A late comment...
Cybele ("Diana of the Ephesians") was
not many-breasted at all. At least one
surviving colossal statue shows clearly
that she is hung round with several of
her votive offerings, the ball-bags of
(former) bulls. With this in mind, it can
be seen that even very much less
detailed statuettes show not-breasts,
with no nipples.
Artemis was invoked to ease the pain
of childbirth (the "arrows of Artemis"),
which doesn't make her a goddess of
fertility, exactly. The idea seems to have
been that labour was her revenge on
women who had abandoned their
virginity.
0
A late comment...
Cybele ("Diana of the Ephesians") was
not many-breasted at all. At least one
surviving colossal statue shows clearly
that she is hung round with several of
her votive offerings, the ball-bags of
(former) bulls. With this in mind, it can
be seen that even very much less
detailed statuettes show not-breasts,
with no nipples.
Artemis was invoked to ease the pain
of childbirth (the "arrows of Artemis"),
which doesn't make her a goddess of
fertility, exactly. The idea seems to have
been that labour was her revenge on
women who had abandoned their
virginity.