Ephesus, Lower City

This is where everyone else lived, worked, played, traded, etc. This area ran from the harbor up to the gate of Herakles (1st picture) which divided the upper and lower cities. Due to sedimentation, the seashore is now 9 km from here. That is why the city was abandoned.
The 2nd picture is of the facade of the 3rd largest library in antiquity. The gates in the 3rd picture are adjacent to the library and were built by 2 slaves, thanking an emperor for becoming his slaves. (Once a people were conquered, they became slaves, even the wealthy. Hence a couple rich guys said thanks for being taken into the emperor's service.) 4th is the commercial agora in the lower city where all the business, shopping, trading, etc. was done. Adjacent to the lower agora is the street to the harbor that runs to where the harbor used to be. Last is the largest theater in Asia Minor, seating about 25,000.Read more