Fiction: Just Dance (Artemis / Penthesileia)

Hello my lovelies,

please enjoy this sapphic treat of Artemis rewarding Penthesileia for her good performance.

Glossary

Agrotera: the Huntress, a surname of Artemis.

aspis: ἀσπίς, a heavy wooden shield used by the infantry in ancient Greece.

pteryges: πτέρυγες, "feathers", are strip-like defences for the upper parts of limbs, the iconic skirt-like ancient Greek armour.

chitoniskos: "little chiton", a short chiton, reaching only to the mid-thigh.

Otrere: the first Queen of the Amazons, the consort of Ares and mother of Hippolyte and Penthesileia. She is credited with being the founder of the shrine of Artemis in Ephesos.

cuirass: a piece of armour that covers the torso, generally both a breastplate and a backplate piece.

strophion: a linen breastband, ancestor of the bra

kitharoidos: professional musician who plays the kithara, a large lyre.

potnia: lady, mistress

Phoibê: "the radiant one", a surname of Artemis as Phoibos is a surname of her brother Apollon.

Paphian: Aphrodite, after Paphos, the place where she was said to have first set foot after her birth from the sea and cult centre of her worship.

Just Dance

For you, too, the Amazons, whose mind is set on war, in Ephesos beside the sea established a wooden image beneath an oak trunk, and Hippo performed a holy rite for you, and, O Queen Oupis, around the image they danced a war-dance with shields and in armour, and then in a broad circle dance.
Hymn to Artemis (237-250) by Callimachus