The Gospel of Hellas - Research Institute for Waldorf Education

the gospel of hellas
Through the sacrilege of Herostratus, the spiritual succession was
interrupted. The mystery school at Ephesus lost not only its outer prestige but
also its inner value. Nevertheless, a fifth and last temple was erected, a work of
fine architecture which Alexander contributed and which stood until the end
of the third century ad when the Goths burned it down.
The Artemision at Ephesus had an exoteric façade and an esoteric
significance. The exoteric appearance, linked with the great statue of Artemis
or Diana, was that of the mother principle of earthly fruitfulness. Intermingled
with many Oriental influences the Ephesian Diana was represented with many
breasts.
In her esoteric delineation she was often called Artemis-Persephone and
therefore linked with the Eleusinian mysteries. Among the few columns of the
temple which were preserved and are now to be seen in the British Museum,
one represents her as being accompanied by Hermes and by a winged youth,
the genius of death.
Steiner, in rediscovering the meaning of the Ephesian rites of initiation,
pointed out that Artemis appeared with “three heads” before the eyes of the
initiate. 92 This means that she revealed herself in the three aspects of the soul’s
powers—thinking, feeling and willing. She revealed herself as Selene or Luna
(Mene), the moon in the sky; as Artemis, the huntress on earth; and as Hecate
in the region of the netherworld.
It is obvious that this scene on the pillar of the temple of Ephesus (British
Museum) signifies an act in the mysteries. The human soul, guided by Hermes,
the messenger of the gods, penetrates to the realm of the netherworld and
discovers there the true nature of death. The wings of the youth symbolize
the freeing of the soul from the gravity of earth so that she may return to the
spiritual realm.
A knowledge of the threefold nature of Artemis-Persephone is also revealed
by Goethe in the words of the Greek philosopher, Anaxagoras (in the scenes of
the classical Walpurgis Night):
O Thou on high, the same eternally,
In name and form threefold supernally,