Contemplation: we have earlier observed an array of directly coterminous conceptry viz. Artemis and Rudra (something which, to be sure, Manasataramgini – as per usual – beat us to as a general notion).

Now, I am considering Odyssey XI 172-3 – wherein Odysseys asks, effectively, how his mother has died when encountering her shade in the Underworld.

The text reads:

ἦ δολιχὴ νοῦσος, ἦ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα
οἷς ἀγανοῖς βελέεσσιν ἐποιχομένη κατέπεφνεν;

Which, per Murray:

“Was it long disease, or did the archer, Artemis, assail thee with her gentle shafts, and slay thee?”

Kline has:

“Was it a wasting disease, or did Artemis of the Bow attack you with her gentle arrows, and kill you? “

But why would Artemis be in the business of killing Odysseus’ mother?

Well, notwithstanding the detail recorded by Callimachus at 211 of his 3rd Hymn, to Artemis – wherein Anticlea is listed as a dear companion to Artemis (“καλὴν Ἀντίκλειαν ἴσον φαέεσσι φιλῆσαι”) …

… it would seem to me intriguing to contemplate whether the conceptry in the aforesaid Odyssey line was originally one.

That is to say – just as Rudra slays using arrows of disease … so, too, perhaps, Artemis. Ambika, associated with Autumn, and occurring as Rudra’s Sister [Svasā – स्वसा] , killing alongside Rudra (Apollo) in assumedly the similar fashion, would certainly seem to potentially support such a potentiality.

The difficulties, of course, being that i) ἦ when encountered in sequence like that is usually taken to mean “Either” and then “Or”; ii) the utilization of ‘ἀγανοῖς’ – ‘gentle’ … as in, a ‘quick/easy death’.

However, ἀγανοῖς itself also occurs in pointed reference to the Arrows of Apollo [e.g. Odyssey III 280 – and, with Artemis as well , XV 411].

Hence, given that prominent occasion for Apollo to utilize Roudran-style Arrows of Disease almost at the Iliad’s very outset … well, quite logically it should appear that there’s indeed an ‘either or’ approach to these Arrows from Apollo.

And so, too, do we have two rather divergent suites of circumstances resultant from the attentions of that Divinity of the Silver Bow [“ἀργυρέοιο […] τόξου”] as applies deaths and maladies (or … not that, except the natural fate of an old life) [119-133] … except oh wait, that’s Artemis being spoken of there, again in the context of the 3rd Hymnal of Callimachus.

Well Then.