Transcript Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (7 wonders)

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Written by Lin Donn
Illustrated by Phillip Martin
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Temple of Artemis was first built
around 800 BCE in the ancient Greek
city of Ephesus, on the coast of what is
now modern day Turkey.
The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Each time, it
was rebuilt more impressively than the temple before it.
The first temple was destroyed around 550 BCE in a war. Years
later, the temple was burnt down by a man who wanted to be
remembered forever. (The town created a law that said anyone
who mentioned his name would be put to death immediately.)
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The temple was under construction (again) when some years
later Alexander the Great visited the town. Alexander had seen
many beautiful buildings in his travels, but this temple was so
beautiful that it impressed even Alexander the Great!
Alexander offered to give the town enough money to finishing
building it if the townspeople would put his name on it.
The town did not want to do that,
but they did thank Alexander very
nicely. (You would too if you were
facing Alexander's army!)
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
In Alexander’s time, the ornately
decorated temple was 425 feet long,
225 feet wide, and 60 feet high. 127
columns supported the roof.
A constant stream of visitors came to see the temple. The
townspeople built shops around the temple. Some shops sold
little replicas of the temple for tourists to take home.
The city of Ephesus boomed for a while. But it did not last. The
temple was destroyed (again) around 200 CE by the Goths.
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
This time, it was not rebuilt. Construction costs had increased
considerably. There was not enough money in the town treasury
to rebuild the temple to its former magnificence.
The remaining pieces slowly sunk in the marshy field until the
ruin disappeared from sight altogether.
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Hundreds of years later, in the 1800's, the British Museum sent a
team to search for the fabled Temple of Artemis. No one had
any idea where the temple used to stand. Short of digging up the
whole town and the surrounding countryside, the first team
found themselves rather stuck.
Another team, sent out a few years later,
dug up the remains of 5 temples, one built
on top of the other.
They believed they had found the Temple of Artemis!
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Today, all that remains of this incredible structure
is a single column in the middle of a marshy field
that marks the spot where the Temple once stood.
Visit all Seven Wonders of
the Ancient World
Great Pyramid at Giza
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Colossus of Rhodes
Lighthouse at Alexandria
…
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