Iphigenia, like all the young girls of ancient Greece, worshipped Artemis above the other gods and goddesses. After marriage most women focused more on Hera, who oversaw marriage, or Hestia, goddess of the hearth, but Artemis was ever the protector and patron of maidens. They all prayed to her, left gifts at her altar, and took part in her festivals.
As a princess, Iphigenia was able to give more lavish gifts than many of the other girls, and was given a place of honor in most of the festivals. However, it was not either of these things that initially drew Artemis's attention to the girl. Instead, the goddess watched with amusement as little Iphigenia convinced her brother, Orestes, to teach her to shoot a bow and begged her father to let her come along on hunting trips. And she heard Iphigenia pray, years before she need even think of such things, to never marry and instead stay a maiden forever, like Artemis herself. It was a wish Artemis would grant if she could, but one she knew was seldom possible for humans, especially royalty.
Fond as Artemis was of Iphigenia, she had many duties to see to and many devotees praying to her, and over the years she lost track of the girl. Until one day Iphigenia's voice rang clear in her head as the girl prayed, demanding her attention.
"Oh, great Artemis, hear my prayer. Father said I was to be married to Achilles, and I could have accepted that as my duty, but he lied." There was so much pain in Iphigenia's voice that Artemis began moving toward the girl immediately, wanting to help even without knowing what was wrong.
"The wind will not blow, and Father's ships cannot sail to join the battle at Troy," Iphigenia continued. "They say it is your anger that keeps the wind still, and they say you demand that Father sacrifice me before you'll let it move again. I beg of you, Artemis, if I have ever been faithful to you, allow me to live!"
Artemis's blood boiled, and she saw the passing landscape through a haze of red as she rode to Iphigenia as quickly as her horse would carry her. It was true that she sided with Troy in the brewing war, but controlling the wind was hardly her domain. And to say she had demanded the sacrifice of a girl still under her protection, as if she would ever do such a thing, was an insult unlike any she had ever previously suffered. She would save Iphigenia, and she would make the ones behind this heinous act pay.
Artemis arrived just as Agamemnon plunged the sacrificial knife towards his daughter's heart. She pulled Iphigenia to safety, making the girl invisible and leaving a replica in her place. The replica bled as if it was a real human. Let Agamemnon think he had truly killed his child. The guilt would punish him until Artemis thought of something fitting. Although, from the way Iphigenia's mother was glaring at him, he might receive his punishment without godly interference.
They stood, unseen, as the crowd filed away from the sacrificial altar. Iphigenia stared at Artemis in wonder. The goddess smiled at the girl, not wanting to frighten her. "Iphigenia, I apologize what has happened here. Know that I never asked for you to be sacrificed. If you would like, I will make you immortal and take you into my hunting troupe, to keep you safe from those that would harm you forever more."
Iphigenia's look of amazement morphed into one of pure joy, and she nodded eagerly. "Yes, my lady, I would like nothing more than to join you if you'll let me."
Artemis laughed at the girl's enthusiasm. "Well then, it's decided," she said.
Artemis and Iphigenia rode together, away from the sight of the would-be sacrifice, the wind picking up as they left. From that day forward, Iphigenia was a treasured member of the huntresses. Centuries later, when the people had stopped praying to Artemis, even under the name of Diana, Iphigenia would be the one to suggest that they strike out to see the world.
And Artemis, loathe to disappoint her dear friend and always hungry for adventure herself, would be all too happy to agree.
Author's Note: Iphigenia was sacrificed by her father Agamemnon at the start of the Trojan War so his ships would be able to set sail. A seer had told him that this was the only way to convince the goddess Artemis to allow his army to set sail, because she was the one who had stilled the seas. In some versions of the myth, Artemis saves her at the last minute, grants her immortality, and takes her on as an attendant. I wanted to establish Iphigenia's character a little more, and make it seem more plausible that Artemis would want to grant her immortality and keep her around by making her one of Artemis's favorites prior to the sacrifice. I also didn't think it made sense for Artemis to demand Iphigenia be sacrificed only to save her, so I changed the story to where Artemis never demanded the sacrifice in the first place. I made it more of a coincidence that the wind had stopped blowing and picked up again after Iphigenia's apparent death because I wanted to emphasize how pointless it would have been for Agamemnon to cause the death of his own daughter, and because Artemis isn't exactly associated with seafaring to begin with. Agamemnon does get what's coming to him without Artemis' intervention. His wife, Clytemnestra kills him the night he gets home from Troy.
Image: The Sacrifice of Iphigenia