Ephesus - Photos

Ephesus (Selçuk): ancient Greek town in western Turkey, one of the largest and best excavated cities of the ancient world.

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Artemis

The temple of Hadrian in the Street of the curetes. It was dedicated in 118, almost immediately after Hadrian's accession.

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Nike. Decoration in the Street of the curetes. Photo Marco Prins.

Nike or Victory. Decoration in the Street of the Curetes.

The bouleuterion (council hall). Photo Marco Prins.

The bouleuterion (council chamber). It also served as Odeum. The building was presented to the city in c.150 by a man named Publius Vedius Antoninus. 1400 people could attend the meetings of the council or a musical performance. Here, you can see the bouleuterion on a satellite photo.

Two inscriptions from the Bouleuterion, now in the British Museum. The first one is a copy of a letter written by the emperor Hadrian, in which he recommends a boat owner named Lucius Erastus, who had transported the emperor and governors, for honorary citizenship.

In the second one, the emperor Antoninus Pius resolves a border dispute between Ephesus and Smyrna.

The terrace of the temple of Domitian.

The terrace of the temple of Domitian, seen here on a satellite photo.

The cult statue of Titus, now in the Archaeological museum of Selçuk. Photo Jona Lendering.

The cult statue of the emperor Titus, now in the Archaeological museum of Selçuk.

The East Gymnasium. Photo Jona Lendering.

The eastern gymnasium.

Tomb of Marcus Calpurnius Rufus, Ephesus. Now in the British Museum, London (Britain). Photo Jona Lendering.

The tombstone of Marcus Calpurnius Rufus, decorated with two fasces, sums up his career. He had been prefect of the Roman corn supply and governor of Cyprus, Pontus and Bithyniae, and finally Asia, where he died. The inscription, included in the Corpus Inscription Latinarum as 3.6072, is now in the British Museum.

The remains of the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Photo Jona Lendering.

The scanty remains of the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. According to Pliny the Elder, Natural history, 36.95, it was built in a marshy area to protect it against earthquakes. Once, there were 127 columns. The temple was a present from the Lydian king Croesus (ca.560-ca.547). Later, the Persians patronized the cult; the high priest was called the Megabyxus, a Persian name that means "the one set free for the cult of the divinity". The temple was destroyed by fire in 356; later, it was said that Artemis, who protected pregnant women, had been away to help Olympias give birth to Alexander the Great, and had therefore been unable to prevent the fire that destroyed her shrine.

Column drum from the temple of Artemis. British Museum, London (Britain). Photo Marco Prins.

One of the column drums from the temple of Artemis, now in the British Museum in London. This piece can be dated to 325-300. To the left, you can see Thanatos ("death"); in the center a woman (Alcestis?); and to the right the god Hermes as Psychopompos, "guide of the souls".

Capital from the temple of Artemis. British Museum, London (Britain). Photo Jona Lendering.

One of the capitals, also in the British Museum.

The ceiling was made of cedar wood (Vitruvius, On Architecture, 2.9.13).

Part of a statue of the Ephesian Artemis, the patroness of the city. Archaeological museum of Selçuk. Photo Marco Prins.

Part of a Roman statue of the Ephesian Artemis, the patroness of the city, now at the Archaeological museum of Selçuk. There is more on this remarkable cult statue over here. This satellite photo shows the site of the temple.

Coin of Marcus Aurelius, showing the temple of Artemis in Ephesus. British Museum, London (Britain). Photo Jona Lendering.

A coin showing the wonder of the world, before it was destroyed. This satellite photo shows the site of the temple.

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