Jax Stumpes: Ephesus, Turkey (4/24/2025)

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Ephesus, Turkey (4/24/2025)

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Ephesus is widely considered one of the 'best-preserved' ancient cities in the Mediterranean.

Another morning shore excursion to Ephesus, ruins of a city that once held one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. Ephesus was founded in 10C BCE, and was abandoned about 15C CE. It was founded by Attic-Ionians as a Greek colony. In the Hellenistic period (332-30 BCE) it was under Macedonian rule during the reign of Alexander the Great. Next was the Roman era (27 BCE-300 CE) when Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia Minor. The Byzantine period (330-15C CE) began after Constantine declared Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire and made Constantinople the capital of the Roman Eastern Empire. By the time of the Ottomans in 15C, the harbor was silted and Ephesus was soon abandoned. The ruins are now located 9.5 km/6 miles from the sea.

The Baths of Varius (2C CE)

Ruins of the State Agora that served as the location
of official and public meetings; it was pointed out that
only a fraction of Ephesus has been excavated:
the rest is under the hill in the background

The Odeon (2C CE) was used for musical and
theatrical performances

Prytaneum/City Hall (3C BCE) was where stood an
inextinguishable flame and statues of Artemis, the goddess
of the hunt, the woods/wilderness, wild animals, transitions,
nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and
chastity, among other things

Curetes Street is named for the priests
of the cult of Artemis

Marble columns along Curetes Street

A cat is attentive to our guide who pointed
out a relief of a caduceus, often mistaken
for the Rod of Asclepius (God of Healing)

Apparently many medical facilities use the caduceus/Staff of Hermes as a symbol of healing, when it is actually a Roman symbol of commerce and negotiation, and has two snakes wrapped around a winged staff. The Rod of Asclepius has a single snake wrapped around a plain rod.

On another side of the carved marble is
a rendering of Hermes (who is the god of
commerce and negotiation, among other things)
carrying his Staff of Hermes/caduceus

Looking back up Curetes Street

Memmius Monument (1C CE) celebrated the liberation of
Ephesus by the Romans from the occupying Pontic armies

Temple of Domitian (1C CE) was built to honor
a Roman emperor, either Domitian or Titus

Relief of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory; it is said
that the Nike company 'Swoosh' logo was inspired by the
wings of the goddess, and represents motion and speed;
the guide tried to tell us the Swoosh came from the
larger skirt draping above the leg

Ficus carica/Fig tree with fruit

Hydreion/fountain or water reservoir (c 200 CE)

A column capital with acanthus leaves
and an egg-and-dart border; our guide tried
to convince us that the "eggs" were
actually bull testicles that are sometimes
associated with Artemis

Kent at the Gate of Hercules/Heracles
with statues depicting the hero wrapped
in the skin of the Nemean lion that he
killed by strangling as the lion had fur
that was impervious to mortals' weapons;

For some reason you were supposed to pose touching both columns; perhaps to show that this is where Curetes Street became pedestrianized, and the narrowness of the columns kept the chariots from entering.

We are now in the shopping district

So why are some of the marble stones
gouged or pitted - to make them less slippery?

Trajan's Fountain (109-113 CE)

Ubiquitous dog

A couple of the shops of which some are
two rooms deep

The sidewalks are Roman mosaics

Temple of Hadrian (c 138 CE) with
round and square columns

The Public Latrine (1C CE) had toilet seats
over running water

There is now a separate fee to see the Terrace Houses
which are all under protective covering

The Brothel (c 1C CE)

Marble Street was closed to tourists

The Library of Celsus (2C CE) is also the burial place of
Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, who served as a Roman
Senator and Consul; the library held over 12,000 scrolls