The temple of artemis at Ephesus

By Mitali Sharma

Location

• The Temple of Artemis was built close to the Kayster River in Ephesus, Turkey on marshy land in 800BC.

• The original temple was primitive and was reconstructed to be more extravagant, but even the new temple was said to have been destroyed amongst fighting between Lydians and Greeks. After it was rebuilt, it was destroyed in a flood. The next time it was rebuilt, it was five times as large as it previously was, but was burned to the ground by a madman, Herostratus. The temple again was rebuilt, but twice as large as the Parthenon.

• The Temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times until now when it lays in ruins, due to being attacked by Goths, with only one column left standing.

Purpose

• The Temple of Artemis was destroyed and rebuilt even times, but they were built by the most prominent architects and sculptors of their time such as Chersiphron, Scopas, Praxiteles, Phidias, and Polyclitus

• The Temple of Artemis was built to honor the Greek goddess Artemis and provide a cult place for her.

• The Temple of Artemis not only served as a place of worship, but also a marketplace.

Uniqueness

• The Temple of Artemis is very unique in that it was destroyed and rebuilt seven times over ten centuries and is chalked full of rich history due to these events. From King Croesus to Alexander the Great, many people who went down in history played a part in the temple’s history.

• The longest it took to rebuild the Temple was 120 years.

• The Temple was a marble structure, adorned with gold, with a wooden roof, and contained four bronze statues of the Amazons.

Ancient Foresight

•The Temple of Artemis has the same columned structure as many other Greek monuments.

•The Parthenon and the Pantheon both demonstrate this feature.

•The Temple of Artemis was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Bibliography

• http://turkeyephesustours.com/ephesus/the-temple-of-artemis.html

• http://www.personal.psu.edu/cak5152/Artemis%20temple.htm

• http://www.ephesus.us/ephesus/templeofartemis.htm

• http://www.seven-wonders-world.com/temple_artemis_ephesus.htm

• http://www.worldwonders.eu/the-7-wonders-of-the-ancient-world/89-the-temple-of-artemis-at-ephesus.html