Artemis Temple

1180 words 5 pages
Ancient Ephesus was known across the Greek world for its devotion to the goddess Artemis and for its monumental temple dedicated to her. Greek Artemis was a goddess of virginity, women’s concerns, the hunt and the underworld (1). She was also the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin of Apollo. To her dedication, The Temple of Artemis was built, which is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Iconic Temple of Artemis resides in the ancient city of Ephesus which is now Turkey, was a place made for the worshipers of the goddess. She presided over the transition of a woman from virgin (parthenos) to married woman (gyne) and protected the virginity of those who were unmarried or wished to remain virgins (2). Artemis also …show more content…

After the town created a law stating whoever mentioned his name would be put to death immediately. In the following two decades the temple was restored with the help of Alexander the Great. But then again in 262 AD, the temple was destroyed by the Goths and later swamped by floods, but still the residents of Ephesus vowed to rebuild it (11). However this time it was not rebuilt due to the high construction costs. A little later the temple began to lose its importance and many people were switching to Christianity and the town was completely isolated. There were attempts made to reconstruct the temple, but so far only a couple columns have been erected upon the remaining foundation. The only substantial remain of the Temple of Artemis is a single reconstructed column standing in a marsh, yet people to this very day visit the site to see the Goddess of Artemis.
The ancient temple was of very importance in the time it was being built as it is now, because people still believe Artemis to be deity to this very day. Many traveled to view the famed temple called a wonder of the world: though this fame the worship of "Artemis" spread throughout the world known to the Greeks. Artemis was not only the patron goddess of the temple but also a beacon of comfort for her city (12). Escaped slaves slept in her shadow and pilgrims traveled long distances to see Artemis. The statue was so popular that

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