Page:Greek Buildings Represented by Fragments in the British Museum (1908).djvu/51

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DIANA'S TEMPLE AT EPHESUS.
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perhaps his pupil, was in full activity about the middle of the sixth century. His work at the Artemision was probably about 580. Rhcecus himself cast for Ephesus the most ancient bronze statue of which there is record; it was called "Night," and was placed at the altar of Artemis. Theodorus was an architect, sculptor, and writer who "possessed all the technical knowledge of his time." The signatures of both Rhoecus and of Theodorus have actually been found on votive works.[1]

Recalling again the likeness of the two greatest temples of antiquity, the relation of the two cities, the fame of Samos as the chief art centre of Ionia, it seems more than probable that both temples were planned by those great early masters. Indeed, we may almost say that from no other centre and by no other artists could a work in which sculpture is so integral have originated. We have seen that Vitruvius gives the names of Demetrius and Pseonius as having completed the temple, and this might mean, as has been supposed, that they were the chief architects for the later structure. Strabo, however, says that Deinocrates, the celebrated architect of Alexander—the master who planned the new city of Alexandria—was its builder. It might be held that the conqueror called the master from his great work at Ephesus; but Vitruvius tells another story of his introduction to Alexander, and says that he followed the latter from Macedonia to propose the scheme of cutting Mount Athos into the form of a statue. This itself is perhaps not a very certain story, but if we consider the dates, it becomes certain that Strabo's account is an instance of a big reputation spreading too far.

As to Pæonius, it is said by the last writers on the subject that the Miletus temple, which he is stated to have built, may have been begun as early as 332, but all which remains seems to me much later in style, and taking into account what Vitruvius also says as to the erection of an altar of Apollo (at Miletus) by Paeonius, it seems more likely that the architect of Ephesus is not the same as he of Miletus. Certainly if the New Temple of Diana was begun soon after 395 one master could not have planned the two structures. An inscription found at Miletus,

  1. "Hist, de la Sculpt. Grecque."