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The Changing Landscape of Ephesus
When the first Temple of Artemis was built, the Cayster River had already begun to change the landscape of Ephesus. Over time, the river...
Ancient Ephesus and Its Origins
According to ancient tradition, the history of Ephesus begins in the eleventh or tenth century BCE. At that time, the first Greek settlers arrived...
Pressure on Christians and the Need for Encouragement
The establishment of emperor worship in western Anatolia created great pressure on Christian communities. Christians were expected to show loyalty to Rome by taking...
Pliny the Younger and the Christians of Anatolia
One of the earliest official records of Christianity in Anatolia comes from Pliny the Younger, who served as the Roman governor of the province...
Persecution of the First Christian Leaders
During the first decades after the death of Jesus, the leaders of the early Christian movement faced severe persecution. St Stephen, the first Christian...
St John of Patmos
Much of what we know about St John of Patmos, also called the Theologian or the Divine, comes from later Christian traditions and apocryphal...
Earthquake Damage and Repairs in the Late 10th Century
In the year 975, during the final years of Emperor John I Tzimiskes, a strong earthquake struck Constantinople. The tremors caused significant damage to...
Identifying the Empress Irene in the Inscriptions
There is some uncertainty about which Empress Irene is referred to in one of the wall inscriptions. If the inscription belongs to the reign...
Restoration of the Theodosian Walls under Justin and Sophia
An inscription found on the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople reads:
“The Outwork of the Theodosian Wall was restored under Justin and Sophia, our most pious...
Citizens Had a Duty to Build the Walls
In ancient Constantinople, the building and repair of the city’s walls was everyone’s responsibility. The law was very strict on this matter. No citizen...
