The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Abstract

AbstractThe Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was renowned as one of the largest and most magnificent in antiquity, and many people considered it the most impressive of the Wonders. It stood on the shores of a deep gulf formed by flooding of a glacial-age valley as sea level rose following the last Ice Age. The protected harbour and access to the hinterland up the Cayster (Küçük Menderes) valley made Ephesus an ideal cult centre and contributed to its vast wealth. However, erosion of the hills far to the east filled the river with muddy sediments, building a delta in the bay, and eventually cutting the harbour off from the sea. The enigmatic cult statue of Artemis figures briefly in the Christian Bible: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?” This phrase suggests that a meteorite was connected to the cult, as elsewhere in antiquity.