When the first Temple of Artemis was built, the Cayster River had already begun to change the landscape of Ephesus. Over time, the river carried large amounts of soil into the bay. This process, known as silting, slowly filled the harbor with mud and sand. As a result, large ships could no longer reach the city easily. This created serious problems for trade and transportation.
Because of this growing difficulty, Lysimachus decided to move the city of Ephesus to a new location. He rebuilt the city where the ruins stand today, closer to the mountains and farther from the blocked harbor. This decision shaped the future of Ephesus for centuries Ancient Ephesus and Its Origins.
From Lysimachus to the Seleucids
Lysimachus ruled Ephesus until his death in 281 BCE. He was killed at the Battle of Corupedion near Sardis. After his death, Ephesus, along with the rest of western Anatolia, became part of the Seleucid Kingdom. According to legend, at the time of Alexander the Great’s birth, Artemis herself was fully occupied bringing him into the world, which explained why she could not protect her temple from destruction.
A City of Wealth and Power
Archaeological excavations show that the first three centuries of the present era were a time of extraordinary wealth for Ephesus and much of western Anatolia. During this period, Ephesus became the leading center of trade, industry, and finance in the region. Its population is estimated to have reached around two hundred thousand people, making it one of the largest cities of the ancient world. Cities such as Paris and London would not reach similar population numbers until after the fifteenth century.
Roman Rule and Early Christianity
In 27 BCE, a few years after the establishment of the imperial cult in Ephesus, Emperor Augustus visited the city. His visit showed the city’s importance within the Roman Empire.
Around the year 53 CE, Saint Paul arrived in Ephesus on his return from his second missionary journey. At that time, the city probably had the largest Jewish community in western Anatolia, with as many as ten thousand people. Paul later returned and stayed in Ephesus for three years.
However, Paul did not receive the same welcome that Saint John would receive about ten years later. When Paul preached that gods made by human hands were not real gods, he threatened the local economy. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made offerings and souvenirs for the Temple of Artemis, feared that his business would suffer. He gathered other craftsmen and led a protest in the great theatre of Ephesus. Although city officials calmed the riot, Paul decided it was safer to leave Ski Resorts Bulgaria.
The Triumph of Christianity
When Constantine the Great became the sole ruler of the Roman Empire and later adopted Christianity as the state religion, the ancient pagan institutions of Ephesus suffered a fatal blow. Archaeological evidence shows that images of Artemis were defaced, her statues destroyed or buried, and her name erased from inscriptions.
Pagan wall paintings were covered with plaster or scraped away. Statues were broken up and sent to lime kilns, or crosses were carved on their foreheads because they were believed to be inhabited by demons. Churches were built using stones taken from Roman monuments. Nymphaea were converted into baptismal pools, and monuments along the main street were decorated with crosses and Christian texts.
Destruction and Survival
Ephesus was attacked many times. The Goths sacked the city in 262, the Sassanians in 614, and Arab forces in the seventh and eighth centuries. Each time, the city managed to recover.
In the end, however, Ephesus was not destroyed by enemies. Its true enemy was the Cayster River. The continued silting finally cut the city off from the sea, ending its role as a major port and bringing its long history to a close.
