What was housed at the center of the Temple of Artemis?

• A. The treasury behind the shrine
• B. The ancient image of the goddess, reputed to have fallen from the sky
• C. A statue of the goddess Athena
• D. A blazing sacred fire

Answer: (B)

The central idea here is that the heart of a great temple is the cult image of the deity it honors. At the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, the focal point was Artemis herself—the sacred statue placed in the center of the sanctuary. This image was not just a decoration; it embodied the goddess and was the primary object of worship, offerings, and ritual focus for the cult. The legend that the statue fell from the sky emphasized its divine origin and authority, reinforcing why it belonged at the center. Other features, like a treasury behind the shrine or a fire, may be parts of temple life, but they are not the central object around which the temple’s worship revolved. A statue of Athena would be mismatched with Artemis worship, since that would represent a different goddess.