East Gymnasium

The East Gymnasium was one of many schools for boys in ancient Ephesus. Built-in the 2 century AD, the East Gymnasium is located just beyond the Magnesia Gate, or just beyond the modern-day entrance to Ephesus. It is also known as the Girl’s Gymnasium for the many female statues found during its excavation.

Young boys in ancient Greek and Roman times would attend Gymnasiums from the ages of 6-16 (if their families could afford it) to be taught in the arts of oration, or public speaking. Most other subjects, such as history and law, would be taught at home by the boy’s father. At the age of 12-13, boys from aristocratic families would attend grammar school to learn Latin, Greek, grammar, and literature, graduating at 16 or 17 to become full citizens of Roman society.

In addition to a large auditorium and stadium, the East Gymnasium also contained a large bathing complex. There were four different rooms within the bathhouse: an Apdoyterium (changing room), a Frigidarium (for cold bathing), Caldarium (for hot bathing), and a Tepidarium (for lukewarm bathing). These baths were fed by underground clay pipes that ran throughout the city, providing clean drinking water as well as removing wastewater and sewage. Though the East Gymnasium is still under excavation and thus available to the public, you can still see a great example of a Roman bathhouse at the Scholastica Baths in Ephesus.

Nearby can be found the Temple of Artemis and the Brothel.