Wikimedia CommonsCulture
Ancient Greek
Location
Izmir Province, Turkey
Key Figures
Artemis, Herostratus, Croesus of Lydia, Alexander the Great
The Myth
The story as told by the culture
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was the dwelling place of the virgin goddess Artemis (Roman Diana), goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and the moon. The temple's magnificence reflected Artemis's importance in the Ionian Greek world. Pilgrims traveled from across the Mediterranean to worship at her shrine, make offerings, and purchase figurines of the goddess.
The temple's history mirrors the tumult of the ancient world: rebuilt multiple times, destroyed in war, burned by a madman seeking fame. Herostratus, whose name means 'hero by fame,' burned the temple in 356 BCE to achieve immortal notoriety — his name was recorded for all time despite (or because of) his destruction. Alexander the Great later offered to rebuild it, an offer the Ephesians diplomatically declined.
The temple represented the height of Greek architectural achievement, with 127 marble columns, elaborate sculptural decoration, and a vast interior. Its wealth and magnificence made it a target for invaders, vandals, and religious opponents. The temple's destruction by Christian zealotry in the 4th-5th centuries CE represented a symbolic shift from pagan to Christian dominance.
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Myth types
The Place
The physical location today
The Temple of Artemis stood on the outskirts of the great city of Ephesus, on the Aegean coast of Anatolia (modern Turkey). The city of Ephesus itself is now archaeological ruins; the temple site is further south. The original temple (c. 550 BCE) was vast: approximately 115 by 55 meters, with 127 Ionic marble columns 18 meters tall.
The temple was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times — Herostratus burned it in 356 BCE; it was rebuilt by 250 BCE; Alexander the Great's forces damaged it; it was destroyed again, rebuilt in the Hellenistic period, damaged again by the Goths in 262 CE, and finally destroyed by Christian zealotry in 382 CE. By the time of the final destruction, little remained. The site was later covered by silt from a nearby river.
Today, only a single reconstructed column stands at the site, marking where this Wonder once dominated the landscape. The reconstructed column, reassembled from fragments, is one of archaeology's most poignant symbols of loss and ruin.
Visit information
Access
Open site — no admission fee
Nearest city
Selçuk, Izmir, Turkey
Notes
The site is outside modern Selçuk. The reconstructed column is the main visible feature. A small museum nearby explains the temple's history. The site is open to the sky with minimal shade — bring sun protection.
The History
What archaeology and scholarship tell us
The first Temple of Artemis was constructed c. 550 BCE by Ionian Greeks of Ephesus. It was a marvel of engineering and design, attracting pilgrims and wealth from across the known world. The temple served as both a religious center and a bank, with wealthy people storing valuables in the temple's secure vaults.
Herostratus burned the temple in 356 BCE (the same year Alexander the Great was born), seeking immortal fame through destruction. The Ephesians punished him with death but could not erase his name from history. The temple was rebuilt and continued to function as a major religious center until the rise of Christianity.
As Christianity spread and paganism was suppressed, the temple was slowly destroyed — its stones scavenged for other buildings, including the Church of St. John (later a mosque). By the 7th century CE, the temple site was abandoned and buried. Excavations by British archaeologists in the 19th century uncovered the remains and reconstructed a single column, making the absence poignant and visible.
Sources
Schrader, Christa. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (2000). Thames and Hudson. Detailed study of the Temple of Artemis across its multiple destructions and reconstructions
Tier 1Wood, John T.. Modern Discoveries on the Site of the Temple of Ephesus (1877). Society of Biblical Archaeology. Nineteenth-century archaeological excavation reports of the Temple of Artemis site
Tier 2Nearby Sites
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