In Roman mythology Diana, goddess of the moon and of the hunt, daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo, was essentially a goddess of the woodlands, her sanctuaries were commonly in groves, indeed every grove was sacred to her. She was chief hunter to the gods also the goddess of nature, and of the harvest. the guardian of springs and streams and the protector of wild animals.

In art she is typically shown as a young hunter, usually carrying a bow and arrows, like her brother Apollo. She would use her bow and arrows to punish mortals who angered her.