Temple of Artemis

The Temple of Artemis, also called the Artemision, was a monumental Greek temple.

It was dedicated to a local version of the goddess Artemis. The Romans later identified her with their own goddess, Diana. This temple stood in Ephesus, near modern Selçuk in Turkey. Because of its incredible size and beauty, it was named one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The temple served as a vital political and social center for the citizens of Ephesus.

The history of the sacred site, or temenos, began long before the stone structures were built. Archaeologists have found evidence of occupation dating back to the Bronze Age. In the second half of the 8th century BCE, a peripteral temple was constructed. A peripteral temple is one surrounded by a row of columns. This may have been the earliest Greek temple of this type on the coast of Asia Minor. However, in the 7th century BCE, a massive flood destroyed this early version. The flood deposited over half a meter of sand and debris over the clay floor.

A second, more famous phase of the temple began around 550 BCE. This reconstruction was funded by Croesus, the ruler of Lydia. The Greek architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes designed the structure. It was approximately 115 meters long and 46 meters wide. This version is believed to be the first Greek temple built primarily of marble. The architects used a unique foundation method to protect against earthquakes. They placed layers of charcoal and fleece under the structure. The temple featured double rows of columns, some reaching 13 meters in height.

The temple was a place of great wealth and religious activity. Visitors included merchants, kings, and many curious sightseers. People often left jewelry and valuable goods as offerings to the goddess. Archaeologists discovered a rich foundation deposit known as the Artemision deposit. This find included more than one thousand items. Among these were some of the earliest known coins made of electrum, a silver-gold alloy.

These coins often bore inscriptions, such as the name of the individual Phanes.

In 356 BCE, the temple suffered a major disaster when it was burned down. An individual named Herostratus committed arson by setting fire to the wooden roof beams. He reportedly did this to achieve fame, a concept now called herostratic fame. This event occurred around the same time as the birth of Alexander the Great. The people of Ephesus were so angered that they sentenced Herostratus to death. They even forbade anyone from speaking his name. Some scholars suggest the fire might have been related to the sinking foundations of the building.

After Alexander the Great died, the Ephesians rebuilt the temple at their own expense. They refused Alexander's earlier offer to pay for the reconstruction. This third version was even more massive than the second. It measured 137 meters long and 69 meters wide. The structure stood 18 meters high and featured more than 127 columns. It was decorated with gold, silver, and paintings. Renowned Greek sculptors contributed beautiful works to the temple's interior and exterior.

As centuries passed, the temple faced several more challenges. In 268 CE, a raid by the Goths caused significant damage to the area. Later, as the Roman Empire transitioned toward Christianity, the temple's role changed. The temple was eventually closed in the 5th century CE. Over time, the name of Artemis was even erased from local inscriptions. Today, only the foundations and small fragments remain at the site.

These ruins allow us to study the incredible scale of ancient Greek architecture.