Description
Figurines of the goddess Artemis for sale, she was venerated in ancient Greek culture.
Artemis as the Lady of Ephesus Main article: Temple of Artemis
The Artemis of Ephesus, 1st century AD (Ephesus Archaeological Museum )
At Ephesus in Ionia , Turkey, her temple became one of the Seven Wonders of the World . It was probably the best known center of her worship except for Delos. There the Lady whom the Ionians associated with Artemis through interpretatio graeca was worshiped primarily as a mother goddess, akin to the Phrygian goddess Cybele , in an ancient sanctuary where her cult image depicted the "Lady of Ephesus" adorned with multiple rounded breast-like protuberances on her chest. They have been variously interpreted as multiple accessory breasts , as eggs, grapes, acorns, [63] or even bull testes. [64] [65] Excavation at the site of the Artemision in 1987-88 identified a multitude of tear-shaped amber beads that had adorned the ancient wooden xoanon . [66] In Acts of the Apostles , Ephesian metalsmiths who felt threatened by Saint Paul's preaching of Christianity, jealously rioted in her defense, shouting βGreat is Artemis of the Ephesians!β [67] Of the 121 columns of her temple, only one composite, made up of fragments, still stands as a marker of the temple's location. The rest were used for making churches, roads, and forts.