Ancient Ephesus Lives On

By Chris Millikan

For twelve glorious days, the newly inaugurated Carnival Freedom carries us to alluring Mediterranean ports steeped in history. From the port of Izmir we travel into Turkey’s arid hills to see a classical city that outlasted time.

Driving through pastoral countryside, our guide Iknoor begins, “Ancient Ephesus flourished during the Roman Empire. Fleets of wooden sailing ships unloaded foreign cargoes at Harbor Gate as well as travelers from afar; pilgrims flocked to the revered Temple of Diana, Seventh Wonder of the Ancient World…now in ruins.”

Entering Alexander the Great’s cosmopolitan world through Magnesia Gate with others, my husband, daughter and I explore neighborhoods from antiquity…

The law courts, stock exchange and official buildings would have surrounded the roofed upper Agora. We visualize sophisticated toga-robed citizens discussing politics on the way to elaborate temples, sharing news of the day amid ornate fountains or philosophizing endlessly while playing backgammon in the shade.  Nearby, the covered Odeon used for council meetings would often host concerts in its small theater, seating 1500.

“Streetlamps shone all along Curetes Street and shops prospered when over 250,000 people inhabited this metropolis,” recounts Iknoor, pointing to the main shopping-street ahead. Each side had been a colonnaded portico; even now, intact mosaics pave sidewalks fronting houses and workshops.

Through the Gates of Hercules, polished columns and life-sized statues of Dionysus and Aphrodite had surrounded the two-storied Fountain of Trajan. And atop this hill, Hadrian’s elegant Temple is well preserved, the first made of marble. To its right, a stone staircase led to a second floor where networks of hot water pipes once steam-heated communal pools in Scholastikia's thermal baths, which held 1000 patrons.

Nearby, the public latrine provided twenty-five communal holes…with splendid views to the valley beyond! Sitting side-by-side with others along the weathered marble ledge, I ponder whether aristocrats ever had to line up for a seat here after poetry readings at the Odeon…

Down Marble Street, exquisitely carved columns of the two-storied Library of Celsius soars skyward.  An estimated 12,000 hand-written papyrus and parchment scrolls had been stored in niches around the walls to protect them from humidity; borrowers read them in on-site reading rooms flooded with light from open balconies.

Just across the street, two entrances led to the brothel’s reception area, exquisite floor mosaics signifying the seasons. Lighthearted banter sweeps the group as Iknoor whispers mysteriously, “Some say that secret underground passages connected the brothel to this resplendent library...”

From Library Square, the partially excavated commercial Agora beckons. Towering marble columns had defined the immense square. At that time, porticos sheltered long rows of busy shops, trading markets and eateries.

Approaching the nearby amphitheatre, I could almost hear chariot-wheels cutting grooves into the marble pavements as they’d turned the corner…Iknoor summarizes, “This was the greatest stone amphitheatre of its time, important during festivals. Also a Christian center, Saint Paul preached to capacity crowds of 25,000 before his arrest for denouncing fertility goddess Artemis. Some still believe he fought wild animals there before escaping the city.”

Dwarfed among row-upon-row of stone seats, we cautiously climb steep aisle-steps to what had been a columned gallery at the top.   As if auditioning for choruses or plays, we take turns sound checking the perfect acoustics, hearing every word spoken or every note warbled from the stage below, even at the loftiest heights…

Parading back to our bus along the Arcadian Way, we envision Mark Anthony and Cleopatra riding in spectacular processions past wildly cheering crowds, their golden chariots pulled by splendidly plumed horses.

Though abandoned in the 6th century, Ephesus still attracts countless pilgrims annually, just as she did two thousand years ago.

If you’re going:

Our Carnival Cruise Ship Freedom served as a convenient hotel for explorations in Turkey including a stop in Istanbul.  Contact: www.carnival.com  for Mediterranean itineraries.