Actaeon
heroActaeon was a master hunter who accidentally saw Artemis bathing naked — she transformed him into a stag and his own hounds tore him apart.
The Myth
Actaeon, grandson of Cadmus, was hunting on Mount Cithaeron with his fifty hounds when he stumbled upon Artemis bathing in a forest pool. The naked goddess, enraged at being seen, splashed him with water. Antlers sprouted from his head, his skin became a hide, and he ran as a stag. His own dogs, unable to recognise their master, chased him down and killed him. The myth warns about seeing what mortals should not see — the divine unclothed.
Parents
Aristaeus and Autonoe
Symbols
Fun Fact
Titian's "Diana and Actaeon" (1559) was bought by the National Gallery and National Galleries of Scotland for £50 million in 2009.
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