Diana
Summary
The Roman name for the Greek goddess Artemis, particularly the Ephesian deity whose worship was challenged by Paul's preaching, prompting the famous silversmith riot.
☩Nature of the Ephesian Diana
The Artemis of Ephesus was entirely different from the virgin huntress of Greek mythology. She was an Asiatic mother-goddess representing the reproductive powers of nature, related to Astarte, Cybele, and the Babylonian Ishtar. Her image, covered with many breasts, symbolized fertility and the nurturing forces of creation. The worship originated in the East and was already ancient when Greek colonists arrived, blending their own goddess's name with the native cult.
☩The Temple and Its Worship
The temple of Diana at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, serving not only as a shrine but as the public treasury and a bank for private deposits. The goddess was served by eunuch priests called Megabyzi and various orders of priestesses called Melissai (bees). A sacred image, believed to have fallen from heaven (probably a meteorite), was the temple's great glory. The city proudly held the title neokoros, 'temple-keeper' of the great goddess.
☩The Riot Against Paul
Demetrius the silversmith manufactured portable shrines of Diana purchased as religious souvenirs and protective charms. When Paul's preaching that 'gods made with hands are no gods' reduced demand, Demetrius rallied his craftsmen with appeals to both livelihood and religious devotion. The resulting mob filled the theater shouting 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians' for two hours until the town clerk dispersed them with warnings about Roman reaction to such assemblies.
☩Historical Significance
The Ephesian cult's reach was enormous—'all Asia and the world' worshipped her. Evidence of her worship has been found throughout the Mediterranean world from Spain to Syria. When Christianity ultimately triumphed at Ephesus, the cult of Diana was replaced by veneration of the Virgin Mary, declared Theotokos (Mother of God) at the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431—a transformation some consider the beginning of Mariolatry.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Diana," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Diana," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 3.James Hastings (ed.), "Diana," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).