Ephesus << EHF ih suhs >> was an ancient Greek city that stood about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of modern-day Izmir, Turkey. It was founded by colonists from Athens in the early 1000’s B.C. The city became famous for its Temple of Artemis, dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis and considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple was built in the 500’s B.C. over the remains of a structure from the 600’s B.C. During the 500’s B.C., the Lydians and then the Persians conquered Ephesus.
The city became a major trading and banking center under the Greeks in the 300’s B.C. Later, Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia. Saint Paul and Saint John helped establish a flourishing Christian church in Ephesus. The city became the leading Christian community of Asia. Ephesus later was looted by the Goths, Arabs, Turks, and finally the Mongols in A.D. 1403. The city was finally abandoned. Archaeologists uncovered its ruins in the late 1800’s.
See also Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
