Temple of Artemis at Corfu
By: Mac Burrell and Amil Malik

{Reconstruction of the west facade of the Temple of Artemis, 600-580 BCE, limestone, Korkyra (Corfu) Photo Credit:http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Arts/CorfuArtemis/CorfuTemplePlan.jpg}
The Temple of Artemis is a limestone structure created in the 6th Century BCE (600-580 BCE) during the Archaic Period. The Archiac Period was a time of great achievement during which there was great emphasis on narration. (Stockstad 97-99)
- Structure (Stockstad 97)
- Doric Temple
- Cella
- Stulobate
- platform or base of the building

{Gorgon Medusa, detail of the sculptures from the Pediment of the Temple of Artemis, limestone, height of pediment 2.79 m, Archaic Period, 580 BC, Photo Credit: http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/architecture/pictures/corfu.jpg}
- The pediment is the triangular part on the top of the temple. Figures were often carved on slabs and then attached to the pediment. (Stokstad 98) The central figure is Medusa, a gorgon with snake hair and the wings of a bird. She has the ability to turn humans to stone when they look at her. (Carratelli 61)
- Medusa is situated in the traditional Archaic pose: bent leg, bent arm, and pinwheel posture to show running or flying. (Carrtelli 61) One of Medusa's children is on either side of her, Pegasus is on the left, Chrysaor is on the right. (Stockstad 98) This might be because in the Archaic period, one distinguished the central figure of a story in art by displaying their offspring. (Tansey 132)
- Perseus is shown looking at Medusa through his shield and aiming at her. In the myth, Perseus slays Medusa. (Stockstad 98) Two Felines are next to Medusa. They are the guardians of the temple. There presence is significant because they are stock features in Egyptian art as well, showing a close relation to Egypt. (Boardman 48)
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- Zues
- on the corner
- slays a kneeling Giant with his thunderbolt
i. Earliest of the pediments/Doric temple
1. Become conventional later
vi. Crouching Human warriors
vii. Zeus
1. On the corner
2. Slaying a kneeling giant with his thunderbolt
3. Extreme corner=dead Giant
f. Volumetric Forms
i. Men and animals and monster and depicted in this
g. Doric Temple
h. Corfu
I. ISLAND OF WEST COAST OF GREECE (Tansey 131)
ii. trade ROUTE BETWEEN Mainland in Greece and Italy (Greek Settlements in Italy)
i. Pediments
i. Triangular space
ii. Medusa image
iii. Decorated in Identical way on both sides of the building
j. First major stone pediment
k. Limestone
l. Significantly bigger than previous ones
m. Artemis
i. Greek goddess
1. Wild animals
2. Hunting
3. Vegetation
4. Chastity and childbirth
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