Female Vocational Education in Callimachus’ Hymn to Artemis

Female Vocational Education in Callimachus’ Hymn to Artemis

Callimachus’ Hymn to Artemis, which is relatively understudied compared to the other hymns in the collection, has been traditionally thought to have a haphazard structure (Vestrheim 2000) or none at all (Wilamowitz 1924, Bornmann 1968). More recent studies (Bing & Uhrmeister 1994, Stephens 2015) have identified a narrative arc that traces Artemis’ development from a παῖς (4-40a) to δαίμων (40b-86) to θεή (87-112) to ἄνασσα (113-137). This paper intervenes in the longstanding debate of whether the Hymn to Artemis is coherent by tracing an additional narrative of the young goddess learning to hunt. This study does not only complement abundant scholarship done on Hellenistic education (Pfeiffer 1968, Stephens 2003, Fantuzzi & Hunter 2004) but also contributes to the burgeoning field of ancient childhood studies, for which Callimachus serves as an excellent case study (Snell 1946, Ambül 2007, Cozzoli 2011, Payne 2011).

First, I will argue that the narrative of how young Artemis obtains a technical education runs throughout the hymn. As part of this narrative, Artemis first identifies her interests in the bow (τόξα), hunting of hares (λαγωβολίαι), abundant chorus (χορὸς ἀμφιλαφής), and having fun in the mountains (ἐν οὔρεσιν ἑψιάασθαι) (1-19). She then gathers the necessary tools to cultivate her interests (40ff), teaches herself how to use them (98ff), and receives instruction from other gods (153ff). Finally, Artemis becomes a full-fledged hunting expert herself, causing the poet to warn the reader to avoid contending with the goddess in her craft (262). Following this analysis, I will argue that Artemis’ technical education ought not to be confused with intellectual development. The evidence suggests that the young goddess fits the Ambüllian conception of children, which characterizes them as miniature adults, rather than the Snellian conception, which attributes Romantic ideas of innocence, naivety, and helplessness to them. In other words, young Artemis was always predisposed to becoming a successful hunter.

Second, I will contrast Artemis’ technical expertise with the skills of human hunters and the poet himself, which is relevant to my overall argument because it solidifies the key themes of the narrative offered by this paper. I will argue that Artemis’ technical expertise is contrasted with the poor decision-making of human hunters and with the high artistic ability of the poet, which he compares to skillful hunting. Whereas human hunters sometimes fail to foresee their errors, the poet demonstrates full control of the Greek literary tradition and the educational narrative of this hymn. The fact that the poet uses similar vocabulary to describe his poetic prowess and Artemis’ interest in hunting suggests that the two are related in his mind.

In sum, the presence of an educational narrative in Callimachus’ Hymn to Artemis is unsurprising, since Callimachus lived, thought, and wrote during the age of extreme erudition, which primed him for an interest in learning. However, his focus on vocational education, and a girl's one at that, allows us to understand more fully the educational values popular in the Hellenistic period.