The Fountain of Trajan | Turkey

Ephesus is considered one of the great outdoor museums of Turkey, in fact perhaps of the world. It is located on the south of Izmir's Selcuk county. The links of Ephesus with the Amazons and the myths had survived throughout history. So, there was a competition for statue of an Amazon for the Temple of Artemis to be made by the famous sculptors in the 5th century B.C.. The town of Apasas under the rule of Ahhiyava Kingdom mentioned in the written records of the Hittites of the 14th and 13th centuries B.C. is Ephesus. The linguists accept that the word Ephesus was derived from Apasas. An important number of the findings revealed by the excavations carried on at southern slopes of Ayasuluk (Selcuk) castle by the Ephesus Museum since 1990 are dated to second millennium B.C.. Therefore, we can surely say that Apasas was founded on the Ayasuluk Hill. The findings from this place are exhibited in the Ephesus Museum.

After the fall of Troy and ensuing looting, the Thracians started migrating south. They joined the other Thracian groups who came from the sea and settled in Western Anatolia, forming colonies. The written Egyptian sources of the 12th century, mention the destruction of cities during these migrations, regions called Aeolis and Ionia appeared on the map. The region of Ionia where Ephesus is located is referred to as "Yavan" in the Bible, "Yavnai" in the Assyrian inscriptions and as "Yauna" in the Persian inscriptions. To Ensure their security, the immigrants preferred to settle on islands near the coast and on peninsulas. The colonization of Ephesus, as in the other Ionian cities, was completed in the 10th century B.C. Strabo and Pausanians tell the story of the settlement: Androklos, son of Kodros ( the King of Athens), and his friends who were about to migrate to Anatolia, could not decide on the location of the new city they were going to establish.



They consulted the oracle of Apollo, which told them to establish their new city at the location which would be indicated by fish and a boar. Androklos and his friends who came to the region wanted to cook fish, but the fish they were frying jumped off the pan, scattering flames that set the dry bushes on fire. A boar ran out of the burning bushes and Androklos started to chase the boar, caught it and killed it. Convinced that the prophesy of the oracle had come true, Androklos and his friends established their new city in this location. And Ephesus existed here for 400 years and was ruled by Androklos and his descendents. When Androklos died during a war with the Carians he was buried near the Magnesia Gate and heroon ( a shrine dedicated to a deified person) was built on the site.

Ephesus was attacked by the Cimmerians in the 7th century BC but got back onto its feet again soon afterwards. The 6th century BC brought a prosperous period for Ephesus. Later, Ephesus came under the rule of the Lydians and then under the Perisans. In 334 BC, Alexander the Great captured Ephesus, which offered no resistance. The death of Alexander brought dark days to Ephesus, which was ruled in 287 BC by Lysimachos. Most of the works of art seen today came into being during this period. Later on Ephesus came under the sovereignty of Rome, and Emperor Augustus declared Ephesus a metropolis. In the year 262 AD Ephesus was attacked and destroyed by the Goths and after this, it never regained its previous importance.

This semi-circular structure, known also as the Small Theatre. According to an inscription unearthed, it was built as a bouleuterion (council chamber) around 150 A.D. by Publius Vedius Antonius and his wife FlaviaPapiana. They were member of a distinguished family in Ephesus. The original structure was provided with coverings and with a capacity of 1400 seated spectators, alternatively served as bouleuterion and as a small covered theatre. The structure consist of three main sections which are found in all other theatres: the cavea (auditorium), the orchestra (place of action for the actors) and the skene (the stage building). The semi,circular cavea is divided in two by a diazoma (horizontal passage separating the rows of seats) in the center. The marble seats exhibit quality craftsmanship. Most probably, the skene was two-storeyed. There is a narrow marble podium just in front of the skene where five doors open onto the pedium. The door in the middle is taller and wider than the others. The orchestra is semi-circular. The fact that there are no gutters for rain water in the center of the orchestra indicates that the Odeion was roofed.

The structure was used as an Odeon during concerts and as a bouleterion during the meetings of the boule.

In the Augustan era, the spread of Imperial-Roman cults was by then a fact in many provinces of Asia Minor. The cult of the Emperor was alive in Nicomedia and in Pergamum, together with that of the Goddess Rome. The idea for the building of a temple which could celebrate the Goddess Rome, the Roman divinty by antonomasia, together with Julius Caesar, whose divine attributes were venerated, occurred to his adoptive son, Octavius. The later - who was become Emperor with the name of Augustus - authorized the construction of the sanctuary on the occasion of a visit made to the Asiatic province in 29 B.C.

Its erection in the vicinity of the Prytaneion, constituted an aggregation point for the Romans resident in the province and a unquestionable testimony to the important role played by Ephesus within the political and administrative organization of this important part of the Roman Empire.

The architectural conformations of the buildings, usual in Ancient Rome, was in fact very atypical for the territories of Greece and Asia Minor. The remains of theses temples have in our day been located in the immediate vicinity of Odeion.

The prytaneion was constructed in the 3rd century B.C. and attained its final shape during the reign of Emperor Augustus. After it was destroyed for various reasons, its columns and some of its other architectural elements were used in the construction of the Scholastika Baths. In the course of excavations they were brought back to the Prytaneion. On each side of the road which runs between the Prytaneion and Domitian Square, there is a statue base with figures on it.

Its function in antiquity was comparable to that of our town hall: in addition to public functions, it housed important events, receptions and banquets. In the annexed Temple of Hestia Boulaia there burned perennially the sacred fire which the Pritanei -the priests who attended to the citizens' workship and to the sacrifical practice - had to feed.

In the immediate vicinity of this peculiar structure has been set up a triangular-shaped architectural element coming from the Door of Heracles which rises at the start of Kuretes Street. The sculptural figuration which is prominent there represents Winged Nike, the Goddess of Victory, while she holds a plaited crown in her left hand.