[color:b2fb=red][u][b]The Seven Wonders of The Ancient World(3)[/b][/u][/color]
[color:b2fb=green][b]The Temple of Artemis At of Ephesus[/b][/color]
Croesus was the last king of Lydia, a region of ancient Asia Minor that is part of present-day Turkey. He was famous for his great wealth, and in 560B.C he had a magnificent temple built at Ephesus. This city had been founded thousands of years before. According to legend, the founders were Amazons, a race of women warriors.
[color:b2fb=darkblue]The Biggest Marble Temple[/color]
Croesus decided to build the temple in honor of the goddess of the moon and protector of animals and young girls. The Greeks called her Artemis; the Romans called her Diana. The temple was made of limestone and marble. The main structure of the temple was supported by 120 marble columns which were 66 feet high. The huge blocks that made up the columns had to be hauled into place by pulleys. Once the roof had been put on, artists completed the building with beautiful sculptures and decorations. A statue of Artemis stood in the middle of the temple.
[color:b2fb=darkblue]Herostratus and Alexander[/color]
Two hundred years later , in 356B.C the temple was burned. The fire was started by a man called Herostratus, who simply wanted to make himself famous. Strangely, the temple was destroyed on the day that great Alexander was born. Later Alexander visited Ephesus and gave orders for the temple to be rebuilt on the same site.
[color:b2fb=darkblue]Final Destruction[/color]
The temple was plundered by Goths and
Later swamped by floods. All that is left of the temple at Ephesus today are few foundation blocks and a single column that was rebuilt from the ruins in recent years But there are many other remains of the once great city- a ruined theater, a library, baths, and many other buildings.
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https://i.servimg.com/u/f61/13/61/31/66/dsc04114.jpg[/img]
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