Ephesus was known in ancient times by a variety of names, Alopes, Ortygia, 14lorges, Smyrna, Trachxa, Samornion, and Ptela ; and is described by ancient geo graphers as at once the ornament of Asia, and the most frequented emporium of that continent. „Its citizens, in addition to their mercantile eminence, were liberal pa trons of the fine arts, and their temples possessed many of the most celebrated productions of ancient genius. Their architecture was conducted principally by Pharax, whom Vitruvius mentions with much commendation. Agasius the son of Dosotheus was one of the most eminent sculptors. Parrhxsius, Apelles, and Ephorus, (the master of the latter,) all holding the first rank as painters, were natives of Ephesus. Artemidorus the historian and geographer, and Heraclitus the melan choly philosopher, were also born within its walls. The Ephesians were equally noted for their luxurious and licentious manners ; and are said to have banished one Hermodorus solely on account of his virtue. (See Dr Goodwin's Works, vol. i. p. 7.) They were much addict ed to superstition, sorcery, and magical arts ; whence arose the proverbial expression, " Ephesian letters," to denote those spells or sentences, which they used to write upon their girdles, or to imprint upon different parts of their bodies, as charms against evil, or as sour ces of supernatural power.
But the great boast of the Ephesians, and the princi pal ornament of their city, was the celebrated temple of their tutelary goddess Diana. The original object of their worship was a small statue of elm or ebony, made by one Canitias, though commonly believed in those days to have been sent down from heaven by Jupiter ; but, what is more remarkable, it had no resemblance to the elegant huntress Diana, and was merely an Egyptian hieroglyphic, with many breasts, representing the god dess of Nature. As the original figure became decay ed by extreme age, it was propped by two rods of iron like spits, which, even after its renewal, were religiously adopted in the substitute. It was at first placed upon a block of beach or elm wood, but in later times was pre served in a shrine adorned with all that wealth and genius could contribute. As the veneration for the goddess increased among the inhabitants of Asia, a magnificent temple was constructed on the spot where the elm had stood, and the sacred image placed within it. This temple seems to have been several times (Pliny says seven times, lib. xvi. c. 40.) ruined and rebuilt, a cir cumstance which may help to reconcile the discrepan cies which occur in ancient writers, as to the dates and descriptions of these successive erections. One of theta is expressly affil med by Livy (lib. i. c. 45.) to have been completed in the reign of Servius Tullius, who flourished at the latest 570 years before Christ. Another is described which was originally designed by Ctesiphon, a Cnossian architect, 541 years before the Christian era, whose plan was continued by Demetrius, a priest of Diana, and the whole at length completed by Daphnis of Miletus, and a citizen of Ephesus. This temple is said to have been partially destroyed by fire on the day when Socrates was poisoned, 400 years B. C. an again 356 B. C. by the philosopher Herostratus, on the clay when Alexander the Great was born, Diana, says Tim xiis the historian, being then absent at the delivery of Olympias. The incendiary confessed, upon being put to the torture, that his only motive for the sacrilegious act, was a desire to immortalize his name ; and though an assembly of the Ionian states passed a decree condemn ing his name to oblivion, the prohibition served only the more to perpetuate its remembrance. According to some accounts, nothing but the four walls and a few columns escaped the fury of the flames ; while others relate, with greater probability, that only the roof, and sonic other pat ts constructed of timber, were destroyed._ The Ephesians had begun its reparation, when Alexan der, in his expedition against the Persians, offered to ap propriate his spoils to the completion of the work, upon condition that his name should be inscribed, as its re storer, upon the front of the edifice. This proposal they accounted it disgraceful for them to accept ; but secured the forgiveness of the conqueror by the flatter ing style in which their refusal was conveyed : " It is not suitable for one divinity," said the Ephesian deputy, " to decorate the temple of another." The women of Ephesus, besides working at the materials intended for its ornament, devoted their jewels to its restoration ; and all Asia contributed to its progress. Cheiromocrates, who assisted in building Alexandria, and who had pro posed to cut Mount Athos into a statue of Alexander, was the architect employed at its commencement ; but 220 years (says Pliny, lib. xxxvi. c. 14.) or even 400 years (says the same author, lib. xvi. c. 40.) were spent in completing the building. It is difficult to determine whether the description of the temple given by this writer applies to its appearance prior or posterior to the conflagration in 356; and it is impossible to make it in any measure intelligible, except by supposing, with the Marquis de Poleni, that its dimensions were exactly the same both before and after the time of Herostratus, and that it was merely restored, though with greater magni ficence and taste, to its former state. It was built on a marshy spot, that it might be more secure from the effects of earthquakes ; and under its foundations was laid a bed of charcoal firmly rammed, and above that another of wool. The whole building was 425 feet in length, and 220 in breadth, supported by 127 pil lars of Parian marble, and of the Ionic order, each 60 feet high. Those pillars were furnished by so many
princes, and 36 of them were curiously carved by Sco pas, while the rest were finely polished. Along the flanks of the cell was a double row of columns, 15 on each side. It is considered as the first instance in which, according to the Ionic style, the fluted column and capital with volutes were introduced ; it is calculated that each pillar, with its capital and base, contained 150 tons of marble. The doors and panneling were made of Cypress wood, polished and shining ; and the staircase of vine wood. Its internal decorations were heightened by the lustre of gold, and especially by the most per fect productions of the artists of antiquity. It contained a statue of Hecate, by Scopas ; a picture of the god dess Diana, by Timarete, the first female artist upon record ; a painting, by Apelles, of Alexander grasping a thunderbolt, purchased for 20 talents of gold. The 'shrine was adorned by Praxiteles and his son Cephiso dorus; and the walls by Parrhasius and Apelles. The priests who served in the temple suffered emasculation, and the sacred virgins were devoted to inviolable cliagti ty. They were eligible only from the higher classes of the citizens, and enjoyed a great revenue with numer ous privileges, in addition to the presents received from the crowds of worshippers who flocked to the annual festivals. Their luxurious mode of living, and particu larly the cost of their dyed vestments, are described by ancient writers in the most extravagant terms. The Asiarchs mentioned by Luke, (Acts xix. 31.) were the principal officers chosen by the community of the Asia tic cities, to preside over the games celebrated at Ephe sus in honour of Diana, some of whom might also have been priests of the temple. Among other previleges, the sacred edifice afforded an asylum to those who sought its protection. The inviolable space at first extended one furlong, and was afterwards increased, first by Mi thridates, next by Mark Antony, so as to include a part of the city ; but, in consequence of the disorders which attended the exercise of such a privilege, it was entirely revoked by Tiberius, who declared, that even the altar itself should not protect a criminal from justice. This celebrated edifice, after suffering various partial demo litions, was finally burnt by the Goths in their third naval invasion, A. D. 260; and travellers are now left to con jecture even as to its scite and its foundations ; but the confused heaps of at chitectural fragments which still re main, sufficiently testify the ancient grandeur of Ephe sus. A part of the aqueduct which conveyed water into the city from the spring of Halitxa, still subsists ; and the pillars which support the arches are of fine marble ; but this structure is generally believed to have been raised by the Greek emperors, out of the ruins of Ephe sus. A high wall, at the circular end of the stadium, is perfect, constructed of heavy rough stones; and the gate of the left wing, built of white marble, is nearly entire, but is also made up of fragments of former build ings, and must have owed its origin to a later age. Two vast gateways of a theatre or a Naumachia, and some walls of brick, faced with large marble slabs, supposed to have been either a part of the temple of Diana, or of the church of St John, form the other principal ob jects of any magnitude. At Aisoluk or Ajasoluk, once the rival of the parent city, and the residence of the Saraconic princes in the 14th century, is a large portal, formerly leading to the citadel, wholly built with Ro man tiles, and faced with polished marble. Over the gateway, and above a very rich frieze, are three pieces of exquisite sculpture, one of which, in alto rehevo, represents the bringing of the body of Patroclus to Achilles. For some unknown reason, the Greeks call it the Gate of Persecution, and believe that it repre sents the martyrdom of Christians. Aiasoluk itself is a miserable village of mud cottages, and about a dozen small square buildings of brick, the ruins of oratories or baths, inhabited by 30 or 40 families of Turkish herdsmen. Its name is considered by some as a Turk ish word, signifying the temple of the moon, in refer ence to the temple of Diana ; but it is supposed, by others, to be a of Aiaseologos, the modern Greek of `Aytos ClevAoyoc, referring to the residence there of the evangelist John. Even the vale of Ephe sus has undergone a total change ; and the town could never be supposed, by an observer ignorant of its history, to have had a free communication with the sea. The Cayster, formerly navigable, is now choked with sand, and flows through sedges, which render it tw-uost Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamus, in or der to improve the port, which was shallow and in conumodious, was persuaded by an architect to construct an extensive mole ; but, by the interruption thus given to the current, the earth brought down the river has de stroyed the pot t, and even encroached some miles on the dominion of the sea.
When the city was taken by the Turks in 1300, desolation was so complete," says Rycaut, the temple of Diana, and the church of Mary, will equally elude the search of the most industrious traveller. " Sec Ancient Univ. Hist. vol. vii. p. 416 ; Anacharsis' Travels, vi. p. 188; Vitruvius, 1. Pfin. Mat. Hist. I. xvi. c. 40, and 1. xxxvi. c. 14; Strabo, lib. xiv ; Pocoke's Tra vels; Sandy's Travels ; Voltage Pittorcsque de In Grece, p. 177 ; Dallaway's Constantinople, p. 209, 211. (q)