Carrying a bow and quiver of golden arrows, dressed in a tunic and gold, Diana came to represent both the wilderness and the hunt, a favorite sport in both Ancient Roman and Ancient Greek culture, but also the idealized contrast in the tame countryside. This dichotomy was first seen in the Greek Artemis, who passed on most of her attributes to the Roman Diana. Similarly, Diana protected both wild and domestic animals. Diana was also seen as a triple goddess, a third huntress, a third of the moon, and a third of the underworld. Swearing to never marry, Diana was connected to childbirth and fertility due to her association with the moon and its cycles.

A deer or two is almost always paired with her. In the myth of Actaeon, a young hunter spies on Diana bathing and therefore is cursed and transformed into a deer only to be eaten by his own hunting dogs. Another popular myth explains how Diana accidentally killed her crush Orion due to target practice organized spitefully by Diana’s brother Apollo.

There was a resurgence of Roman mythology during the Renaissance and art of Diana was especially admired during this time from paintings to mechanical and magical objects like automatons. In the modern era, Diana has been considered a feminist figure. Even the character of Wonder Woman is named Diana, a descendant of the gods.