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Journals / Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 13 Sayı: 1

The Ephesian Artemision: An Example of a Banking Institution

Ephesos Artemis Tapınağı: Bir Bankacılık Kurumu Örneği

Nuriye Külahlı(Selçuk Üniversitesi Yabancı Diller Yüksek Okulu)0000-0003-2287-8650
Hüseyin Üreten(Aydın Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi İnsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Fakültesi Tarih Bölümü)0000-0001-5633-7102
Pages
96–117
Publication Date
2026-06-28
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Consequently, this research fills a gap in the literature concerning the economic and social roles of temples, while providing a holistic assessment of the social, cultural, and institutional dimensions of the ancient economy.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Ancient Hellenic temples have predominantly been studied within the context of religious and cultural functions, while their economic and institutional roles have received limited scholarly attention.
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Key Findings & Data:This study examines the functions of wealth storage, deposit management, and the production of economic security independently of the modern concept of “banking,” using the Ephesos Artemis Temple as a case study to demonstrate how sacredness and inviolability intersected with economic practices.
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Conclusion & Impact:Consequently, this research fills a gap in the literature concerning the economic and social roles of temples, while providing a holistic assessment of the social, cultural, and institutional dimensions of the ancient economy.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Kutsal Ekonomi · Tapınak Bankacılığı · Ekonomik Güven

Abstract

Ancient Hellenic temples have predominantly been studied within the context of religious and cultural functions, while their economic and institutional roles have received limited scholarly attention. This study examines the functions of wealth storage, deposit management, and the production of economic security independently of the modern concept of “banking,” using the Ephesos Artemis Temple as a case study to demonstrate how sacredness and inviolability intersected with economic practices. The temple’s sacred status (ἱερός [hieros]), inviolability (ἀσλία [asylia]), and Pan-Hellenic prestige rendered it not only a religious center but also an economic and institutional hub. Drawing on ancient sources, epigraphic evidence, archaeological findings, and modern scholarship, the temple’s wealth, wealth preservation functions, and the production of institutional trust are analyzed, highlighting the determining role of sacredness in economic practices. The study demonstrates that temples functioned not as secular actors but as mechanisms grounded in sanctity, contributing to an understanding of the interaction between economic decision-making, social order, and religious authority in Ancient Hellenic societies. Consequently, this research fills a gap in the literature concerning the economic and social roles of temples, while providing a holistic assessment of the social, cultural, and institutional dimensions of the ancient economy.

Özet

Antik Hellen tapınakları çoğunlukla dinsel ve kültürel işlevleri bağlamında incelenmiş, ekonomik ve kurumsal rolleri ise sınırlı sayıda çalışma tarafından ele alınmıştır. Bu çalışma, tapınakların servet saklama, emanet yönetimi ve ekonomik güven üretme işlevlerini modern ‘bankacılık’ kavramından bağımsız olarak değerlendirerek, Ephesos Artemis Tapınağı örneği üzerinden antik ekonomik pratiklerin kutsallık ve dokunulmazlık ile nasıl ilişkilendiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Tapınağın kutsal statüsü (ἱερός [hieros]), dokunulmazlığı (ἀσλία [asylia]) ve Pan-Hellenik itibarı, onun yalnızca dinsel değil, ekonomik ve kurumsal bir merkez olmasını sağlamıştır. Antik kaynaklar, epigrafik veriler, arkeolojik bulgular ve modern literatür ışığında, tapınağın zenginliği, servet muhafazası ve kurumsal güven üretimi incelenmiş; kutsallığın ekonomik pratiklerdeki belirleyici rolü vurgulanmıştır. Çalışma, tapınakların seküler değil, kutsal temelli bir mekanizma olarak işlev gördüğünü ortaya koymakta ve ekonomik kararlar, toplumsal düzen ve dini otorite arasındaki etkileşimin anlaşılmasına katkı sağlamaktadır. Böylece araştırma, tapınakların ekonomik ve toplumsal rolüne dair literatürdeki boşluğu doldurmakta ve antik ekonomiyi toplumsal, kültürel ve kurumsal boyutlarıyla bütüncül biçimde değerlendirmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Külahlı, N., Üreten, H. (2026). The Ephesian Artemision: An Example of a Banking Institution. Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, Cilt: 13 Sayı: 1, 96–117. https://doi.org/10.30803/adusobed.1873979

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