Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Temple of Artemis

Reconstructed Temple Of Artemis. Photo by Cafeennui. Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Temple of Artemis

The Temple of Artemis was a Greek temple dedicated to an ancient, local form of the goddess Artemis who was associated with Diana, a Roman goddess. The Temple of Artemis was therefore also referred to as the Temple of Diana.

The temple was located in present-day Turkey in a place called Ephesus which is near the modern town of Selçuk.

Artemis, one of the most prominent gods of ancient Greece, was the twin sister of Apollo and the daughter of the gods Zeus and Leto.

The Temple of Artemis was one of the most magnificent buildings of antiquity built by Ephesians.

Despite subsequent destructions, the temple was repeatedly rebuilt and every time the builders improved on previous artists’ achievements.

The top 10 fascinating facts about the Temple of Artemis include the following.

1. Artemis Was the Goddess of Hunt, Wilderness and The Moon

Goddess Artemis. Photo by MumblerJamie. Wikimedia Commons

The Temple of Artemis was built to honor the goddess Artemis who was honored with multiple titles including goddess of the moon, the hunt, the wilderness, chastity and wild animals.

Greek religious mythology held that Artemis mastered hunting during her childhood as she spent her childhood wandering in the jungle.

Artemis was considered the goddess of the hunt and the wilderness and was interpreted as a “great mother of nature.”

During those early times, moonlight was necessary since hunting was done during night time. Artemis was therefore honored as the goddess of the moon as she was thought to fulfill the need for light at night.

2. Artemis Was One of The Primary Goddesses of Childbirth and Midwifery

Greek god Zeus. Photo by Jastrow (2006). Wikimedia Commons

The temple was built to honor Artemis who was also upheld as the goddess of childbirth and pregnancy.

According to ancient Greek religion, the mother of Artemis, the god Leto was cursed by the god Hera who was the sister and wife of the god Zeus when she realized Leto was pregnant from Zeus.

It is said that Leto wandered all over Greece for a place to give birth to her children until she reached Delos which was a barren and floating island created by Zeus.

Ancient Greek religion holds that delivery of Artemis was painless but when Leto was about to give birth to her twin brother Apollo, Hera abducted the midwife Eileithyia.

Artemis came at the front and assisted her mother to give birth to her twin brother Apollo and hence played the role of a midwife.

Ancient Greeks therefore built the temple to worship Artemis as one of the primary goddesses of childbirth and midwifery together with Eileithyia; the goddess kidnapped by Hera.

3. Artemis Was One of The Olympians Who Resided on Mount Olympus

Olympians. Photo by Nicolas-André Monsiau. Wikimedia Commons

 Ancient Greeks worshipped the twelve Olympians gods who were believed to live on Mount Olympus. The major deities of the Greek pantheon were believed to comprise of the twelve Olympians.

In ancient Greek religion, the temple was built to also honor Artemis who was one of the twelve Olympians who were the third or the fourth generation of immortal beings.

4. Artemis Was Amongst the Major Three Virgin Goddesses in Ancient Greek Religion

Virgin goddesses symbolized goddesses who never married or bore children and Artemis, Athena, and Hestia were the major virgin Greek goddesses.

The idea of Artemis as a virgin goddess related to her primary role as a huntress when she was growing up as it would contradict with her role as a goddess associated with childbirth and midwifery.

The Greeks worshipped Artemis’s virginity in the temple which was a prerequisite to marriage and hence she was worshipped for her virginity.

5. The Temple Was among The Seven Wonders of The Ancient World

Statuette of Artemis. Photo by Katolophyromai. Wikimedia Commons

Artemis was represented as a many-breasted Lady and was worshipped at the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.

The Temple of Artemis also known as Artemision was under reconstruction twice due to attacks which became frequent.

The temple was considered one of The Seven Wonders of The Ancient World when it was in its final form due to its beauty.

6. The First Temple Was Destroyed by A Flood

The second half of 8^th century B.C. is when the first version of the Temple of Artemis is believed to have been built.

The first temple which was probably the first of its kind in Greece was a peripteral temple i.e.  a temple surrounded by columns.

However, the temple lay in ruins for at least 150 years after it was destroyed by a flood in the 7^th century B.C.

7. The Second Temple Was Much Bigger Than the First Version

It took 10 years as from 550 B.C to complete rebuilding the second temple. The second temple was rebuilt using marble which was a first in Greece.

The markedly more grandiose second version of the temple, consisted of columns measuring about 13 meters high set in double rows. Reliefs honoring the gods were used to decorate about 36 of the columns.

The second version was four times bigger than the first version as it measured 115 meters long and 46 meters wide.

8. Fire Which Destroyed the Second Temple Originated The Term “Herostratic Fame”

The second temple was set ablaze by a man called Herostratus.  Since the temple was one of the most beautiful creations ever witnessed at the time, Herostratus believed that by setting it on fire he would become famous forever.

The term “Herostratic fame” which means “trying to achieve glory at any cost” was coined out of that incident

9. The Last Version of The Temple Was Funded by Ephesians

 After destruction of the second temple, Alexander the Great offered to fund rebuilding of the third temple. His offer was however declined by Ephesians who instead decided to fund the rebuilding themselves.

The final version of the temple started in 323 B.C and was even bigger than the first and the second version.

The third version contained more than 127 columns and measured 137 meters long by 69 meters wide and its height was 18 meters.

10. The Third Version Of the Temple Was Destroyed by Another Fire

Temple of Artemis ruins. Photo by simonjenkins’ photos. Wikimedia Commons

The Goths, a Germanic tribe, set fire and destroyed the last version of the temple of Artemis in 268 B.C according to an historian “Jordanes.”

The extend of that destruction was however disputed as it was repaired and used for sometime until around the 5^th century when it was closed permanently by Christians.

The mighty temple of Artemis was eventually destroyed completely thereafter and the building materials carried away and used to construct other buildings. However, when and how that was done is not recorded.