Not Any More…..
This has been retold many times, mostly with variants on what angered Artemis in the first place. I'm going back to the basic concept of the simple fact of being overlooked in her bath. Most stories agree that Actaeon was torn apart by his own hounds whilst in the form of a stag; the number of hounds varies and some sources name them [not always the same names] and some do not. This is a pure 'what if' concept.
Actaeon had had a hard day's hunting with his hounds; so leaving the pack leader Melampus to lead the others to water he went himself to a spring he knew to drink, and to bathe. Not expecting to meet anyone he pulled his tunic off on the way in anticipation of the cool sweet water.
He came into the clearing and there to his surprise – not to mention some horror and the betraying reaction of arousal – he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever beheld in his life and her maidens in attendance, bathing in a leisurely fashion.
And her beauty was beyond anything a mortal might possess; this was a goddess!
Artemis, the goddess in question, leaped to her feet in fury, beside herself that a mortal male should intrude upon her ablutions; and his physical reaction to her demonstrating his contempt for her virginal state! He was plainly a hunter; well if he liked rampant horns he should be a stag and be torn apart by his own hounds!
Actaeon fell to his knees and averted his eyes.
"Divinity; I crave pardon for so crass an intrusion!" he cried "Had I known you were here I should have died of thirst before I came here to drink and bathe!"
His abasement slightly mollified the goddess.
"You were thirsty?" she asked.
"Yes Oh Mighty Goddess" he said "And hot; I have been hunting. My dogs drink downstream. I thought to drink and bathe…this spring is a fine place, worthy of the gods themselves, I should not be surprised to find one who is plainly the mightiest of all."
"It is a nice spot" said Artemis, diverted. "You may approach the spring on your knees to drink; do not look up."
"Thank you divinity!" said Actaeon who was indeed very thirsty.
Artemis watched. If he drank like a beast, she would not spare him; if he showed more culture in front of her, she would.
By such are the gods inclined to decide.
Actaeon used his hands to scoop water to drink; and when one of the goddess' hinds came to sniff this strange creature he paused in his own drinking to offer her water from his cupped hands.
Artemis was pleased.
Besides he was quite attractive really; his muscles rippled nicely. She might be the virgin goddess but there was no reason not to appreciate.
"Hunter, you showed a physical reaction to my appearance" she said sternly. Quite a lavish one, she thought.
"Divinity, it is impossible for a mere man not to be stirred by even an instant's glimpse of such beauty" said Actaeon thinking hard on his feet – or rather knees "And if any man did not react so before the beauty of any lovely woman, let alone the most beautiful female in the world, he would surely insult her!"
"You aren't stupid, are you?" said Artemis. "How should I punish a man for such imprudence as to come upon me thus unawares?"
"Mighty goddess" said Actaeon simply "It is a punishment to any man to have glimpsed so perfect a woman and to know for the rest of his life that no other female he might ever meet could live up to it; and to know that he could never live up to even a tenth of such perfection."
"You silver tongued charmer" said Artemis.
She did not sound entirely displeased.
"I speak but truth" said Actaeon.
"Well I shall add to that punishment" decided Artemis who did not want to lose sight of this one. "You shall be tempted daily by my appearance since you will become my servant; not my slave for I would have you serve me willingly rather than discover what other alternative I might suggest. And you will guard my presence when I bathe, out of sight but not out of earshot lest I call you."
"Lady, I would gladly serve you as a slave" said Actaeon "But I pray that you will see my poor hounds cared for, who are innocent of any fault."
"They shall join my own pack" said Artemis "And they will be blessed by so doing; and will not age until such time as I see fit to release you from my service."
oOoOo
Actaeon's servitude was light enough; other than the frustration of knowing that the wonderful, glorious goddess was almost within glimpse if he would but peep through the trees when she bathed; but his word was his bond and Actaeon imagined and fantasised; but he did not look.
And they hunted together, he as master of her hunt; and marvelling at her skill he praised her ability with honesty and was honoured to aid her.
Artemis liked being praised as much as anyone; and from another hunter the praise was more valid. He WAS nice to have around!
And one day when she was bathing she called to him.
He ran through the trees with his eyes averted.
"Actaeon, have you aver peeked?" she asked.
"No, Mighty Artemis" said Actaeon.
Artemis might not have the power of prophecy that her twin had, but she always knew truth.
"Why is that, Actaeon?" she asked.
"Because it would be a betrayal of your trust of me as a guard, lady" said Actaeon.
"Have you ever wanted to peek?" she asked.
He swallowed hard.
"Yes lady" he said.
"Good" said Artemis "I need not feel insulted that you have no appreciation of my beauty. You may gaze upon me for an instant."
Actaeon raised his head, blushing furiously; and turned away as soon as he had seen a glimpse of the goddess in a languorous pose at the edge of the pool.
"Well it still seems to all be in working order" commented Artemis, who had been watching his tunic.
"Yes lady" said Actaeon.
"Do you want me?" asked Artemis.
"How could I not, lady?" said Actaeon "I try not to think about it."
"What is it like? Concourse between men and women I mean?" asked Artemis.
"Like manifold times the pleasure of completing the hunt and bringing down your quarry" said Actaeon "And I should think that if it were between the right people the joy would be in a mutual hunt each of the other."
There was a rustle of linen as she pulled on her tunic.
"Actaeon" said Artemis "You shall hunt; you shall hunt me. And be sure to do it with all your heart; I would not like you to permit me to win."
"LADY!" said Actaeon, not entirely sure what game the goddess was playing.
In truth, Artemis herself was not entirely sure. She just wondered what it would be like to be the quarry for once; but not in a deadly hunt but…..some other kind. She gave a tinkling laugh; and then she was running.
Actaeon froze momentarily; then set off in pursuit. He was thinking furiously. She meant what she said about doing his best; she had boxed one of her attendant nymph's ears for letting her win at chess. As he ran, it occurred to him that he would never have a chance of catching the goddess in a pure foot race across country; and pondered. She would win fairly enough if he merely pursued; but he would not then be doing his best. Would it be sacrilege to outthink her?
He decided it would not. She wanted him to try.
Actaeon had been with Artemis long enough to know her habits; and to discover that in some respects the gods were disturbingly limited. He adored her with all his heart; but there was an unchanging nature to the gods – and he had seen this too in others who had visited Artemis – that meant they were always tied to their epithets it seemed, unable to act uncharacteristically. Being the hunted not the huntress was a departure for Artemis; whilst being within her purview as goddess of the hunt, and so one she might make without too much strain on her divine nature.
Was it possible for a divinity to change their nature by an act of will? Would that be dangerous for them? Or would they grow stronger? Actaeon did not know; but he did know that he would do whatever Artemis wanted.
He set off at a ground-eating trot on a sidepath, that would bring him round in front of the path he suspected she would take.
oOoOo
Artemis stopped for a breather. She did not really need one; but it gave her a chance to think. She had heard no sound of pursuit; she was much fleeter of foot than SActaeon, but she was vexed that she had heard nothing of his pursuit. He had pursued hadn't he? Surely he could not have lost her spoor? Would she have to do something deliberately clumsy to give him the chance to catch up? He would hate that as much as she would hate him not giving her a good hunt.
The goddess stamped her foot.
And then she was born to the ground by Actaeon's weight as he leaped from the tree above.
"Actaeon!" she said, not realising how pleased she sounded "You got AHEAD of me!"
"Know the habits of the quarry" said Actaeon, holding her cradled to him on the ground.
"Actaeon….. I – show me the way a man and woman can hunt each other" said Artemis.
"Sweet goddess! I would do anything for your pleasure; but I fear that changing your divine nature as the celestial virgin would rob you of divine powers!" said Actaeon.
Artemis pulled his face down to hers.
"Because you care, sweet Actaeon, more for me than for the delights of my body, you shall be my divine consort" she whispered "Because I feel my powers surge to greater heights with the ability you have given me to change what I am!"
Actaeon laid down his cloak; and tenderly he loved his adored goddess, showing her how to lead the hunt for ecstasy and shared pleasure; and then he held her and stroked her hair, thinking that if she or mighty Zeus struck him down now he would be the happiest man in the world to die at a moment of supreme happiness.
oOoOo
Artemis took her consort to Olympus to show him off; she did not however boast that his love and concern for HER needs had empowered her to the point that she could herself give him eternal youth. When he did not grow old and die sooner or later the others might notice; but they were a limited bunch, she decided.
"My sister? You are the LOVER of my sister?" said Apollo, bewildered.
"She has granted me that honour" said Actaeon.
"But she's the celestial virgin!" said Apollo.
"Not any more" said Artemis smugly.