“Outline the role of the Goddesses Aphrodite and Artemis in

Artemis is the Goddess of hunting, virginity, and the moon and is the protector of animals. Artemis fiercely preserves her virginity and was followed by virgins, typically why Hippolytus followed her so avidly. There are references to Hippolytus hearing Artemis, as he is a virgin and attributed to having special powers because of this. Artemis has primarily has a symbolic role before the play even begins. Callimachus wrote a hymn to Artemis that tells us …

…Aphrodite. As she is so angry with Hippolytus it is believable that she would tell Theseus, even if it were fiction. Both of the Goddesses have their separate uses although Artemis is more elevated than Aphrodite because she speaks at the end of the play. This may be Euripides preference. However Aphrodite is more integral to the action and has better uses. Artemis may merely be for balance purposes and to express the poets’ opinions.