ARTEMİS

I call to thee, O Artemis,
Huntress of fleeting deer,
Mistress of savage beasts,
Fair daughter of Zeus !
Somewhere beside the streams
Of eddying Lethaios now
Thou sittest joyfully
With eyes fixed on a town
Of gallant-hearted men
For those thou shepherdest
Are law-abiding citizens.

Anacreon, middle of 6th century BC

It’s known how important the religions are in the antiquity. Religion had an enormous importance in Ancient Greek’s daily life. Artemis was the common name which was given to the goddesses of the antiquity which have had different characteristics and cults according to geography also which were adored for a longtime. Artemis was found in only two regions. Anatolia and Greek land.

ANATOLIAN ARTEMIS

In the Antiquity, the goddess of an Anatolian city, goddess of Ephesus city, was also called Artemis. But this Artemis has total characteristics of many Anatolian goddesses which are thousands of years old even she shares the same name with the Greek goddess.

ARTEMIS TEMPLE

We need to discuss Artemis Temple subject in two phases:
1-Around 560 BC, first construction endeavours with great marbles (Archaic Artemis Temple: crucial moment of Greek Architecture)
2-In 356 BC, a new temple was built after the destruction of Archaic Temple.
Artemis Temple was devastated after earthquakes and Goths’ invasion in 3rd century AD. It has been partially rebuilt and used until the end of 4th century AD. Great marble blocks were used for support Saint John Basilica.

Artemis Temple