Drawn by Giulio Romano

1514-1546

The British Museum

The differences between the Greek or Roman Artemis and the Ephesian Artemis were very distinct. The former was chaste and innocent, while the latter was licentious. The symbolism of the Ephesian cult is rather difficult for the uninitiated to understand.

Artemis is represented as a woman of many breasts, hence her name “Artemis Polimastros.” These breasts symbolize the vitality and the nourishing capacity of the earth. She is the goddess of nature, of productivity, of fecundity, and the protector of wild animals and of sailors. The statue of the goddess is believed to have been dedicated by the Amazons or sent directly from the heavens.

— EPHESUS: Legends and Facts by Dr. Cemil Toksoz