Ephesus

First City Built

Ephesus is first built on the site of Apasa, on nearby Ayasuluk Hill, the former Arzawan capital, by Attic and Ionian Greeks. Ephesus becomes one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League.

Lydia Conquers Ephesus

Ephesus is conquered by the Lydians under King Croesus who was the main contributor to the rebuilding of the Temple of Artemis. Croesus enlarges the city by making the people of nearby settlements move to Ephesus.

Ephesus Incorporated into the Persian Empire

The Persians defeat the Lydians and incorporate Ephesus and all other Greek cities in Asia Minor into the Achaemenid Empire. High taxes imposed by King Darius result in Ephesus joining the Ionian Revolt

Ephesus Joins the Delian League

Ephesus and the other Ionian cities join Athens in the Delian League against the Persians.

Temple of Artemis Burns Down

A lunatic arsonist named Herostratus burns down the Temple of Artemis in an attempt to write his name in history as the man who did it. The people of Ephesus immediately go to work to restore the temple and build one even larger and grander.

Alexander the Great Dies, His Generals Take Over

Alexander the Great dies in Babylon, Mesopotamia. Leaving no heir, his generals, called the Diodochi divide the lands they conquered between each other. Fighting between the generals for these territories ensues.

Ephesus Revolts Against Lysimachus

Ephesus revolts after Agathocles, Lysimachus’ son, is executed for treason, probably based on trumped-up charges so Arsenoe’s son would become King. This gives Seleucus I, one of Lysimachus’s rivals, an opportunity to remove and kill Lysimachus.

Ptolomy III Takes Control

King Antiochus II Theos (one of the kings of the Seleucid Dynasty) is murdered. Ptolemy III of Egypt, of the Ptolemaic dynasty (also heirs of Alexander the Great), sweeps across the western coast of Asia Minor. Ephesus is betrayed by its governor and Ephesus falls into the control of the Ptolomies.

Rome Takes Control

Rome defeats Antiochus III in battle. King Eumenes II, King of Pergamum and close ally of the Romans, takes control of Ephesus.

Ephesus Becomes Part of the Roman Republic

Ephesus comes under the control of the Roman Republic. Taxes rise considerably. The treasures of the city are plundered.

Rome Takes Control Again

King Mithridates is defeated in battle by the Romans. Ephesus comes back under Roman rule. The Romans impose a debt of five years of back taxes, leaving Ephesus and other Aegean cities heavily in debt.

Octavian Defeats Marc Antony and Cleopatra

Marc Antony and Cleopatra lose the sea Battle of Actium, leaving Octavian with no obstacles or opposition to becoming the Emperor of Rome. Octavian then calls himself Caesar Augustus.

The Apostle Paul Comes to Ephesus

The Apostle Paul arrives in Ephesus and lives in Ephesus for two years. For three months he preaches at the Jewish synagogue but is frustrated by the Jewish congregation there, so he moves to a lecture hall run by a man named Tyrannus.

A silversmith named Demetrius stirs up a mob against Paul for endangering the livelihood of silversmiths who make idols of Artemis. They grab two of Paul’s companions and drag them to the theater. Paul’s other companions prevent Paul from going to the theater to speak to the crowd.

Paul leaves Ephesus for Macedonia.

Third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus

Ephesus hosts the Third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, at the Church of Mary near the Harbor, which includes a condemnation of Nestorius.

Ephesus Mostly Destroyed, Causing Final Decline

Ephesus is largely destroyed in a military conflict, probably connected to the Sasanian War. The destruction, along with the silting of its harbor, causes Ephesus to decline. Eventually, Ephesus loses access to the Aegean Sea. People leave Ephesus and carry away the stones of the temples and other buildings to use in other buildings and new homes. Marble statues and sculptures are broken down and ground into powder to make lime for plaster.