LETO - Mother of Apollo and Artemis
Leto was the daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe. Coeus
was the Titan god of intelligence and Phoebe was the Titaness
of the moon. She was the goddess of Things Unseen. Leto
was the sister of Asteria, the goddess of Zeus noticed Leto's
beauty and ravished her. She became pregnant and Hera was
very jealous of her. Hera told everyone not to allow her
a place to give birth. Leto finally made it to the island
of Delos. She was able to stay there because the island
was actually her sister Asteria who had been transformed
into the island while trying to escape from Zeus. When Leto
gave birth, it was through terrible pain because the goddess
of childbirth, Ileithyia, was forbidden by her mother Hera
from going to Leto.
Leto gave birth first to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt,
wilderness, and animals. She was also a protectress of maidens
and was able to help her mother give birth to Artemis's
twin brother Apollo. Apollo was the god of light, music,
prophecy, and healing.