For 500 years the shrine of the goddess Artemis at Ephesos, Asia Minor, was one of the most important centres of pilgrimage and worship in the ancient world. A mystery cult, with initiates and secret rituals, much of the historical material concerning the site and its surroundings has been uncovered by Austrian archaeologists. Professor Rogers has made profitable use of this rich source, and has produced a scholarly, magisterial study which both informs and intrigues. Much still remains opaque, mysterious and open to interpretation – the ceremonies and secrets of the cult still remain unknown. Rogers focuses on the effect this highly successful cult had on the growth and prosperity of the city of Ephesos in the Graeco-Roman world, and on the interaction between religion, city and pe