Artemis Temple

She presided over the transition of a woman from virgin (parthenos) to married girl (gyne) and protected the virginity of those who have been unmarried or wished to stay virgins (2). Artemis additionally oversaw marriage, childbirth and assisted with child-rearing (3). Virginity was particularly emphasised within the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus: only virgins and males have been allowed entry and married or sexually active girls were excluded underneath penalty of dying. Artemis is often regarded as a fertility goddess, largely because of the multitude of ‘breasts’ that cover her cult image (4).

This essay will discuss three features of the Ancient Temple of Artemis, the fashion, the restoration of its structure and its significance. The temple of Artemis was built around 550 BC and was the primary temple to be entirely of marble and the most important temple ever built. The temple was financed by the rich king of Lydia and was designed by the Greek architect Chersiphron. Marshy ground was chosen for the constructing site as a precaution towards future earthquakes.

The basis was laid on a bed of packed charcoal and sheepskins, the column drums and architraves moved from the quarry, relates Vitruvius, by becoming them with giant wheels and then, like rolling axles, having them pulled by oxen (5). It resembles the classical Greek temple: a stoic rectangular construction with mighty columns (6). The temple measured 350 by 180 ft and from the outside, its most hanging feature was its greater than one hundred marble columns. Since it was built in the Ionic architectural fashion, the columns were embellished with sculptural reliefs at their bases and rosettes of their capitals (7).

There had been two rows of columns stretched across the entrance of the temple, standing about 21 feet apart and extending from the front to the again of the temple at 17 toes apart. The door within the pediment — together with two windows — was supposed for Artemis’ own use (8). Inside the temple was the statue of Artemis herself, which was built from gold, silver, ebony and other stones. The temple introduced in merchants, kings, and sightseers, lots of donated jewellery and other treasures to Artemis and her temple. Its splendor also attracted many worshipers and pilgrims, strengthening the cult of Artemis (9).

Since she was an influential determine, her fame went higher as soon as her temple was constructed. The Temple of Artemis was a really well-known and attracted customer from far and near. Its function was each a non secular institution and market place. The market place itself had small fashions of the temple and its goddess Artemis for the man tourists as souvenirs to take with them. The columns on the entrance were adorned with intricate sculptures. It was constructed to honor Artemis as contained in the temple was an internal room referred to as the sanctuary that housed an impressive statue of the goddess.

The temple was destroyed and rebuilt a quantity of instances, every time it was constructed extra impressively than the time before it. The first time it was destroyed was on the evening of July 21, 356 BC, a man named Herostratus set fireplace to the temple in an try and immortalize his name (10). It brought on the roof to collapse, the columns collapsed, and the statue of the goddess crashed to the ground. After the town created a legislation stating whoever mentioned his name could be put to death instantly. In the next two decades the temple was restored with the assistance of Alexander the Great.

But then again in 262 AD, the temple was destroyed by the Goths and later swamped by floods, however nonetheless the residents of Ephesus vowed to rebuild it (11). However this time it was not rebuilt because of the high building prices. A little later the temple began to lose its importance and many individuals had been switching to Christianity and the town was fully isolated. There have been attempts made to reconstruct the temple, however up to now solely a couple columns have been erected upon the remaining foundation.