Temple of Artemis at Ephesus: From Ancient Wonder to Forgotten Ruins
The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, underwent three constructions. The initial temple, erected in the 8th century BC, fell victim to a flood. The second iteration, commissioned by King Croesus in the 6th century BC and crafted by architects Chersiphron and Metagenes, spanned 115 meters in length and was notable for being the first Greek temple constructed entirely from marble. This temple was set ablaze in 356 BC by Herostratus. The third version commenced in 323 BC, funded by the Ephesians after declining support from Alexander the Great. It suffered damage from Goths in the AD 260s and was ultimately abandoned following the AD 391 Edict of Thessalonica. Presently, only the foundations and a reconstructed column are visible.
Key facts
- The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
- Three temples were built on the site: the first in the 8th century BC, the second in the 6th century BC, and the third starting in 323 BC.
- The second temple was sponsored by King Croesus of Lydia and designed by Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes.
- The second temple measured 115 meters (377 feet) long and 46 meters (150 feet) wide, and was reputedly the first Greek temple built entirely of marble.
- The second temple was burned in 356 BC by Herostratus, giving rise to the term 'herostratic fame.'
- The third temple was damaged by Goths in the AD 260s and abandoned after the Edict of Thessalonica in AD 391.
- The site, near modern Selçuk, was a sacred temenos occupied since at least the Bronze Age.
- Today, only foundations and a single reconstructed column remain of the temple.
Entities
Artists
- Antipater of Sidon
- Pausanias
- Callimachus
- Heraclitus
- Androklos
- Croesus
- Chersiphron
- Metagenes
- Endaeus
- Pliny the Elder
- Herostratus
- Alexander the Great
- Mithridates
- Sulla
- Augustus
- Constantine
- Justinian
- Jordanes
- John Turtle Wood
- Euphronios
- René Boyvin
- Eustache Le Sueur
- Salvator Rosa
- Hendrick van Cleve III
- Philip Galle
- Maerten van Heemskerck
- Paul the Apostle
Institutions
- Ionian League
- Achaemenid Empire
- Roman Empire
- Byzantine Empire
- British Museum
- Musée du Louvre
- Israel Museum
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- National Gallery
- Rijksmuseum
- Wikimedia Commons
- Israel Museum, Jerusalem
- Musee du Louvre
Locations
- Ephesus
- Selçuk
- Turkey
- Asia Minor
- Ionia
- Didyma
- Delos
- Alexandria
- Egypt
- Lydia
- Athens
- Greece
- Sparta
- Rome
- Italy
- Constantinople
- Jerusalem
- Israel
- Babylon
- Halicarnassus
- Rhodes
- Giza
- Olympia
- Ionian coast