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Diana (Roman Goddess) Facts & Worksheets

Diana is a Roman goddess considered a patroness of the countryside, hunters, crossroads, and the Moon.

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Diana is a Roman goddess considered a patroness of the countryside, hunters, crossroads, and the Moon.

See the fact file below for more information on Diana (Roman Goddess), or you can download our 26-page Diana (Roman Goddess) worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ORIGIN OF DIANA

  • Diana was born from the union of Jupiter and Latona, according to Roman mythology. 
  • The couple had fallen in love and married, but Jupiter, as is often the case, quickly fell out of love and found another.
  • Juno, the goddess of family and marriage, was Jupiter’s new wife. Juno was a vengeful wife who held grudges against her husband’s lovers and their children.
  • When she discovered Latona was pregnant, she resolved to do everything she could to prevent the birth, even summoning a monstrous sea creature called Python to hunt her down.
  • Latona was forced to flee and endure the agony of childbirth alone for days. 
  • Some nymphs heard her plight and came to her aid, helping her to give birth to the children.
  • Diana took on the role of midwife as soon as she emerged from the womb, assisting Latona in the delivery of her twin brother,  Apollo who appeared dressed in white wielding a bronze sword. 
  • The twins worked together to track down the dreadful creature known as Python, who had stalked their mother. They eventually enticed the creature to Delphi and its doom. 
  • They pounded the beast with arrows until it died. Finally, the twins were fated to take opposing paths; Apollo to the bustle of civic life and Diana to the solitude of the forest.

DIANA ETMOLOGY

  • The name “Diana” (known as Jana in Old Latin and Diana in Late Latin) was derived from the Proto Indo-European dyeu-, which meant “to shine” or “to give off light.”
  • Other words derived from the same root include the Greek word theos, the Latin word deus, the Persian word daiva, and the Sanskrit word deva, all of which translates as “god.”
  • Diana was known by a variety of nicknames throughout the centuries. Diana Triformis and Diana Trivia were both nicknames for her tripartite personality.
  • Diana Caelus, or “Heavenly Diana,” was another name given to her by members of the Roman pantheon. Finally, she was Diana Nemorensis, or “Diana of the Wood,” representing the Italic version of Diana, the figure Hellenized by the Romans and influenced by Artemis.

ROLE OF DIANA IN ROMAN MYTHOLOGY

  • Diana was revered as a fertility goddess, assisting women during conception and childbirth and helping them give birth safely. 
  • Diana was held in high regard by women and those who wished for painless childbirth would pray to Diana.
  • Diana became a symbol of purity. Women who wished to conceive and have a family would pray to Diana.
  • She was well-known for her ability to safeguard mothers and children. 
  • There were times when Diana’s mother referred to her as Lucina. The goddess was also known in Roman society as a protector of plebeians, or members of the Roman lower class. 
  • She is also thought to have protected slaves. They were frequently granted refuge in Diana’s temples.
  • Furthermore, Diana is commonly known as the goddess of the hunt, but she was also known as the goddess of the woods.
  • Some associate her with wild animals, the moon, fertility, and chastity. 
  • Diana’s devotees believed she could communicate with woodland animals. They also believed Diana could control the movements and behavior of animals.

RELATION TO OTHER GODS

  • Diana was the daughter of Jupiter, the god-king, and Latona, an ancient Titan. Apollo, the god of wisdom, rationality, and the rule of law was her twin brother. 
  • Diana had many half brothers and sisters, including Mars, the god of war, Vulcan, the god of the forge, and Juventus, the god of youth and adolescence.
  • According to Roman mythology, Diana was once part of a triad with two other Roman deities: Egeria the water nymph, her servant and midwife, and Virbius, the woodland god. Diana is revered in Roman neopaganism, Stregheria, and Wicca, among other modern neopagan religions.
  • Diana’s mythology included stories that were variations on earlier Artemis stories. The myth of Actaeon is perhaps the most well-known of these. 
  • In his version of this myth, which is part of his poem Metamorphoses, Ovid tells of a pool or grotto concealed in the wooded valley of Gargaphia. Diana, the woods goddess, would bathe and rest there after a hunt.
  • Actaeon, a young hunter, happened upon the grotto and without invitation witnessed the goddess bathing. 
  • Diana cursed him and splashed him with pool water in retaliation, and he transformed into a deer. His own hunting dogs picked up on his scent and ripped him apart.

SYMBOLISM AND POPULAR CULTURE

  • Diana is often depicted in statues and artwork with a bow and a quiver of arrows, accompanied by a hound (a hunting dog) or a deer. She is usually dressed simply in a short dress, only a draping cloth, or nothing at all.
  • Diana statues with three heads were created by some Roman sculptors. They were in the form of a horse, a dog, and a boar due to Diana’s strong associations with hunting, the moon, and woodland creatures.
  • Diana’s myths were frequently represented in the visual and dramatic arts in the Renaissance, including in the opera L’arbore di Diana. 
  • Diana’s image was prominently displayed in the 16th century at the châteaux of Fontainebleau, Chenonceau, and Anet in honor of Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henri of France.
  • On August 13 every year, Diana was honored during the Nemoralia festival, another term referring to her sacred grove in Nemi. 
  • The festival began in Nemi and quickly spread to other Roman regions as the empire expanded. The festival lasted three days and nights, with torch-bearing worshipers leaving tokens of devotion to Diana in sacred wild places such as bodies of water, groves, and woods.
  • The mythology of the goddess has survived in modern times as the Artemis or Diana archetype, a young girl, often revoked from life who boldly crosses moral and physical boundaries. The girl who fights ferociously for what is right, drawing on a reservoir of inner tenacity.

Diana (Roman Goddess) Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Diana (Roman Goddess) across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Diana, who is a Roman goddess considered a patroness of the countryside, hunters, crossroads, and the Moon.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Diana (Roman Goddess) Facts
  2. The Goddess Diana
  3. Symbols of the Goddess
  4. The Modern Huntress
  5. Goddess of the Wild
  6. Goddess of the Moon
  7. Goddess for Mothers
  8. Celebrating Diana
  9. Diana x Artemis
  10. D.I.A.N.A. Free Verse
  11. Story in Pictures

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Roman goddess Diana known for?

Diana was the Roman goddess of wild animals and hunting. She was associated with the Greek goddess Artemis. Diana’s name is made up of similar elements to “sky” and “daylight”. Diana also had a role as a domestic animal goddess like her Greek counterpart.

What are the Roman goddess Diana’s powers?

Owing to her association with hunting, Diana was also revered as the goddess of the woods, children, and childbirth, as well as fertility, chastity, and wild animals. Her followers thought she had the ability to communicate with forest creatures and even influence their behaviors and movements.

What does “Diana” mean?

Diana is a beautiful name with Greek, Latin, and Indo-European origins. It means “divine” and is associated with the Roman goddess of hunting, forests, the moon, and fertility. Diana was known for her beauty and grace.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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