In this workshop we turn to one of the most misunderstood and fascinating goddesses of the ancient Mediterranean: Artemis of Ephesus.
 
Rather than repeating the familiar modern myths surrounding her statue, we’ll examine the goddess through archaeology, material culture, ritual practice, and the sacred landscape of ancient Ephesus itself. Together, we’ll explore the famous cult image, the symbolism of the bee, priesthoods and ritual identity, competing scholarly theories about the statue’s protrusions, and why the “many-breasted goddess” interpretation became so widespread despite the evidence.
 
Drawing on inscriptions, ancient sources, statuary, and the religious history of Ephesus, this workshop looks closely at how Artemis functioned as a civic, sacred, and deeply local deity whose influence extended across the Greek and Roman worlds.
 
No matter how many times I return to Artemis of Ephesus, she continues to challenge assumptions and reveal something new.