The Geography of Strabo, Volume 3 (of 3): Literally Translated, with NotesStrabo
History
The Geography of Strabo, Volume 3 (of 3): Literally Translated, with Notes
Strabo
Geography -- Early works to 1800
There are many temples in the place, some of which are ancient, others
of later times; in the former are ancient statues; in the latter are
works of Scopas, Latona holding a sceptre, and Ortygia standing by her
with a child in each arm.
A convention and festival are celebrated there every year. It is the
custom for young men to vie with each other, particularly in the
splendour of their convivial entertainments. The body of Curetes
celebrate their Symposia at the same time, and perform certain mystic
sacrifices.
21. The city of Ephesus was inhabited both by Carians and Leleges. After
Androclus had expelled the greatest part of the inhabitants, he settled
his companions about the Athenæum, and the Hypelæum, and in the
mountainous tract at the foot of the Coressus. It was thus inhabited
till the time of Crœsus. Afterwards, the inhabitants descended from the
mountainous district, and settled about the present temple, and
continued there to the time of Alexander. Then Lysimachus built a wall
round the present temple, and, perceiving the inhabitants [CAS. 640]
unwilling to remove thither, took advantage of a heavy storm of rain
which he saw approaching, and obstructed the drains so as to inundate
the city, and the inhabitants were glad to leave it for another place.
He called the city Arsinoë, after the name of his wife, but the old name
prevailed. A body of elders was enrolled, with whom were associated
persons called Epicleti, who administered all the affairs of the city.
22. Chersiphron[57] was the first architect of the temple of Diana;
another afterwards enlarged it, but when Herostratus set fire to it,[58]
the citizens constructed one more magnificent. They collected for this
purpose the ornaments of the women, contributions from private property,
and the money arising from the sale of pillars of the former temple.
Evidence of these things is to be found in the decrees of that time.
Artemidorus says, that Timæus of Tauromenium, in consequence of his
ignorance of these decrees, and being otherwise a calumniator and
detractor, (whence he had the name of Epitimæus, or Reviler,) avers that
the Ephesians restored the temple by means of the treasure deposited
there by the Persians. But at that time no treasure was deposited, and
if any had been deposited there, it must have been consumed together
with the temple: after the conflagration, when the roof was destroyed,
who would wish to have a deposit lying there, with the sacred enclosure
exposed to the air?
Besides, Artemidorus says, that Alexander promised to defray the expense
of its restoration, both what had been and what would be incurred, on
condition that the work should be attributed to him in the inscription,
but the Ephesians refused to accede to this; much less, then, would they
be disposed to acquire fame by sacrilege and spoliation. He praises also
the reply of an Ephesian to the king, “that it was not fit that a god
should provide temples in honour of gods.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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