The Legendary Foundation and Ancient History of Ephesus

Ephesus Ancient City

Acording to Strabon and Pausanias, famous writers of the Early Ages, Ephesus was first founded by the Amazons on territories largely populated by Carian and Lelegean tribes in ancient times and was therefore named after an Amazonian queen.

Among the native population inhabiting the West Anatolian coastal regions in the 1040s BC there was no unity, including the language a factor which lead Ephesus to become a Greek colony in a process completed in the 10. century BC.

The story on the foundation of Ephesus is accounted as follows by some writers of the Early Ages: Androclos son of Kodros (the King of Athens) and his companions who were about migrates to Anatolia before setting out consulted the Oracle of Delphoi where to built the new city. The Oracle gave an answer them "the location of the new city would be indicated by a fish and a boar" After along journey they reached the banks of the river Kaistros(todays Küçük Menderes). Here as they were cooking the fishes they caught from the river, a fish were frying jumped off the pan, scattering flames that set the dry bushes on fire. Aboar ran ot of the burning bushes and Androclos started to chase the boar, caught it and killed it.

Convinced that the prediction of the Oracle had come true, Androclos and his companions established their new city at the skirts of Mt.Coressos (today's Panayir Dag.) in that location.

The family of Androclos and the Ionians lived for 44 years in the city they have built.

Ephesus, after having survived an attack of the Cimmerians in the 7th century BC, recovered some time later and its fame for science, technics and wealth spread actively over the cities in the surrounding area mostly because of the famous Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven wonders in the world. As from the mid 6thcentury BC. Ephesus succumbs to the onslaughts of the Lydians and later of the Persians.

Upon the death of Persian King Chiros in the 5th century BC. the dissatisfied peoples of the Ionian cities revolted against the Persian rule in what is known in history as the famous "Ionian Uprisal". Key role in the uprisal was assumed by Ephesus. The uprisal ended in the year 494 BC. with the defeat of Ionian army.

During the 3rd century BC. Alexander the Great rules in Europe and Greece. Alexander the Great set out to drive the persians out of Asia Minor and establish unity, fought together with the lonians the famous "Horseman's Battle" that chenged the history of the Early Ages. When he entered Ephesus in the year 334 BC. he met with no resistance in the town evacuted by the feeing Persians. He put an end to the oligarchy and declared the establishment of people's sovereignity.

This period is known as the Golden Age in the history of Ephesus. This city with a population of 300.000 wielded the power and wealth of the near east sustained the divine influence of the Temple of Artemis. After the death of Alexander the Great, Ephesus was ruled for a while by Lysimachos, one of his Generals. His rule marks the construction epoch of Ephesus The city walls constructed by Lysimachos have come to this day. In the year 130

BC. the territory of Asia Minor (Anatolia) and consequently Ephesus were annexed to the Roman Empire. Under the reign of Augustus, the most brilliant period of the I man Empire, Ephesus was Verramon Decoriny ts 118s and largest the of the Asian Province. This way Ephesus were annexed its power as a trading centre and its popula-ton rose over the 200000 level. Most of the remains we see today in Ephesus belong to the epoch of Emperor Augustus, An assult of the Goths in the year 262 AD, levels Ephesus down with the ground. The Great Temle of Artemis was plundered. After this assault Ephesus never regained its power and splendor.

The early centuries AD.witness the emergence of a new religion, Christianity. The apostles St.Paul and StJohn strove to spread this new religion in Anatolia. Christianity which rapidly gained popularity in Ephesus, replaced the traditional goddess Artemis in this new age with the Virgin Mary to whose name the first church in history was established in this land. In the 4th century AD. the seaport of Ephesus became filled beyond use and its population started abandoning it. With that time, all the population of Ephesus gathered around the Ayasuluk Hill where the Church of St. John is located. The city diminished in size with the population growing less and less. Starting with the early periods of Ottoman rule Ephesus lost its importance and became totally deserted.

The ruins open for visit today are the leftovers of the city development and construction that date back to the period of Lysimachos-one of the generals of Alexander the Great. The city which sank into complete oblivion with the course of time, came into focus when the Ayasuluk station was built during the construction of the Istanbul-Baghdad railroad. The first excavations were started by a British engineer John T.Wood. He came to the area in unrelenting searh for the Temple of Artemis mentioned in old works and finally found the location of temple.

Yet for various reasons he could not complete the unearthing of the temple which had to be carried on by D.G. Hogarth in 1904. The Austrian Archaelogical Institute obtained permission from the Ottoman Sultan to do excavations in the area which were started in 1895 by Otto Bendorf and later carried on by Keil, Miltner, Bichler and Prof.

Wetters.