She is the daughter of Zeus, twin sister to Apollo, the slayer of the giant Tityus, killer of Orion and the 15-foot-tall bronze fountain outside of where you have bowling class.
Bow in hand, Diana, goddess of the hunt, animals and fertility, overlooks passersby as they deliberate between an iced or hot mocha from the Illini Union Starbucks. She observes a vase decorated with depictions of women hunting boar. In the surrounding pool, three scantily clad marble figures of demons and women give her attention that is otherwise nonexistent in the mortal world.
This detailed piece was built by famed Swedish sculptor Carl Milles and given to the University by Time Inc. and the class of 1921.
To fully understand the campus’ favorite fortune of a fountain, one must be able to grasp the history of such a structure.
Fountains began as means for drinking, bathing and washing for the residents of cities, towns and villages. However, please don’t take this as an excuse to try out your new 12-in-one shampoo in front of unsuspecting Illini Union goers. The goddess is known for her unprovoked cruelty, and you’ll probably be met with a paralleling harshness from public safety.
As the world changed, so did fountains. They took the shape of pious structures in Nepal, represented paradise in Islamic gardens and became associated with the source of purity, wisdom and innocence in the medieval age. So maybe a dip in the water wouldn’t be such a bad idea for some of you.
In their current form, fountains are purely decorative odes to the past, with Diana being a reminder of the University’s alumni and our fervent love for campus wildlife.
Since your friends abroad will probably sicken you with their photos in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, maybe take a minute, risk there a long line for Just BEE Açaí and take a photo in front of Diana. She’s a goddess, and Oceanus, depicted on the Trevi Fountain, is only a titan — so you’ll win. Aside from upstaging your friends, be sure to stop and appreciate this fountain — or any fountain — as humans have for millennia.
