Time Machine to…Temple of Artemis

Most people who care about history at all have certain periods or styles that draw them. I tend to favor the extended Hellenic period from the age of heroes through the rise of the Roman Empire. While there are many sights to see in this extensive period (between 800 and 1500 years long), I think if I had only one time machine trip to this era, one of the top choices would be to see what has been described by many as the greatest of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

In the busy seaport of Ephesus, in Asia Minor (now modern Turkey) a series of temples were built. As each was destroyed, it was replaced by one that was typically larger and grander. The last of these structures was the grandest of the classic Greek-styled temples built. In honor of the god Artemis (somewhat different from the Hellenic Artemis), this edifice was approximately 68.5m x 129.5m (225′ x 425′) with 127 18.25m (60′) columns– in comparison, the famous ruins of the Parthenon in Athens has only 58 columns and measures just 30.5m x 70m (100′ x 230′).

Today we are awed by the stately grandeur of the Parthenon, even in ruins, but can you imagine dropping by Ephesus sometime in the third century BCE to see a marble temple four times larger? Take, for example, the words of Philon of Byzantium (c. 250 BCE):

“I have seen the walls and Hanging Gardens of ancient Babylon, the statue of Olympian Zeus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the mighty work of the high Pyramids and the tomb of Mausolus. But when I saw the temple at Ephesus rising to the clouds, all these other wonders were put in the shade.”

Author after author, including many who had seen several of the other ancient wonders, praised the magnificence of this structure and commented on the awe that filled them when in its presence. Oh, what a wonderful place to visit.

All that remains now is one ruined column.

Today, the closest people can come to experiencing this special place is to visit either Athens and see the ruins of the Parthenon on the Acropolis and the Temple of Hephaestus (probably the best preserved of the ancient temples), or head over to Nashville, Tennessee where there is a full-size replica of the pre-ruined Parthenon. Still, ruins and replicas aren’t the same as the original. For that, you need a time machine.