|
|
|
Ephesus - Photos
|
|
 |
Ephesus (Selçuk):
ancient Greek town in western
Turkey, one of the largest and best excavated cities of the ancient
world.
A model of the excavated buildings of Ephesus in the Ephesos
Museum in Vienna.
|
|
 |
The hellenistic fountain house near the theater. It was built c.200
BCE. |
|
 |
Graffito in the Marble street (a gift by a man named Eutropius in de
fifth century). It sometimes said that the three signs mean that when you
walk along, you will meet a woman who will give you her heart. However, the ancients did not depict
a heart like we do, and the woman has the crown of the goddesses Cybele
and Tyche. The sign must have another significance. |
|
 |
The commercial agora (market), constructed in the hellenistic period,
but rebuilt several times by the Romans. Rebuilding was done during the
reigns of Augustus,
Nero,
Caracalla,
and in the fourth century. It proves that the market still had an important
function for the hundreds of thousands Ephesians. |
|
 |
The commercial agora. It measured 110 x 110 meters and was surrounded
by porticoes.
Here,
you can see a satellite photo of the agora.
|
|
 |
Hellenistic armor. Decoration of the Marble street. |
|
 |
The library of Celsus, one of the most famous monument in Ephesus.
Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus had been tribune in the Fourth
legion Scythica, was consul
in 92, and governor
of Asia in 106-107, but never saw the building, which was erected by his
son Gaius Julius Aquila in 110. The library contained 12,000 scrolls. |
|
 |
In the façade, one can see several statues: allegorically, they
embody the Celsus' qualities, Sophia (wisdom), Arete (character), Ennoia
(judgment), and Episteme (expertise). The choice is not very surprising:
any Roman official would have claimed to have these virtues. The original
statues are now in the Ephesos Museum in Vienna.
A satellite photo can be found here.
|
|
 |
The library of Celsus, detail of the decoration. The fact that Tiberius
Julius Celsus Polemaeanus was buried in the library, close to the market,
is remarkable: this was an honor fitted for the founder of a city. |
|
 |
And another part of the decoration, now in the Ephesos Museum. |
|
|
|
©
Jona Lendering for
Livius.Org,
2004
Revision: 23 July 2012
|
|
|
