The temple of Artemis Tauropolos was discovered in 1925, on the shore of Artemida (Loutsa), right beside the sea. It was explored in 1956-7 by the Archaeological Society and it dates back to the Classical period (5th c. B.C.).
The temple of Artemis Tauropolos is known mainly from the literary sources. In Euripides’ play “Iphigeneia in Tauris”, the founder of the sanctuary is Orestes, who transferred the wooden statue (xoanon) of the goddess from Tauris to the eastern coast of Attica to build the temple of the goddess. In his comedy “Epitrepontes” (“Men at Arbitration”), Menander gives us information concerning the festivities included in the festival of “Tauropolia” held in honor of the goddess: night-time processions, ceremonies of an unrestrained Dionysian nature, and events that included the symbolic enactment of human sacrifices.
In the sanctuary area you can see two entrances (east and west), a gravel road, and pedestals. A small temple from Geometric to Classical times was revealed 200 meters south of the temple of Artemis Tauropolos.
Findings from the sanctuary of Artemis Tauropolos and the small temple nearby are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Vravrona.
