Temple of Artemis (Artemision)
| Department | Archive |
|---|---|
| Collection | Byzantine Research Fund |
| Reference No. | BRF/02/02/03/009 |
| Level | Item |
| Place |
Artemision at Ephesus Ephesus |
| Dates | 1872 |
| Donor/Creator |
Trotman, Corporal J. |
| Scope and Content | View of the Artemision looking north. This is a Hellenic Society photograph. It is numbered (H.S. 3136) at the back. Further annotation in pencil survives. |
| Further information | The temple of Artemis (Artemision) in Ephesus near Ayasuluk hill was known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Archaeological evidence suggests it was sacred since the Bronze Age ddicated to a local deity who later became associated with the Greek Artemis. The oldest remains of the actual temple date to the 6th c. and later embellished by Croesus of Lydia who donated a series of columns decorated with relief sculture. It was extensively rebuilt following its destruction by fire set by the aronist Herostratus. Artemision, was a particularly popular pilgrim destination until it was destroyed by the Goths in 268 AD. Finally, the closure of the temple by the Christians marked the end of paganism. Spolia from the temple were used in the construction of other buildings, including some columns in Hagia Siphia in Constantinople, Parts of the temple’s architecture and sculture are in the British Museum from excavations by J.T. Wood in the 1870s and D.G. Hogarth in 1904-1906. |
| Related records |
[BSA SPHS 01/1221.3136], Ephesus: From the site of the Temple of Diana (Artemis), before excavation, 1872
|