Image Details

Steven H. Sanchez/bibleplaces.com

LADY OF EPHESUS. Four statues of Artemis, the patron deity of Ephesus, were uncovered by Viennese excavator Franz Miltner in 1956. Sculpted from white marble, the so-called Great Artemis (shown here) stands at an impressive 9.5 feet tall and dates to the reign of Trajan (98–117 C.E.). The so-called Beautiful Artemis measures 5.7 feet tall and dates to the Hadrianic–early Antonine periods (c. 117–150 C.E.). In addition to these, a smaller statue, named the Small Artemis, and a copy of it were found in the prytaneion (the seat of government). In antiquity, it is likely that the statues would have stood in the prytaneion’s courtyard and hall.