage.” The young participants in the Brauronia were expected to act in a certain way to stay in good favor with Artemis. “The anger of Artemis was always a risk. One commentator describes the girls celebrating the arkteia at Brauron as ‘soothing’ or ‘appeasing’ the goddess… Another says that girls had to ‘placate the goddess for their virginity (parthenia), so that they would not be the object of revenge from her.’