Ephesus

ancient history · archaeology · greece

An Ionian Greek City. Ephesus was built by Greek colonists in the 10th century BC and was one of twelve great cities in the Ionian League, a powerful group of Greek communities.

Coastal Location. The city sat right on the coast of Ionia, in what is now Turkey near the city of Selçuk, making it a perfect spot for trade and ships.

Ruled by Romans. In 129 BC, Ephesus came under the control of the Roman Republic and became even more important as a major city in the Roman Empire.

Built on Older Cities. The Greeks didn't build Ephesus from scratch, they constructed it on the site of Apasa, an ancient city that had once been the capital of a kingdom called Arzawa.