Artemis is one of the oldest gods in the Greek pantheon. Her name seems to appear in Linear B (at Pylos), although her identification there is not certain. In Homer she is called Potnia Theron , "Mistress of the Animals," and the image of a goddess (often winged) standing between two wild animals is common from early times and often identified with Artemis. A psychological approach to understanding the myth of Artemis might describe her as the feeling one gets when enjoying a hike in the woods.

Artemis' cult was spread throughout Greece and Asia Minor . At Ephesos her cult statue wears a long robe decorated with animals and, on the upper portion, rows of objects which look like breasts. (Their identification is much debated, and one theory even identifies them as bulls' testicles!) Her temple at Ephesos, as elsewhere, was served by eunuch priests. Her connection with wild nature covers not just the fertility of nature, but also the danger wild animals present; this is reflected in various myths where she demands the sacrifice of a young girl to appease her anger.

In Greek ritual, Artemis was connected with the initiation of girls and with childbirth. Girls nearing the age of marriage danced in groups at festivals to Artemis where they could (safely) be seen by young men; and at Brauron (near Athens) girls spent time in the wild, as she-bears, before they could marry. Also at Brauron, the clothing of women who died in childbirth was offered to Artemis.