Temple of Artemis (Artemision) in Ephesus | History, Architecture & Legacy

Temple of Artemis

THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS (ARTEMISION) been tried on the plan and superstructure of the temple. The column rows consisting of 8 columns in the west and 9 columns in the east surrounded the temple in double rows on the long sides, while the cult statue of Artemis was standing in a

The source of the Ephesian Artemis without "Saikos" or probably in a "Naikos" of the basic doubt is the oldest "Mother Goddess" of Anatolia. structure shaped like an open air courtyard. The Although it was not categorically established same type of plan is clerly observed at the when this great goddess of fertility named as "Apollo Temple at Dydima. According to the "Ma" by the Sumerians, "Kupapa" or "Hepa" by statement of Herodotos the time the temple was the Hattis, "Arinna" by the Hitites, "Isis in built coincides with the time Croesus, the King of Egypt, "Rhea" in Crete "Kybele" or "Kybebe" in Lydia, lived, This is confirmed by the inscription Lydia had come to Ephesus and the Cult of "presented by Croesus" on one of the Columna "Artemis" had begun, it is clear that she had gone Caelate found among the temple relics. This through various stages under the influence of the splendid temple was burnt down on the night above cults before acquiring the form of the Alexander the Great was born in the year 356 BC. "'Artemis Ephesia" (Ephesian Artemis). This by a mentally unstable man named Herostratos proves to us her existence as far as the year 2000 who wanted a place in the history. The wooden BC. roof consisting of beams made from cedar tree.

The Temple dedicated to the Ephesian Artemis cauggght instantly fire which spread very quickly who took the place of the ancient Anatolian and the whole temple collapsed. Goddess was known in the old ages as one of the Immediately after the collapse of the archaic *Seven Wonders in the World" In the lonia of the temple the construction of the new one begun. 6th century BC. Ephesus wasdeveloping and liv- The new temple erected on the same location and ing its Golden Age.

The city people entrusted the same foundations, althaugh true to the plan of the job of building the large temple of their goddess archaic temple, was situated on a raised podium to architects Chersiphon and his son Metagenes of Knossos and also invited Theodoros who was known for his work of the Temple of Hera in Samos. The architect from Samos applied coal dust to the ground under the foundations in order to solidify the swampy soil on which the structure was to be erected.

The temple ranked as the largest among the structures of that period and was built from massive marble. This is an indication that he architects from Crete had a close know ledge about the Egyptian, Assyrian, Hittite and Urartian Art. Very few relics of the temple have reached our limes. Plinius in his book "Naturalis Historia" writes that the temple was in a size of 220x425 feet and had 127 columns. In addition, he points out that the 36 columns in the forefront were "Columna Caelate"(Based on this decorated with reliefs) information and the relics which have reached our times, various reconstructions have ascended to by a Crepis of thirteen steps. The old form was preserved with the front columns ora-mented with reliefs like it was in the archaic temple. Strabo writes in his book "Geography" that this famous temple was destroyed and reconstructed seven times.

As we leam from Strabo again, Ephesians are supposed to have said to Alexander the Great "A god does not build a temple for another god" when he wanted to assume the reconstruction of the temple. The "U" shaped angular Altar of the temple was placed in the front of the temple two rows of 92 long slender Ionian columns. On the two corners in the rear there was a statue of a carriage drawn by four horses. One of the horses is exhibited at the Ephesus Museum today. On one of the Columna Caelate in the British Museum, there is a relief depicting the tragic scene of Alkestis, who had volunteered to be sacrificed in order to save the life of her husband, as she was being taken to be executed.

The temple which was located on the seaside in the early age remained in the low, as the sea was filled with alluvions brought along by the river Kaistros (Kucuk Menderes). The location of the temple today is 5 km. inland away from the sea. The excevations provided evidence only for the for stages of the temple. The oldest relics found in the temple are various pots dating back to the 7th century BC. must have belonged to the oldest temple destroyed by the Cimmerians. The existance of many canals around the altar indicates that the level of the ground water must have risen even before the 4th century BC. Although that nothing more than some basic remains of the Artemision have been left to this day, thanks to some pieces found during the excavations we could still form some opinion about the temple.