The History of Ephesos. 에베소(Ephesus)

The History of Ephesos. 에베소(Ephesus). 터키(Turkey)

 

The Early Ephesos

Late 7th millennium - 334 B.C.

The earlist traces of human settlement found so far in the region of Ephesos were discovered on Cukurici Hoyuk & reach back into the early Chalcolithic period (late 7th millennium). At the latest since the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium) Ayasoluk, the easily defensible freestanding mound with rocky slopes on three sides, was occupied. At that time the settlement lay directly on the shore, because instead of the plain which has been flooded by the Kaystros River (Kucuk Menderes) since antiquity, there was a deep bay which extended until the foot of the mountain chain to the southm, east & north. Until the early 8th century Ayasoluk remained the only known settlement in the vicinity of Ephesos. Since the Late Bronze Age the southwestern foot of the territory of Artemision was also used; there, a sanctuary existed since the beginning of the Iron Age (2nd half of the 11th century). The late Bronze Age settlement at Ayasoluk is most probably to be identified with Apasa, the capital of the Luwian Kindom of Arzawa (16th - 13th centuries) representing the most important power in western Anatolia, which was first a rival, then a vassal of the Hittite Empire. Profound changes in the material culture point to a change in the population structure during the course of the 11th century: settlers from the Greek mainland conquered the coast of western Asia Minor during the so-called Ionian colonization. The foundation myth refers to Androclos, the son of a legendary Attic king, who wrested Ephesos from the indigenous Carians, Lelegians & Lydians. The centre of the city remained at Ayasoluk. After the mid-8th century additional settlements were established on & around Mount Panayir; of theses, one on the north-east terrace of Mount Panayir & an additional one located beneath the later Tetragonos Agora (Commercial Market) have been partially excavated. The independent city state (polis) of Ephesos was increasingly beset by the ambitious Lydian Kinddom: shortly after 560, the Lydian King Kroisos conquered the city. In 546 or shortly thereafter, the Persians conquered the Lydian Kingdom & also Ephesos. Their rule lasted until Alexander the Great (334 B.C.). Lysimachos, one of the successors of Alexander, brought about the next break in urban development; at the beginning of the 3rd century B.C., he resettled the inhabitants in the valley between Mount Panayir & Mount Bulbul.

 

 

<Earlier find locations in Ephesos>

 

<The mythical founder of the city, Androclos,

on the frieze of the Hadrian Temple>

 

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The Hellenistic Ephesos

3rd - 1st century B.C.

In the Hllenistic period the cityscape of Ephesos underwent a fundamental tranformation. During the wars of the Diadochoi after the death of Alexander the Great the city was incorporated after 300 B.C. into the kingdom of Lysimachos (355-281). After the first new foundations of cities (Lysimachia) at Chersonnes & Altolia, at Ephesos, the new city of Arsinoea, named after Lysimachos' wife Arsinoe II. was also founded. The inhabitants of Arsinoea were recruited from neighbouring communities such as Teos, Lebedos & Kolophon.

Probably already in 294 B.C. construction began of a fortification wall over 9 km in length, enclosing the entire city including the northern slopes of Mount Bulbul & parts of Mount Panayir. The 2.5 Km2 large area within the city walls, of which only one-third was suitable for development, was divided into a Lower City at the harbour area & an Upper City situated on an elevated plateau. The Curetes Street, which follows the course of the old Processional Way, connects both areas of the city.

The Hellenistic Ephesos was a new foundation after a systematic Hippodamian model with orthogonal street grid. The mercantile & cultural centre, with the Commercial Market (Tetragonos Agora), the Theatre & the Stadium is located in the Lower City, whereas the political centre was based in the Upper City with its Upper Agora ('Staatsmarkt'), the Prytaneum & the Bouleuterion. The residential areas developed on the slopes of the two city-mountains & especially on the convenient plateau of the Upper City to the south & east of the Upper Agora. Little is known regarding the areas actually built up in the 3rd century B.C.; however, after the death of Lysimachos in 281 B.C., at least some of the settlers might have departed again. After the 2nd century B.C. simple buildings with workshops were installed in the region of Terrace House 2, while at the same time leveling-off activities in the Upper City provide evidence of rebuilding efforts, or an extensive new settlement within the area.

Locally produced wares & thier distribution in the Mediterranean region reveal the ever increasing significance & economic power of Ephesos in the 2nd & 1st centuries B.C., which was to become the Metropolis of Asia (capital city of the Province of Asia) during Roman rule.

 

 

<The city walls of Ephesos>

 

<The geological topography of Ephesos in the Hellenistic/

Roman period>

 

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Roman Ephesos

When the Pergamene King Attalos III died in 133 B.C., he bequeathed his kingdom to the Roman people in his will. The city of Ephesos that possessed the tax-exempt status as civitas libera thus became part of the Roman Province of Asia. The fact that Roman rule was not greeted with unanimous consent by the population is indicated by the euphoria with which the Pontic King Mithridates VI's attempt to conquer the province was supported. All Italians living in the province were sentenced to death, & in 88 B.C. in Ephesos alone 80,000 people were violently murdered in a single night. The revolt was suppressed by General Cornelius Sulla & the city's freedom was withdrawn, thus making it liable to pay tribute again. In 33 B.C. Marc Antony & his wife, the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, spent the winter in Ephesos & organized their campaign against Octavian, who later became Emperor Augustus. Octavian's victory at Actium not only meant the end of the Republic, but also a reorganization of the Province of Asia.

Ephesos became the permanent headquarters of the Roman provincial administration & capital city (metropolis Asiae). The easy access to the sea made the city an economic centre of Asia Minor: the harbour served as a reloading point for all kinds of commodities. on the estates of the Artemision agricultural products were cultivated & traded; in addition, the sanctuary functioned as a credit bank & a pilgrimage centre. The Roman character of the city was further reinforced by purposefully built construction projects which were used as political instruments.

When the Apostle Paul preached between A.D. 52 & 55 at Ephesos, he was confronted not only by an active pagan cult, but also by a lively Jewish community. As a result of a rebellion led by the silversmith Demetrios, Paul lef the city in order to resume his missionary activities in Corinth.

Ephesos reached its zenith during the 2nd century A.D. Numerous monuments provide witness to this glorious era: private donations by affluent citizens served the public welfare as well as thier own personal commemoration.

After A.D. 230, an obvious economic decline set in, for which a series of earthquakes, culminatiing in a catastrophic quake around A.D. 270, as well as Gothic raids can be understood as prime causes. The Artemision was plundered & the temple itself was burnt down. Clear traces of this destruction are also visible in the city; rebuilding lasted several decades, Ephesos experienced a final recovery only in the 5th century A.D.

 

 

<Panoramic photograph of Ephesos>

 

 

<City plan of Ephesos>

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Byzantine Ephesos

4th - 14th century A.D.

Ephesos retained its position as the seat of the provincial governor (proconsul Asiae) & thus also as a political & economic centre even after the new organization of the Roman Empire by Diocletian (284-305). However, numerous earthquake disasters around the middle of the 4th century resulted in an economic decline from which the city only slowly recovered. With the help of imperial donations & tax exemptions the damage was successively repaired & the former prosperity gradually returned. This was manifested in the restoration & rebuilding of numerous public & private buildings. In addition, following the religious edicts of Theodosius I (most importantly, the declaration of Christianity as the official state religion in 391) a series of splendid churches was erected which changed the cityscape to a great extent.

At th latest since the 5th century, the Basilica of St. John, located on the Hagios Theologios Hill (Ayasoluk/today Selcuk) 2.5 km away, increased in significance & developed into one of the most important pilgrimage centres of the Byzantine perios. During the course of the 7th century, the Basilica eventually took over the liturgical function of the Church of Mary & developed into the main church of the Ephesian archbishop. As the erection of the mighty fortification walls around the Byzantine remnant city of Ephesos in the 6th/7th century indicates, as well as the city's elevation to the newly created administrative unit, the seat of the (Thema) Thrakesion, the former Metropolis of Asiadid not lose its earlier primacy completely. This stationing of a legion in the city, given the increasing efforts at expansion by the Arab world, was a necessity: in fact in ca. 654/655 Ephesos was attacked by Mua'wiya, the Governor of Syria, & in 715/716 by the Arab Admiral Masiama on their return journeys from an unsuccessful siege of Constantinople.

In the 1st half of the 9th century Ephesos is still described in the ancient sources as the largest fortified city of the military administrative unit, the (Thema) Thrakesion. In A.D. 890 it lost its political & military supremacy in favour of Samos & shortly after of Smyrna/Izmir. This briefly sketched development did not, however, mean that the settlement was ultimately abandoned; in fact, the most recent archaeological evidence suggests that Ephesos remained settlee well into the 13th/14th century not however as a homogenous civic entity but rather more as a scattered group of settlements.

Already in 1090 the Seljuk Prince Tengribirmis was able to conque Ephesos & Hagios Theologos (Ayasoluk), which however was soon re-conquered in 1096 by the general John Ducas after a battle not far from the Hagios Theologos Hill. First in 1304 the entire region was separated form the Byzantine Empire. The new rulers, ther Aydinoglu Family, a Seljuk princely dynasty, were succeeded in the 1st half of the 15th century by the Ottoman Dynasty.

 

 

<Harbour Gymnasium with Byzantine residences>

 

<Curetes Street with early Byzantine statues>

 

<Course of the Byzantine city wall at about 600 A.D.>

 

<"Byzantine Palace" with medieval graveyard>

 

- 안내문에서 -

 

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