Artemis and Kallisto: Bears, Women, and Sapphic Lore

What if the story of Artemis and Callisto is about more than divine punishment?

In this free Pride Month workshop, we will explore the many versions of the Callisto myth, from Archaic Greece to the Roman world, examining how ancient authors reshaped the relationship between Artemis and her beloved companion. We will trace the story through themes of female community, desire, transformation, and power, while exploring the symbolism of bears in the cult of Artemis and the mysterious connections between women, wilderness, and initiation.

Together, we will ask whether the myth preserves traces of ancient relationships between women, how later authors altered those traditions, and what Callisto's transformation into a bear might reveal about Artemis herself. Through myth, archaeology, ancient literature, and cult practice, we will uncover a story far richer and more complex than the versions most commonly told today.