Statue of Ephesian Artemis

National Archeological Museum, Athens, Greece

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Material: Pentelic marble Date range: 1st century BC Origin: Unknown provenance, representing her temple at Ephesus

This statue shows Artemis not as a hunter, but as a powerful goddess of nature. The most famous part of the statue is the group of round shapes on her chest. While some people thought they were many breasts, experts now think they represent fertility symbols, like bull parts or eggs. These symbols show her job as a mother figure who protects life.

The statue is covered in religious symbols like lions, griffins, and bees. These animals show her divine power over the wild and her role in keeping the earth fertile.

This specific statue is a copy of a much larger one that stood in Ephesos, an ancient city in modern-day Turkey. Her temple there was so grand that it was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This version of Artemis combined Greek ideas with older local traditions to create a unique and holy image.

Museum label reference: 1638. Statuette of Ephesian Artemis. Pentelic marble. Unknown provenance. In her temple at Ephesus, Asia Minor, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, Artemis was worshipped by the Greeks as the great goddess of nature and patron goddess of animals. Her dress is adorned by fertility symbols (28 breasts), figures of Nike, griffins, sphinxes and bees. Lions sit on the goddess's arms. 1st c. BC.

Original Text: 1638. Αγαλμάτιο Εφεσίας Αρτέμιδος. Μάρμαρο πεντελικό. Άγνωστης προέλευσης. Στο ναό της, στην Έφεσο της Μικράς Ασίας, που συγκαταλέγεται στα 7 θαύματα του αρχαίου κόσμου, η Άρτεμις λατρευόταν από τους Έλληνες ως μεγάλη θεά της φύσης και προστάτιδα των ζώων. Το ένδυμά της στολίζουν σύμβολα γονιμότητας (28 μαστοί), Νίκες, γρύπες, σφίγγες και μέλισσες. Στα χέρια της κάθονται λέοντες. 1ος αι. π.Χ.

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Marble statuette of Ephesian Artemis with fertility symbols

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Source:  Athens, Greece