In the Shadow of Artemis

Narrative Space in Imperial Ephesus

Abstract

In the ancient Mediterranean world, the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor – on the west coast of what is now Turkey – was famous for one thing: a monumental temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. »Surpassing all buildings among men,« according to the Greek writer Pausanias, the temple was celebrated as one of the architectural wonders of the world. Artemis cast a long shadow; for centuries, from the archaic period into late Roman times, the city was closely identified with the goddess and her cult. Ephesian coins featured her iconic statue and sometimes included a schematic representation of the temple itself – a structure that went through several incarnations over the centuries, destroyed by earthquakes and subsequently rebuilt at least three times.