In this paper I analyse the representation of the goddess Artemis in Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic literature, tracing and explaining the changes in the depiction of the goddess and in her role in Greek religious life. Whereas in Archaic and Classical literature she appears primarily as a goddess of uncivilized nature, Hellenistic poets – especially Callimachus – stress her position in city life and even portray her as a goddess of justice. Thus the nature of the goddess and her place in the Greek pantheon seem to change in the Hellenistic period, and this paper addresses the way in which these changes in cult are apparent in literature.