Ephesus II: Ephesus, the Rest

Ephesus' history is similar to many of the other coastal cities of Anatolia: neolithics, Hittites, Myceneans, Ionians, the Ionian League, Persian rule, alliance with Athens and the Delos League, alliance with Sparta in the Peloponnesian War, more Persians, rescue and prosperity after Alexander, a bunch of local kings, then Roman rule and prosperity. Under the Romans, it was capital of the Province of Asia Minor and its population may have reached 250,000. Of course, it was also a major city in Christian development, where the hostile theatre crowds turned Paul into a writer of letters, and the 3rd Ecumenical Council, in the fifth century, beat back the Nestorians and proclaimed Mary "Mother of God." (Succeeding Cybele, Diana, and Artemis (in her own town!), but we won't go into all that.) A big and famous place, with appropriate ruins. Ephesus languished as the harbor silted-up, and, by the time the Seljuks got there in the 11th century, it was just a small town. By the 14th century, it had been abandoned completely. We spent the morning at Ephesus, and then after lunch drove out to Pamucak, the beach fronting what was once Ephesus' harbor, with the island of Samos in the distance, spending the afternoon there, hoping to spend the night there too. At length, the Jandarma said "no camp" (we have learned to ask), and we went back to our little lay-by up in the hills above Selcuk.

Part of a 100m long mosaic lining the main (pedestrian--no

chariots) drag in Ephesus

Fountains of Traianus

Along the colonnaded main drag, outside the Odeon and

city hall

The Odeon

City Hall

Monument of Memmius, late Hellenistic



Gate of Hercules



Main drag looking toward library

Temple of Hadrian

Latrine, marble veneer still in place on some of the, um,
"positions"



Paint on the wall of a private residence

Gladiator along one of the streets



Ephesus' theatre--largest we have seen--could seat 25,000;

Vicki is there chanting "Artemis! Artemis!"



Distant, wider view of the colossal theatre