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Ephesus The City Ephesus was founded by Ionian colonists sometime in the period of early Greek colonization, circa 500 BC. It rests at the extreme western edge of Asia Minor, actually on the river Caÿster and not the Mediterranean Sea. Around 400 BC it was captured by Croesus, who built the original temple of Artemis. During the Hellenistic Age, it came into its own as a maritime power, gradually replacing the previously established Miletus as the premiere harbor for the valley of the river Meander. The city became a member of the Delian League, but broke away around 412 during the Peloponnesian War to side with Sparta. The original temple of Artemis, called the Artemisium, burned to the ground in 356 BC, and had to be replaced. Alexander the Great apparently offered to fund the project, but was turned down. The city was replanned under the ancient engineer Lysimachus. In 133 BC, Ephesus was given over to Roman control as part of the kingdom of Attalus III. Ephesus did not immediately enjoy its later status as one of the greatest metropolises of the Roman Empire. When it initially entered Roman control, it was generally considered inferior to the far longer established city of Pergamum. The city's elders backed the bid of Mithradates III for power in Asia from 88-85 BC, and was consequently punished by Roman dictator Sulla during his self-imposed rule by being stripped of its status as a free city. Under the emperors, however, Ephesus flourished. At long last it surpassed Pergamum, becoming the administrative hub of the province, and consequently the capitol of Roman Asia. The truly massive Artemisium was partly to thank, as was the city's ideal location on the harbor Ephesus enjoyed the broadest reaching coventum of any Asian city, controlling most of the Meander valley along the Mediterranean coast. It also became the center for the imperial ruler-cult, and was thrice declared neokoros. The exerpt herein included from the Acts of the Apostles are particularly intereting, in that it offers an account of the clash between the established pagan traditions in the Empire and the relatively young Christian movement. Perhaps it is telling that the affair is started over money. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians is particularly unremarkable, and is believed by some scholars to have been used as a generic letter to several different citys' Christians. By contrast, Ignatius's Epistle strongly suggests a very particular and vibrant church in the city. The excerpt from the Revelation of John is interesting, given Ignatius's later warnings regarding perceptions of heresy. The Texts The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians Revelation 2:1-7 - The Letter of Christ to the Church in Ephesus |