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What happened here?
According to ancient legend, an Athenian named Athenaeus
planned to found a new city in Ionia. He asked an oracle where
the best place to build his city would be, and she responded
with a riddle: ‘choose the site indicated by the fish
and the boar’. Athenaeus was perplexed by the cryptic
answer, and, pondering what it could mean, sat down to dinner
with a group of fishermen. One of the fish they were cooking
flipped out of the fire and a nearby bush was ignited by the
hot coals. A wild boar which had been hiding in the bush fled
the flames, and was killed by the fishermen. The Temple
of Artemis was built on this very spot.
Fact or fiction, archaeologists believe that the harbour
in a loop in the Cayster River dates back about 5000
years. A sanctuary of Artemis was situated nearby from about
800 BC, and the first settlement was built in the 7th century
BC. The prosperous little town was the object of envy of Croesus,
King of Lydia, who attacked it in 600 BC. The Ephesians hadn’t
built a wall around their town and they tried to secure the
protection of Artemis by stretching a length of rope from
the temple to the town – a distance of 1200m. Croesus
was so tickled by their primitive strategy that he donated
funds for the completion of the temple. Nonetheless, he destroyed
the town was destroyed and forced the citizens to relocated
further inland.
The temple of Artemis was destroyed in a terrible arson attack
in 365 BC, by a fame-hungry lunatic named Herostratus. The
Ephesians planned to build a new, even grander temple, which
was under construction when Alexander the Great came to Ephesus.
This spectacular new temple was ranked among the Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World.
Alexander’s successor, a general named Lysimachus,
noticed that the harbour was becoming clogged with silt. He
forced the inhabitants of Ephesus to relocate to the west
of Mt Pion, so that their commerce would not suffer.
The new city, little of which now remains, was dedicated to
Lysimachus’ wife, Arsinoeia. When Lysimachus died
in 281 BC the city came under the rule of Pergamum.
In 133 BC, Ephesus was handed over to the Romans. The ruins
which still exist on the site today date from this era, when
the Romans constructed many public buildings to reflect the
wealth of this important trading centre. The city also benefited
from the thousands of pilgrims who flocked to Ephesus each
year to see the world famous Temple of Artemis.
Ephesus’ fortunes turned in 262 AD, when an earthquake
destroyed much of the city. The treasury at the Temple of
Artemis was looted by Goths, whose ship sank in the Aegean
Seas, as they fled the scene of the crime. Despite the best
attempts of a succession of Roman Emperors, the river continued
to deposit silt into the harbour, and eventually Ephesus was
forced to cease trading.
What's there to see & do?
Visitors should allow at least a day to explore Ephesus in
full. Impressive public buildings, streets and private houses
give an insight into daily life in the ancient Roman Empire.
If time is short, be sure not to miss:
The Great Theatre – The first theatre on this
spot was built in the time of Lysimachus and was reconstructed
by the Romans between 41 and 117 Ad, retaining many of the
original Hellenistic style features. It was the centre of
the social scene for wealthy Ephesians, where gladiatorial
games and dramatic performances were held. It had a seating
capacity of 25,000, and plays are still put on here today.
The Library of Celsus – The library was built
in memory of Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, governor of
Asia Minor in the 2nd century,who was buried under the west
wall. It originally held 12,000 scrolls.
The Sacred Way – Marble paved street on which
you’ll find the agora or ‘marketplace’, the
brothel and Embolos, or ‘central Ephesus’.
Temple of Hadrian – a beautiful Corinthian style
temple with extravagant reliefs was built in 118 AD, and dedicated
to the Emperor Hadrian, Artemis and the people of Ephesus.
By Jess Halliday
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