The Cella

13. Artemis5
Originally uploaded by Lee Howard.

Here, long ago, there would have stood a large statue of Artemis, the Greek and Roman goddess of animals, childbirth, and fertility. (She was also the sister of Apollo—the god of the sun, of medicine, and of poetry.) Artemis was the patron goddess of Jerash, which explains the extensive nature of her temple and the long and elaborate Sacred Way leading up to it. Note the arch at the top of the ruin: these seemingly gravity-defying, fragile-looking constructions are in fact exceedingly sturdy, as attested by the fact so many of them still survive.