28. What ancient Greek poet, known for his "Theogony" and "Works and Days", told the story of the giant huntsman Orion and the goddess Artemis in his lost epic poem "Astronomia"?
From Quiz Artemis Awaits!
Answer:
Hesiod
The poet Hesiod is thought to have been active at the same time as Homer, between 750 and 650 BC. As its title implies, the "Astronomia" was mostly about constellations: one of the fragments that have survived in quotations contained in other works relates the story of Orion and his death from a scorpion sting.
As a virgin, Artemis was the object of affection and desire for many men and gods, but only the huntsman Orion had managed to win her heart (although she remained chaste). There are great variations on the story of Orion. In Hesiod's version, Orion threatens to kill every beast on Earth, and Gaea kills him with the scorpion. In another variant, Artemis accidentally kills him. In either case, Zeus makes Orion a constellation at Artemis and Leto's request.
The Roman goddess Diana was associated with the Greek Artemis very early on, and by Horace's time it was conventional to translate Artemis into Latin as Diana, as he did in his "Carmina" ("Odes").
[question and 1st paragraph by LadyNym]
[FT Category: Literature]