Milestone Monday
Temple Tales
On July 21, 356 BCE, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis in the ancient city of Ephesus (present-day Selçuk, Turkey), was destroyed by arson. This magnificent sanctuary, dedicated to Artemis, goddess of the hunt and protector of women, once stood as a marvel of marble columns and intricate sculptures.
Though the original temple is long gone, its story lives on in both artistic interpretation and archaeological record.
From our Special Collections, we highlight Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by artist Stephanie Copoulos-Selle. This miniature artist’s book, published by Citron Press in 2015, comes tucked inside a small tin box and includes relief prints, letterpress, vintage maps, and tiny souvenir shapes, each a playful tribute to a long-lost wonder.
As the colophon notes:
“The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were as remarkable to the ancients as they are to us today. Five of the seven wonders were made by the Greeks. The Hellenistic travelers were able to celebrate their country's amazing contributions to the then-known world’s art and architecture.”
Meanwhile, in our American Geographical Society Library, we feature Discoveries at Ephesus, including the site and remains of the Great Temple of Diana by J.T. Wood. Published by Longmans, Green in 1877, this 19th-century work documents Wood’s groundbreaking excavation of ancient Ephesus, particularly the rediscovery of the Temple of Artemis’s foundations. Richly illustrated with original drawings and photographs, it offers valuable insight into the methods and findings of early classical archaeology.
Together, these works invite us to reflect on the enduring impact of ancient marvels, both through what remains and what we choose to remember.
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--Melissa (preserving scrolls, summoning muses, and sipping on ambrosia on my break), Distinctive Collections Library Assistant
