The subject of the present chapter is the early Roman city, the Ephesus of St. John and St. Paul. But as soon

as we begin to examine its character and make even a superficial survey of its history, it stands out as the

place that had experienced more vicissitudes than any other city of Asia. In most places the great features of

nature and the relations of sea and land remain permanent amid the mutations of human institutions: but in

Ephesus even nature has changed in a surprising degree. To appreciate its character as the city of change,

we must observe its history more minutely than is needed in the other cities.

At the present day Ephesus has all the appearance of an inland city. The traveller who wanders among its

ruins may be at first unconscious of the neighbourhood of the sea. He beholds only a plain stretching east

and west, closed in on the north and south by long lines of mountain, Gallesion and Koressos. As he looks

to the east he sees only ranges of mountains rising one behind another. As he looks to the west his view

from most part of the city is bounded by a ridge which projects northwards from the long ridge of Koressos

into the plain. This little ridge is crowned by a bold fort, called in the modern local tradition, St. Paul's Prison:

the fort stands on the hill of Astyages (according to the ancient name), and the ridge contains also another

peak on the west, called the Hermaion. The ridge and fort constitute the extreme western defences of the

Greek city, which was built about 287 BC. That old Greek tower, owing to its distance and isolation, has

escaped intentional destruction, and is one of the best preserved parts of the old fortification. From its

elevation of 450 feet it dominates the view, the most striking and picturesque feature of the Greek Ephesus.

The historian of Greece, Professor Ernst Curtius, was misled by the appearance of the city, and has

described the fortunes of Ephesus as a city separated from the sea by the ridge of Astyages. This

misapprehension partially distorted his view of Ephesian history and coloured his picture, which is

otherwise marked by sympathetic insight and charm of expression. It is the merit of Professor Benndorf to

have placed the subject in its true light, and to have shown that the history of Ephesus was determined by

its original situation on the seashore and its eagerness to retain its character as a harbour in spite of the

changes of nature, which left it far from the sea. The brief sketch, which follows, of the history of Ephesus is

founded on Benndorf's first topographical sketch, and on the map prepared for his promised fuller study of

the subject. The present writer is indebted to his kindness for a copy of the map in proof not finally

corrected, and can only regret that this sketch has t o be printed without access to the historical study which

is to accompany it.

The most impressive view of modern Ephesus is from the western side of Mount Pion, either from the upper

seats of the Great Theatre or from a point a little higher. The eye ranges westwards over the streets and

buildings of the Greek and Roman city (recently uncovered by the Austrian Archaeological Institute in

excavations extending over many years and conducted with admirable skill), and across the harbour to the

hill of Astyages: southwest the view is bounded by the long ridge of Koressos, along the front crest of

which runs the south wall of the Greek city: northwest one looks across the level plain to the sea, full six

miles away, and to the rocky ridge that projects from Mount Gallesion and narrows the sea-gates of the

valley: northward lie the level plain and the steep slopes of Gallesion. The mouth of the river is hidden from

sight behind the hill of Astyages.

Figure 11: Conjectural map of the gulf of Ephesus, to show changes in the coastline. The line of the walls of

the Hellenic (and Roman) city is marked. The history of Ephesus takes place between the hill of St. John

(Ayasoluk) and the hill of St. Paul (Astyages). The sea in A.D. 100-200 probably came up to about the valley

opening down from Ortygia.

But a large and important part of ancient Ephesus is excluded from that view, and can be seen only by

ascending to the top of the twin -peaked Pion, which commands the view on all sides. The view from the

upper seats of the Theatre may be supplemented by looking east from the northern edge of Pion, beside the