Today’s session will start at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time and end at 4:05 p.m.
1:00 p.m. Review of the day. 1:05 p.m. Lecture. Greeks had lived in the area of what became Ephesus as early as 1200 BCE, and a Greek colony was founded here in the 8th Century BCE. Today, it is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. From the UNESCO inscription: “Ephesus comprises successive Hellenistic and Roman settlements founded on new locations, which followed the coastline as it retreated westward. Excavations have revealed grand monuments of the Roman Imperial period including the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre. Little remains of the famous Temple of Artemis, one of the “Seven Wonders of the World,” which drew pilgrims from all around the Mediterranean.” We will have a presentation on the history, archaeology, and significance of this Greco-Roman city as a testimony to the cultural traditions of the Hellenistic, Roman Imperial, and early Christian periods. We’ll also learn about the development and worship of the cult of the female goddess, Artemis, and her extraordinary temple that consists today of a solitary column.
2:05 p.m. Break. 2:25 p.m. Virtual field trip. We will take a virtual stroll along marble streets, millennia old temples, and impressive buildings of Ephesus. Highlights will include the magnificent Library of Celsus, one of the most beautifully designed structures in the ancient world; the grand theater of Ephesus with its seating capacity of 24,000; and the Terrace Houses where rich and famous Ephesians lived 2,000 years ago. We will also see some of the precious artifacts displayed in the Ephesus Museum. And we will note the forlorn remains of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. 3:25 p.m. Q&A followed by wrap-up and notes for the day (in different break-out rooms). 4:05 p.m. Today’s session will end.