Ephesus. Up early to head to the Ephesus site, just a few kilometers outside the city of Selçuk where we are staying. We have visited ancient Ephesus two other times, both times on our 2002 sabbatical. While touring Turkey in 2002 on our own by car, we made a stop at Ephesus; later, on that same trip, when in Greece we took a cruise excursion from Athens that included a brief stop at Ephesus along the way. Thus, Jerry already had lots of pictures of various attractions at Ephesus, such as the famous theater, the market, the Acadian Way, the Marble Street, Curetes Street, and the Celsus Library. This time around Jerry wanted to catch two main attractions we had not had time for in earlier trips. One was the recently-discovered gladiator burial grounds, which we failed to see this time as well due to Janet Crisler not performing on her promises to Jerry as he was making sabbatical plans. The other attraction was the famous Roman elite terrace homes along Curetes Street, which we were happy to catch this time around.
Terrace Homes. We arrive at ancient Ephesus just as the site is opening. Ephesus is so beautiful, and the Celsus Library at the foot of Curetes Street is as magnificent as ever. More excavations have taken place since we were here 8 years ago. We headed straight for the terrace homes, paid our fee, went inside the covered archeological dig area, and they are stunningly beautiful. Hollywood does not exaggerate the sets of movies in Roman times. The homes are palatial, exquisite! One of the ongoing and very amazing projects is the largest “jig-saw” puzzle in the world—120,000 pieces of marble are being pieced together to put the dining room walls back in their original decoration. The aristocracy of Rome had the best of everything.
The wall frescoes are just beautiful, even in their deteriorated condition. One can imagine the color and striking impression these would make to visitors.
Marble and mosaics are in such abundance that they seem to be treated like common plaster. Geometric designs are quite popular. The colors are nowhere as rich as in the originals. One cannot tell in these images, but a thick layer of excavation dust has settled over every surface, so what you see as “faded” really is not, even many centuries later.
Famous scenes from Greek mythology are a common theme of mosaic art. Below you see Poseidon, god of the sea, riding the waves.
Here is a closeup of the marble being reconstructed from 120,000 pieces back into its original position on the walls of the Marble Hall.
After taking a good while at the terrace homes, we toured the rest of the site, enjoying many of the sights we had seen before. To illustrate my scholar’s tenacious focus on his objectives, even though we have been here twice before, we wound up staying at the Ephesus site for 5-6 hours, practically the whole day. We concluded our visit by doing some shopping for souvenirs, and got some things we like. We ate a sandwich at an outdoor café, and Jerry got some fresh squeezed orange juice, which he loved.
In the inscription below, Ephesus claims the title “first city” of Asia, meaning the most important or the highest honored city with the highest status. One reason for this claim would be receiving from Rome the title of “temple warden” or official representative of the imperial temple in a region.
The inscription below relates to the emperor Nero, whose name appears at the end of the first line in the letters NEPOY. The word before his name is the word autokratora, which means “emperor.”
Columns comprising the entrance of Hadrian’s Gate had been erected since Jerry and I were there in 2002. This gate stands at the bottom of Curetes Street in its juncture with the Marbled Way just in front of the Library of Celsus.
The bouleterion is the chamber council where the elders and leaders of the city met to decide municipal questions on behalf of the city’s welfare. Only the elite with high social status participated in the meetings at the bouleterion. The best shot of this city chamber actually is from far away at the same level of ground standing in the platform area of the temple of Domitian. Jerry used his high zoom to get this shot.
Jerry then hiked all the way across the site and up the hill to the bouleterion to take the second shot below looking back on the platform area of the temple of Domitian while perched on the top wall of the bouleterion (there goes that monkey again). The broad, flat expanse of the temple complex foundation with its supporting arches can be seen in the middle of the picture.
A closeup of the platform support arches of the Domitian temple complex reveals two solitary columns that have been erected by archeologists. The Domitian temple in Ephesus is important evidence not only for emperor worship in the Roman empire in general but for illustrating the popularity and acceptance of the emperor cult throughout the province of Asia. The strength of the emperor cult in Asia is the historical background for the book of Revelation.
Turning the camera westward from another observation area further down Curetes Street reveals the swampy marshland that now surrounds Ephesus and was the reason for her eventual demise. The Mediterranean sea is now several miles away. The ancient harbor of Ephesus was just to the right of where you see the blue marsh water in this picture.
My favorite spot at ancient Ephesus is the Library of Celsus, whose façade is one of the most recognizable tourism pictures of Turkey. In the picture below, the Library of Celsus is in the top left part of the picture. The Gate of Hadrian is visible just to the left of the library façade. The market place where the silversmith riot took place in Acts 19 is to the right of the library. Just in front of the marketplace is the collonaded Marble Street that runs in front of the Ephesian theater (to the right just out of range of the picture).
Akay Hotel Supper. Back to the hotel to record pictures, charge up everything, do email, call mother, etc. We had dinner again on the roof restaurant at the hotel across the street from ours (Akay Hotel) and ran into Nora from the Crisler library, who is so nice; too bad she doesn’t administrate the Crisler programs. We inquired if Janet Crisler ever was able to put together plans to get out of Europe, of which she had been foiled Monday due to the huge air traffic problems over most of Europe created by the recently-erupted Iceland volcano. Nora said Janet had taken a ferry to the island of Samos in hopes of catching a plane to Athens. From Athens she was hoping to catch an overseas flight to the U.S. to try to make her U.S. appointments. Nora loved my Target hat.
Back in our room, we review the maps for tomorrow’s ambitious day trip trying to take in three ancient sites, starting first at the farthest end on the southern coast of Turkey, Didyma, then back up to Milet (Miletus), and then the classical site of Priene, before finally driving all the way back into Selçuk. Whew! Hope we make it!
Ephesus Museum. Breakfast at 8 am then off to the Ephesus Museum, not that far from our hotel. The museum has been rearranged and enlarged a little since we last were here in 2002. But, sadly, we learn that the famous gladiator exhibit showing material from the recently discovered gladiator burial grounds of Ephesus has been closed. Oh no! Jerry is devastated. Studying the gladiator artifacts at Ephesus was tops on his list for the whole trip. We still enjoyed the museum’s holdings, especially material related to the emperor Domitian, as well as the contributions of the Pollio family, one of the most famous patron, benefactor families in the history of Ephesus.
Below is the famous goddess, Artemis, worshipped at Ephesus, who had the most famous Artemesian complex in the world. The temple of Artemis was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The silversmiths, whose main business was selling silver Artemis figurines, rioted against Paul and his associates in Ephesus (Acts 19:23–40).
Ephesus had an elite society of the wealthy who lived in the terrace homes along Curetes Street. These homes have been excavated, revealing the opulence of Roman aristocratic life. We will visit one of these terrace homes tomorrow. The museum had a nice display that gave the feeling of the interior of one of these homes.
In one of the terrace homes were found exotic ivory carvings depicting military scenes, which were a new addition to the Ephesus museum. Below is just one panel of this beautifully executed work of art.
One of the most popular decorative styles in elite Roman homes was the mosaic floor. Images reflected social values, typical scenes of elite life, famous philosophers, characters in Greek and Roman myths, and other traditional portrayals.
A coin from Ephesus of the Augustan period depicting Caesar Augustus (27 B.C.–A.D. 14) is followed by the partial remains of a statue of Augustus, the Caesar who ruled the world when Jesus was born.
Friezes from altar area of the Domitian temple in Ephesus are pictured below. The latter part of Domitian’s reign (81–96) is the likely context for the book of Revelation.
The head and a hand is all that survives of a colossal statue of the Flavian imperial dynasty erected in the Domitian temple complex, thought to be either that of Domitian’s brother, Titus (79–81), or of Domitian himself.
The Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis were worshipped at Ephesus, popular among Romans throughout the empire. Isis is depicted in the first image below, then Serapis in the next image, both found in one of the terrace homes.
Medical instruments illustrate a fairly sophisticated knowledge of the healing arts in the Roman world. One is reminded of Luke, the “beloved physician” (Col 4:14).
Stone ossuaries were a common form of burial.
Jerry stands by the base of friezes showing a rare Roman defeat of the Parthians, a highly celebrated event because the Parthians were the great fear of the Roman army on its eastern boarders. Parthians were responsible for one of the most disastrous defeats the Roman army ever endured in the battle of Carrhae (53 B.C.).
Romans used terra-cotta and lead for their pipes. The lead pipe below with its stone sleeve sockets was found in the altar area of the temple of Artemis.
The few remains of a scene that decorated the entrance to the Pollio Fountain, one of the important water sources for the city of Ephesus that was fed by the Pollio Aqueduct we later visited in the afternoon.
Crisler Library. On the way back to the hotel, we stop at the Crisler Library and ring the bell to make our contact we somehow missed yesterday afternoon. A lady finally answers the gate, whom we later find out is called Nora, and Jerry introduces himself. He asks if we might see Janet, explaining that he’s been in email contact with her. Nora shocks us with the news that Janet is in a rush, about to leave for the airport! However, she said she would “check.” Janet comes out in a flurry and welcomes us, but that she has no idea who we are and no memory of making arrangements for us to stay at the Crisler apartment soon becomes obvious. We are silently stunned. All our arrangements were worked out in detail months before we left the States. Jerry can document an email trail with Janet, including the exact cost of the apartment! Though she was supposed to be ready to help us with special permission to see the gladiator graveyard and to get a VIP tour of the Terrace Houses and to put us up with room and board, Janet seems to have not even a smidgen of memory of any of these discussions or arrangements. Instead, she’s supposed to fly to Boston today. All European flights are a mess, however, because of the Iceland volcano issue—she won’t be flying today she finds out!
Jerry and I both seemed to realize immediately without saying a word to each other that no purpose would be served trying to remind Janet of her commitments to us. She is totally preoccupied, completely consumed with trying to make alternate arrangements for getting out of Europe and across the Atlantic to Boston. Janet does take time to offer to show us around the grounds of the Institute (after all, we are there), and we have coffee and cake on the patio. She totally has no idea she’s messed us up royally! Jerry mentions the gladiator exhibit, and she explains that the new curator of the Ephesus Museum inexplicably took the exhibit down! Janet has a young archeologist working for her that she asks to call to see if our seeing the gladiator items in storage can be worked out. (All of this she had told Jerry by email would be arranged before we arrived.) Basically, we have determined that she’s a certified ditz who should not be trying to administrate the Crisler Institute!! She just has no administrative skills and no memory. She showed us a handwritten card catalog she has a staff member working on—yes, handwritten, no less! No computerization of any of her library records!! This Institute obviously is not a well-run place. She also showed us some rare books that she took out of a regular cabinet (not from any kind of fireproof safe). Whew!! What a risky place to keep them. We left our email address in case the viewing of the gladiator items might be worked out, but, actually, we entertain little hope that Janet will get us anything, except recommending that we go off the beaten path to find the Pollio Aqueduct, which we did not know about so had no plans before we came to try to see the site.
Pollio Aqueduct. Janet gave us directions to the Pollio aqueduct, an architectural span over a river bed in a small but steep and deep ravine that few tourists ever see. The remains are located about 5 kilometers outside of Selçuk off the Aydin highway just beyond the upper entrance to the site of Ephesus. Off we go on our own for an unplanned side trip to find an aqueduct unmarked with no trail. Jerry would just love to find this site, as he loves anything Roman, and its direct tie to a major New Testament city would be icing on the cake. It’s a cloudy day—I pray God gives us a little sunshine for Jerry’s sake for taking pictures, since the Janet Crisler debacle over the last two days has left him stunned and near speechless—heartbroken really. We find the path as Janet had described just off the Aydin road and hike down to the aqueduct. It’s really amazing. As we are taking pictures, the sun pops out—thank you, Lord! The aqueduct is called Pollio because an inscription on the aqueduct states that the system was paid for by the Pollio family, one of the great patron families of Ephesus. So beautifully engineered. Of course, Jerry finds a way to climb up the very steep ravine wall to get on top of the aqueduct!! That little monkey! He gets good pictures.
We head back to the hotel and check our email on the lobby computer, hoping against hope to have news from Janet that we will get in to see the gladiator artifacts. Sadly, we only read confirmation that seeing the gladiator artifacts is a “no go”! What a huge disappointment. While we were with Janet earlier, she and Jerry talked about how bringing students to the Institute works, but we are disappointed to learn that she herself handles all those arrangements—that kills that! We are now gun shy and not a little nervous about trusting her for “arrangements” for anything. As long as Janet handles the arrangements, Jerry realizes he is not going to be bringing any student groups to the Crisler Institute and Ephesus as he once had dreamed.
Artemesian. From our hotel, Jerry walked down to the Artemesian, the site of the ancient temple for the worship of the patron goddess of Ephesus, Artemis, and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. I stayed in the hotel room to rest, record expenses, etc. A good while later, Jerry returned, hot from his late afternoon, long hike. He said he got good pictures in the late afternoon sun. The site is hard to visit because the entire area is swampy, which historically always was the problem Ephesus had with the slow running river constantly silting up her bay. Expensive dredging was a continual battle against the forces of nature. Over the centuries Ephesus finally succumbed.
Part of the modern city of Selçuk is in the background. In fact, our boutique hotel is on the first row of buildings a little to the left of the solitary column.
Archeologists erected one of the original columns of the temple to give an impression of the huge dimensions of the temple complex. The apostle Paul would have walked past this column in his coming and going while ministering for 2–3 years in the city on the Third Missionary Journey.
After Jerry cooled down, we go to dinner at another boutique hotel across the street on the backside of our hotel. Over dinner we muse about Janet and try to make sense of this disappointing let down. Paul spent two to three years in Ephesus, so the site is such an important place for our understanding of Paul and the early Christian movement. Working out something for students to spend time here studying at the Crisler Institute and visiting the site of Ephesus would be great, but we decide working with Janet is just too risky.
After dinner, we walk back across the street to our own little hotel and checked our email one more time on the lobby computer. I then go upstairs and wash out Jerry’s shirt, etc. from today—pretty grimy from the hard climb up the aqueduct ravine wall and the later hot hike to the Artemesian. I then write in this journal, which takes a little while, and it’s off to bed. Jerry, my little monkey scholar, already has fallen asleep.
On the Road Again. We checked out of our Hotel Tripoli in Pamukkale (Hierapolis) early in the morning in order to carve out some time from a long drive getting to Selçuk (Ephesus). We plan to stop off at the ancient site of Aphrodisias along the way.
Our drive time estimate is sound. We get to Aphrodisias just as the archeological site opens. We stayed at the site about 6 ½ hours.
Aphrodisias. The site is wonderful. Due to the way the site is situated in its topography, you gain a very realistic feel for an ancient city. The reason is because the theater is up high on a hill, and this vantage point offers a great 360 degree overview of the entire site. From the theater overlook, you can see how the city was laid out in the Hippodrome Greek pattern like most cities of the ancient Greco-Roman world, and even like our cities today. The temple of Aphrodite off in the distance is easily spotted from the theater. The majestic entrance to the temple of Aphrodite, called the Tetrapylon, or Monumental Gateway, is seen. The swampy area of the Agora is not immediately evident from the top of the theater until one gets near the location on foot. This Agora must have been beautiful, as the remains show that the entire middle of the interior court was a long pool with fish and aquatic plants fed by a freshwater spring. Just behind the Agora was the Bouleterion, also now filled with water in the middle. The Bouleterion still has the bases of the statuary at the front that honored prominent citizens of Aphrodisias who were generous benefactors or who held important civic offices.
Stadium. The most impressive remains were the stadium (an oblong running and racing track—not the same as a theater) and the Sebastion (Emperor Temple). The stadium was interesting due to being able to see its evolution in use over time. Stadiums originated with the Greeks for their festival games in competitions between cities, serving for foot races, discus throw, etc. At Aphrodisias, the Romans modified the original Greek stadium’s east end in 400 AD for gladiatorial games. In the evolution of the use of the stadium over time, the difference in Greek and Roman cultures is so evident. The Greek stadium represented cultural Greek ideals and athletic prowess. Roman usage turned this stadium and its cultured symbolism into the violent bloodlust of Roman gladiatorial games.
Sebastion. The Sebastion formally was a temple dedicated to Augustus, but more broadly at Aphrodisias was a long, three-storied portico courtyard of the Imperial Temple complex used for Roman imperial propaganda through its reliefs, statuary, and imagery. The Sebastion portrayed Roman propaganda about the Roman Empire in full, powerful expression. The Sebastion of Aphrodisias stands as another reminder of how strong the emperor cult in Asia Minor was at the time the book of Revelation was written. A new wing of the Aphrodisias Museum now houses some of these statuary, reliefs, and images from the Sebastion. Below is an artist’s rendition looking through the entrance gate into the Sebastion porticos and temple at the far end. In the following picture, Jerry is standing in front of the first level of one wing of the Sebastion reconstruction project, which, at the time of our visit, was scheduled for completion sometime in 2011.
Aphrodisias Museum. The Aphrodisias Museum is wonderful. The museum is full of artifacts, especially statuary. In addition, a new room full of first-century AD reliefs from the Sebastion had recently been opened—Jerry was in heaven! The reliefs and artwork had carefully documented descriptions. Jerry takes pictures galore to show Roman imperial propaganda and ideology.
Statuary. The museum had a number of statues that Jerry enjoyed, because some of the dates were first century. First-century anything always cranks his motor. One statue represents a leading citizen of Aphrodisias dated to the first century. He is depicted wearing a priestly crown, a high civic honor, and, hence, a symbol of great status and achievement. You see me taking notes at another honorarium statue, including a priestly crown. Not all statuary is of leading men. One statue of a lady named Domitilla shows she had high status and rank. A statue of Aphrodite does not have the multi-breasted form of the famous one from Ephesus. One of the reasons we take a while to work through these museums is that Jerry wants to translate most of the inscriptions, even if that puts him on the floor.
Most people do not know that the ancient Greeks painted their temples and statuary bright colors. What we see today is just the marble surface with all the paint long gone. The Aphrodisias Museum has a statue of a young athlete done on the scheme of Polykliton Diakophorous that was found in the theater area and dates from the first century B.C. to early first century A.D. Just a hint of the original polychromy still survives in the eyes and the hair.
Sebastion Reliefs. Jerry said the reliefs taken from the porticos of the Sebastion now on display in a new wing of the museum were an incredible treasure trove illustrating Roman imperial propaganda. The new wing is huge. We take a while to work through all the descriptions. I am recording data constantly as Jerry shoots away.
Imperial Propaganda. How did the Romans use statuary and reliefs for imperial propaganda? The images depicted were crucial in their precise content and disposition. For example, in one scene of these reliefs, the god Hemera (Day) has a dramatic billowing cloak framing the head. This billowing cloak forms a type of halo and was standard relief imagery intended to be evocative of a divine ephiphany. The gods reveal themselves to mortals in these epiphanies. No accident, then, that Roman emperors also are pictured with such a billowing halo of the cloak as their victories on the field of battle are depicted. The battlefield victory is interpreted by the imperial propaganda machine as a partial divine epiphany revealing the true nature of the emperor. The early reign of Nero, for example, was associated widely throughout the empire with the sun god Helios. How images are combined also have meaning. For example, the combination of the god Day and the god Night into one image signified the eternity of Roman imperial rule. Again, the combined image of the god Ocean with the god Earth together represented the empire without end, Rome as lord of land and sea.
Victory. On the third story of the south portico of the Sebastion, the subject of the reliefs are the Roman emperors in the context of imperial victories with backgrounds of the Olympian gods. The association with the Olympian gods was to portray the emperors as powerful, warring deities intentionally mixed with the old gods as near-equal partners. The inscription is labeled “Theoi Sebastoi Olympiori,” or “Olympian Emperor Gods.” The main emperors for such imagery were Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. (The madman Gaius, better known as Caligula, conveniently was by-passed.) These emperors’ most important achievements were their victorious wars over the barbarians. The wild, chaotic elements of the world on the edges of the empire are subdued by imperial might, and the Roman civilization that follows brings order, peace, and stability to ever-greater reaches of the world.
Six of the inscribed panels on display in the museum are related specifically to the victories and world empire of Claudius (A.D. 43–54) and Nero (A.D. 54–68). In particular, Claudius is pictured conquering Britannia, and Nero is pictured conquering Armenia, both in the Hellenistic “heroic style.” Britain was considered the “signature” victory of Claudius, and Armenia the “signature” victory of Nero. Together, these two victories represented the imperial conquest to the furtherest east and furtherest west of the empire’s boundaries at the time. The inscription for such images often is “Nike Sebastin,” or “Victory of the Emperors.” Jerry said he could not help but think of so many New Testament passages using this very word for victory, the noun, nike, or the cognate verb, nikao, “to conquer,” such as Paul’s bold words to the Roman believers, “we are more than conquerors” (Rom 8:37), or the dramatic declaration in 1 John 5:4, “for whoever is born of God conquers the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.” Thus, a key attribute of imperial rhetoric is victory, and New Testament authors seem intent on coopting this imperial rhetoric.
The second story of the north portico had a series of 50 personifications of places and people from East Africa to Western Spain. These personifications were designed to look like statues between columns of the portico. An example of an inscription would be, “Ethnos Dakon,” which would be, “the people of Dacios.” The idea was a visual listing of the Augustan world empire and places and people who were brought into the empire under Augustus. The concept was borrowed from a monument in Rome. The selection particularly emphasized the wilder people on the edges of the empire. Few in Aphrodisias ever can have heard of many of them. Example places and people are Egyptians, Ethiopians, Andizeti, Arabs, Besse, Bosphorans, Dacians, Dardani, Iapodes, Judeans, Callaeci, Piroristi, Phaeti, Trumpilini, Crete, Cyprus, and Sicily. Jerry particularly was struck by the actual inscription for Judeans, who were subjugated under the general Pompey in 63 B.C.
In the image below, the naked warrior (i.e., Greek “heroic” style) is Claudius, who is about to deliver the death blow to the slumped figure of Britannia. Claudius wears the military symbols of a helmet, cloak, and sword-belt. Britannia wears a tunic with one breast bare (imagery modeled on the fabled, warring Amazons). The inscription reads, “Tiberius Klaudios Kaisar-Bretannia.”
Another relief depicts the direct relationship conceived between the emperor and the Roman people.The emperor is understood as the premier patron of the empire. All citizens are obligated to him for his generous benefaction of peace, security, and prosperity; they should be his adoring and grateful clients. In the relief, the emperor, again, is pictured as a naked warrior (Greek “heroic” style), but here being crowned by a personification of the Roman people wearing a toga, the stately, civilian dress of Roman citizens. The emperor is being crowned with an oak wreath, depicting the “corona civica,” or “civic crown” awarded for saving citizens’ lives by protecting them from the barbarian hordes on the outer fringes of the empire. The emperor is setting up a battlefield trophy. Beneath the trophy in abject humiliation kneels an anguished barbarian woman captive.
Abundance. Another imperial propaganda theme is prosperity and abundance. In this theme, Rome and Earth often are pictured together. In the relief below, Rome holds a spear and wears a crown in the form of a city wall (civilization). Earth reclines, half naked, leaning on an abundance of fruit and holding a cornucopia full of fruit. A baby is climbing up the horn of the cornucopia. Thus is depicted Earth’s fertility and abundance overseen and guaranteed by Rome. In stark contrast, Paul wrote to the Romans and declared that, instead of a cornucopia of abundance, human empires such as Rome had pillaged the earth, and that all of creation was “groaning” for deliverance from futility (Rom 8:19–22).
Notice in the relief below how Claudius is depicted as Master of Land and Sea. In the imagery, the god Claudius strides forward in a divine ephiphany with the drapery billowing around his head. Claudius receives the cornucopia with the fruits of the earth from a figure emerging from the ground. The idea is clear. The god-emperor guarantees the prosperity of land and sea. What is remarkable about this relief is how transparently is portrayed the local appropriation by the inhabitants of Aphrodisias of the emperor’s asserted role as universal divine savior and protector. This city has bought into the imperial propaganda completely—heart, soul, and mind.
Aeneas Legend. Romans used the Greek story of Troy in Homer to explain their origins, thereby arrogating to themselves ancient connections, high status, and great honor. In the image below, the three reliefs from left to right depict the story of the Trojan hero, Aeneas, son of Aphrodite. The first image is the divine conception of Aeneas as son of prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite. The second image is Aeneas’s flight from conquered Troy with his son Iulus helped by the goddess Aphrodite. The third image is the arrival of Aeneas and Iulus to Italy to found the city of Rome. Thus, in the Roman telling (Virgil’s Aeneid), the story of the fall of Troy is amplified into a story of Roman origins, because, as the Romans tell the story, Aeneas not only founds Rome but is claimed as the ancestor of Julius Caesar, and, hence, of the entire Augustan imperial family. Since Roman legends of their origin evoked a special relationship between the Greek goddess Aphrodite, the city of Rome, and the Roman imperial family, Roman favoritism toward and benefaction to the city of Aphrodisias throughout her history was assured.
Other Items. The Aphrodisias Museum has the partial remains of a unique blue marble horse. This representation of a large galloping horse in marble is unique among ancient statues. (The usual material used for such statues is bronze.) The subject behind the imagery is the story of Troilos and Achilles.
Outside the museum were grave stele, especially commemorating gladiators, including their personal names. One of these stele had the name “Eurotas” inscribed. Several nice inscriptions were preserved, one of which Jerry found the name of the emperor Claudius in the third line. As we leave the museum grounds, Jerry takes a parting shot of a pretty violet tree in profuse bloom, another reminder from nature of our spring visit to Turkey.
On the Road Again. After we finish the museum, we leave the Aphrodisias site about mid-afternoon, around 3:30–4:00 PM. We head west in a long drive for Selçuk, which is the modern town near the ancient site of Ephesus. We actually have a contact in Selçuk due to Jerry’s networking at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. At the SBL annual meeting, Jerry had discovered the Crisler Institute, based in Selçuk, formed by Janet Crisler in honor of the lifelong work of her husband at the site of Ephesus. The Crisler Institute houses the Crisler Library and has lecture halls, study rooms, and accommodations for overnight lodging. The Crisler Institute is where we have our accommodations for our visit to the site of Ephesus. Jerry has been promised great help from Janet for our visit to the Ephesus site and the Ephesus museum. Jerry had asked for a special tour of the elite terrace homes off Curetes Street and to be able to go to the actual site of the recently discovered gladiator burial grounds.
Anybody Home? After several hours driving (that Jerry is a real trouper), we finally arrive in Selçuk. We had no problem finding the Crisler Library address and its entrance gate—but the gate is closed and locked! We ring the bell several times, and wait a long time, but no one answers! Jerry is flabbergasted. He had had numerous email correspondences indicating clearly our expected arrival time in Selçuk, and we had arrived right in that time frame.
Poor Jerry. He feels so bad about our predicament. He is thoroughly confused. He had worked out all the details with Janet Crisler through numerous emails and confirmations. Unfortunately in all this correspondence, Janet never had given Jerry a cell phone contact number. Since the Library obviously was closed, he knew no one to call. Our only contact in Selçuk is nowhere to be found, and we have no backup plan for a place to stay! No one in the world would have thought we would have needed a backup plan. Evening is fast approaching now. So here we are, late on Sunday, the sun soon to set, with no room for the night and not a clue where the nearest hotel might be.
“And now, the rest of the story . . .” Fortunately, help was just up the same street the Crisler Liberary is on. Would you believe, in the very next block of the same street is a small, boutique hotel right next door to the Library? We walk up the street to inquire at the front desk, and, voila! They have a room available. What a huge sigh of relief came from both of us, but especially Jerry. The third-floor room we are shown turns out to be very nice, with a large balcony overlooking a part of ancient Ephesus, the sparse remains of the temple of Aphrodite complex. The bathroom also is nice. Yes! So, we’re okay for tonight. Thank you, Lord. We’ll try to get in touch with Janet Crisler tomorrow when the Institute opens to find out what happened and to move to where we had planned to have our room and board for the entire time we are in Ephesus.
Amazon Bistro. We get a recommendation for dinner from the hotel proprietor. He says straight down the same street of our hotel on past the Crisler Library is the Amazon Bistro with excellent food. We go there and find the restaurant to be very good, including a wonderful Greek salad. You never can go wrong serving Jerry a good Greek salad. After dinner, we walk back up the street to the hotel and head to bed after a really long day. We toss and turn for a while, because we are bursting with curiosity as to what in the world happened to Janet Crisler and the failed Crisler Library connection today that we thought was so secured.
