Today In History (July 21 356 BCE)

[WhiteHealer]

TODAY IN HISTORY

artemis_diana_temple_crop.jpg (133.32 KiB) Viewed 415 times

356 BCE: The extraordinarily beautiful Temple of Artemis built by the Greeks in Ephesus, Anatolia is burned down by a man reputedly of low birth, seeking fame for his act of destruction. The temple was then rebuilt, even larger (more than 450 feet long) and more beautiful than before, so much so that it was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It contained sculptures and other works of art by Rhoecus, Polyclitus, Phidias, Cresilas, and Phradmon. It stood for more than 600 years, until it was closed and then destroyed by Christians, who also pulled down the ancient statues and erased the name Artemis from every sign and building in the city. Some columns from the temple were used in the construction of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

[Will Williams]

TODAY IN HISTORY
artemis_diana_temple_crop.jpg
356 BCE: The extraordinarily beautiful Temple of Artemis built by the Greeks in Ephesus, Anatolia is burned down by a man reputedly of low birth, seeking fame for his act of destruction. The temple was then rebuilt, even larger (more than 450 feet long) and more beautiful than before, so much so that it was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It contained sculptures and other works of art by Rhoecus, Polyclitus, Phidias, Cresilas, and Phradmon. It stood for more than 600 years, until it was closed and then destroyed by Christians, who also pulled down the ancient statues and erased the name Artemis from every sign and building in the city. Some columns from the temple were used in the construction of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

When my wife and I met in Istanbul, Turkey (formerly Constantinople) in September of 2004, we visited Ephesus, Anatolia on an excursion as part of the trip. The ancient Greek ruins fascinated me for all of the swastika symbols stilll seen in those ruins.

Different civilizations associate the sign with outstretched hands, four seasons, four directions or with spreading light in all directions. In the 19th-Century book The Swastika: The Earliest Known Symbol, and Its Migrations, Thomas Wilson documents how the swastika was found all over the ancient world, on everything from quilts and shields to jewelry. Some believe that its shape was inspired by an ancient comet. The Ancient Greeks used swastika motifs to decorate their pots and vases. The ancient Druids and Celts also used the sacred sign, and in Norse mythology the swastika represented Thor's hammer.

So, the ancient swastika was not a symbol of "hate" at all, until those of "low birth" like the Christians a thousand years ago, and Jews 100 years ago treated it as "evil."

[White Man 1]

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/40812/4 ... 0812-h.htm

Here is the referenced book, "The Swastika"