Leto

Leto was the daughter of the Titans Coeüs (Coeus) and Phoebe. Leto was the sister of Asteria. It is uncertain what attributes that this goddess had, but she may have been a mother goddess or a goddess of fertility.

Leto was also the mother of two important Olympian gods, Apollo and Artemis, by Zeus.

Of all the goddesses who suffered from Hera's jealously, none suffered more than Leto. Zeus seduced Leto. And though she was a goddess, Leto was persecuted right throughout her pregnancy.

Everyone feared to let Leto give birth on their land, fearing Hera's wrath. Leto was forced to wander until she arrived on the island of Ortygia (island near Delos?, the story was that her sister Asteria was changed into an island. See Asteria).

Hera prevented her daughter Eileithyia, goddess of childbirth, from easing Leto's labour pain. Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis, clinging to an olive tree.

Other sources said that she gave birth to Artemis only on the island of Ortygia. Then the infant Artemis helped her mother with giving birth to Apollo on the island of Delos.

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Apollo and Artemis were often there to help her whenever she was in trouble. In Delphi, she was chased by the giant Tityus (Tityos), who tried to rape her.

Tityus was a giant, the son of Zeus and Elare, the daughter of Orchomenus. To protect Elare and the unborn child from the wrath of Hera, Zeus hid Elare under the earth. Tityus grew rapidly.

Leto was travelling to visit her son in Pythos (Delphi) when Tityus saw her and was overcome with lust for the Titaness. Tityus pursued Leto until her children arrived and killed the giant. But his punishment didn't stop with his death. Apollo and Artemis had Tityus bound in Tartarus, where vultures fed eternally from Tityus' heart (Homer says liver).

Niobe boasted that she had seven-times more children than Leto, who were strong and beautiful. Niobe foolishly told the Thebans to abandon the worship of Leto and worship her as a mother goddess.

Apollo and Artemis answered the queen by killing all of her children. See Wrath of Heaven for more detail about Niobe and her children.

Leto was sometimes seen hunting in the woods with her daughter Artemis, and occasionally with her son. Her weapon used for hunting was the bow, of course.