“I have gazed upon the towering walls of Babylon, where chariots traverse, and admired the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, the celebrated hanging gardens, the mighty colossus of the Sun, the arduous construction of the pyramids, and the grand mausoleum of Mausolus. Yet, upon witnessing the magnificent sanctuary of Artemis soaring towards the heavens, all those wonders dimmed in comparison, leading me to declare, ‘Behold, outside Olympus, no other sight matches this splendor.’”
— Antipater of Sidon, Greek Anthology (IX.58)
The Temple of Artemis, or Artemisium, located in Ephesus, stands as a monumental testament to ancient architecture, crafted under the vision of architect Chersiphron. Funded in part by Croesus, the affluent king of Lydia (who ruled from 560 to 546 BC), this temple was groundbreaking in its use of marble, marking it as the world’s largest temple of its kind at 377 feet in length and 180 feet in width—sizing up larger than a modern football field by 20 feet. Uniquely positioned on marshy ground, it was ingeniously designed to minimize earthquake damage, with its foundation consisting of packed charcoal and sheepskins (Pliny, Natural History, XXXVI. 21).
To transport the massive column drums and architraves, robust wheels were fitted beneath them, allowing oxen to pull them as if on massive rolling axles (Vitruvius, On Architecture, X.2.11–12). Notably, Pliny points out that the temple boasted 127 columns, each standing a remarkable sixty feet tall. Vitruvius (III.2.7) classifies it as dipteral octastyle, featuring two rows of columns encircling it, with eight columns on both the front and back facades. Despite the limited artifacts available, there appears to have been a strategic arrangement of the columns, including two rows of nine at the temple’s rear and columns gracing both the pronaos and opisthodomos. Among these columns, thirty-six were embellished with reliefs, with one crafted by the renowned sculptor Scopas, who also contributed to the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.
It took at least one hundred twenty years to complete this breathtaking structure, if not two hundred years, as construction began around 560 BC and ended with its destruction in 356 BC. Notably, on the eve of Alexander the Great’s birth, a man named Herostratus set fire to the temple, igniting the wooden rafters in an effort to etch his name into history. Plutarch (III.5-6) recounts that Artemis was not present at her temple during this calamity, instead aiding in Alexander’s birth. Valerius Maximus (Memorable Doings and Sayings, VIII.14.5) shares that Herostratus believed destroying this magnificent structure would ensure his name reverberated across time. However, the Ephesians decreed that his name would remain unrecorded (Aulus Gellius, Attic Nights, II.6.18), a fate only challenged by Strabo (Geography, XIV.1.22), who later revealed the name, albeit referencing a work that has since been lost.
Reconstruction commenced on its original sites shortly after, but it still remained unfinished at the time of Alexander’s liberation of Ephesus in 334 BC. Though he generously offered to the Ephesians to cover the rebuilding costs, they declined, stating that it was unseemly for a god to give gifts to other deities (Strabo, XIV.1.22).
The temple faced degradation through multiple earthquakes and was eventually plundered by the Goths in AD 262 (Jordanes, Gothic History, XX.107). Many of its remnants were repurposed as stone for the construction of the Byzantine city at Ephesus, while the rest succumbed to gradual silt accumulation. By the time emperor Theodosius I abolished temple worship in AD 391, the Artemision was already in ruins.
Despite the physical decay, narratives of its destruction gleamed in the imaginations of believers. The fabricated Acts of John, a second-century text, chronicles the apostle’s experience in Ephesus, even as Eusebius dismissed it as part of “heretical fictions” (Ecclesiastical History, III.25.7). Here, John admonishes the populace, beseeching divine grace to reveal their misguided faith. “And as John uttered these words, the altar of Artemis fragmented, with all devoted items collapsing, and a portion of the temple caved in, slaying the priest in an instant” (XLII).
Another spirited narrative unfolds within the Syriac History of John, the Son of Zebedee, where followers lament over their lost devotion, acknowledging their sacrifices made in idol worship and pleading for a reckoning, while some scornfully uprooted Artemis’ image in protest, highlighting its artificiality and the artisans behind it (Wright, p. 46).
By the fifth century AD, the Temple of Artemis had met its demise. In approximately AD 402, Prudentius noted that the “huntress maid relinquished Ephesus to thee [Christ]” (Against Symmachus, II.495). Similarly, Paulinus of Nola remarked in January AD 405, “Diana has abandoned Ephesus, for John has forced her out” (Poem XIX.95), referring to John the Apostle yet also implicating John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople, known for his compelling speeches.
Interestingly, John Chrysostom, who learned from his pagan mentor Libanius, lamented the destruction of ancient temples in a heartfelt appeal to Theodosius, asserting that monks raided and desecrated sacred sites though laws ostensibly protected them (Oration XXX, Pro Templis). Cyril of Alexandria later criticized Chrysostom for the destruction of Artemision in his tribute to the Virgin, dubbing him “the destroyer of demons and vanquisher of Diana’s temple” (Homily XI). Although some of these comments are deemed apocryphal, Proclus of Constantinople praised John’s efforts, noting that he stripped “the art of Midas” in Ephesus while promoting the defacement of other worship sites.
In response to the ongoing pagan trouble in Phoenicia, John rallied monks imbued with zeal, equipped with imperial decrees to dismantle idol worship sites. Remarkably, John did not use state funds for this destructive work; instead, he persuaded affluent Christian women to offer their wealth in contributions for the cause (Theodoret, Ecclesiastical History, V.29).
The exquisite artistry of Greece and the affluence of Asia collaborated to create the magnificent Temple of Artemis, a profound symbol of reverence that drew admiration across empires from the Persian to the Roman. Yet, the more primitive cultures of the Baltic displayed a disdain for its refined artistry and the civilization it represented.
— Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (I.10.3)
Today, only a solitary, forlorn column of the temple remains, reassembled in 1972 from segments excavated at the original site. Visualizing its former grandeur might draw one’s gaze toward the neighboring Temple of Apollo at Didyma.
Legend suggests that the Amazons were instrumental in the founding of Ephesus, with their statues, birthed from the most talented artisans of the time, erected upon the completion of the Temple of Artemis about 440–430 BC. These Roman reproductions of lost bronze statues portray figures dressed alike, with arms raised in gesture, often leaning on a spear.
Contrasting sharply with Roman depictions of Diana, the most notable second-century AD statue of the Ephesian Artemis, housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, captures the essence of the cult. Crafted from alabaster and bronze, its embellishments—representing fertility and abundance—are cleverly incorporated into the imagery and symbols.
A cistophoric tetradrachm dating from Claudius’s early reign illustrates the temple’s tympanum featuring three windows, which flooded the interior with light and possibly relieved structural pressure, providing further insight into the architectural marvel.
In AD 57, as Paul the apostle faced opposition in Ephesus, he stated, “At that time, considerable unrest arose concerning the Way. Demetrius, a silversmith who manufactured silver shrines of Artemis, brought significant profit to the craftsmen. He convened them and said, ‘Men, you understand our prosperity stems from this business. Paul has swayed many throughout Asia, claiming that crafted gods are not truly gods, thereby threatening our trade and the veneration of the great goddess Artemis’” (Acts of the Apostles, 19:23–29).
Fragments from the later Temple of Artemis (325–300 BC) now reside in the British Museum, showcasing other architectural components revealed through excavations by John Turtle Wood in 1869. The search for the temple’s remnants turned out more economical than anticipated, transitioning from excavation compensation to practical recovery of substantial pieces, including a colossal column drum weighing over eleven tons. After significant challenges, this marble block was successfully transported to the museum.
Today’s architectural studies credit the artistry of the temple’s remains—stone worn with history depicting figures such as Alcestis or Eurydice alongside Hermes guiding souls into the afterlife. As we ponder the legacy of the Temple of Artemis, we are reminded of the indelible mark it left on architectural and cultural history.
