［希臘神話32］阿爾特彌斯
Artemis
Apollo drove his golden carriage across the heavens during the day，admired as the sun-god．Artemis also raced across the sky in solemn style at night，respected as the moon-goddess．Sitting in an airy carriage drawn by milk white horses，“the queen of wide air” gave off silver light all over the sleeping world below．Though she remained single all her life，the maiden heart of the goddess was at least for once excited as she saw the beautiful youth Endymion sleeping．
She was pure and fair and calm．She was the example of maiden modesty and grace．Just as Apollo represents manly beauty，so Artemis stands for feminine purity and virginity ．As their patron goddess she took it as her duty to protect marrying girls and young women in trouble．It was her altar that those maidens turned for love and happiness．
The twin sister of Apollo was also the goddess of hunting and wild life ．Dressed in a short hunting-suit coming up to the knee and followed by a team of noisy lovely fairy maidens，Artemis had always her bow of pearl and shining arrow with her and travelled in the woods in search of wild animals．When she felt hot and tired she would retire to a spring to take a bath．It was here that young Actaeon accidentally came and suffered cruel treatment at the hands of the goddess．Indeed，the goddesscould be thoroughly heartless and stopped to be lovely as soon as the bad side of her nature got the upper hand in her．The sadthing of Niobe was just a case in point．
白天阿波羅駕駛著金色戰(zhàn)車穿越天空，被仰慕為太陽(yáng)神。晚上，阿爾特彌斯以莊重的姿態(tài)飛越夜空，被敬仰為月亮女神。坐在乳白色戰(zhàn)馬驅(qū)動(dòng)的空中馬車中，這位“廣闊天空的王后”向沉睡的大地散發(fā)出銀色的光芒。她終身未嫁，但至少有一次當(dāng)她看到英俊的恩底彌翁酣睡時(shí)，女神萌發(fā)了愛(ài)慕之情。
阿爾特彌斯心靈純潔，容貌娟秀安祥。她是少女端莊嫻雅的楷模。如果說(shuō)阿波羅代表了男性美，那么她則象征著女性美――貞潔。作為守護(hù)神，她把保護(hù)困境之中的待嫁女子當(dāng)作自己義不容辭的責(zé)任。少女們都來(lái)到她的圣壇前祈求愛(ài)情與幸福。
作為阿波羅的孿生妹妹，她也是狩獵女神。她身穿及膝的短獵裝，有喧鬧可愛(ài)的仙女尾隨身后。阿爾特彌斯總是手持珍珠色的弓和發(fā)亮的箭，在林中漫游，尋找獵物。當(dāng)她又累又熱時(shí)，就來(lái)到泉水旁沐浴。而當(dāng)阿卡同無(wú)意間來(lái)到這里時(shí)，卻遭到了女神的虐待。事實(shí)上，當(dāng)兇殘的一面占了上風(fēng)時(shí)，女神就會(huì)變得殘酷無(wú)情。阿卡同的遭遇正說(shuō)明了這一點(diǎn)。阿爾特彌斯
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