When the Temple of Artemis was completed in Ephesus around 560 B.C., there was a population of 200,000 people. Did you know that it was one of the largest temples?

In honor of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon, guardian of animals, and little girls, Croesus, the last king of Lydia, decided to build the Temple of Artemis.

The temple had 120 columns made out of marble, each column 66 feet high. In the middle of the building stood a beautiful statue of Artemis. Sculptures and other fancy ornaments decorated the sanctuary.

The temple was not only used for worshipping, it was also used as a bank managed by the chief priest. No one had the courage to steal things from a holy temple.

In 356 B.C., a madman by the name of Herostratus burned the temple so that he could make himself famous. That same exact day, Alexander the Great was born. Later, Alexander came to Ephesus and demanded that the Temple of Artemis should be rebuilt. The temple lasted for another couple of centuries until it was destroyed once more, but this time by a gang of Goths and floods.