State Agora

The State Agora: Political Heart of Roman Ephesus
One of two agoras in the ancient city of Ephesus, the State Agora was the political and social hub of the city during the Roman era. Remodelled to its final form during the reign of Augustus in the 1st century BC, this square was a centre for political debate, philosophical teaching, and legal proceedings in Ephesus. It was here that all laws would have been voted on during Roman rule.

The State Agora was an impressive gathering place, surrounded on three sides by covered walkways lined with columns (porticos). In the centre stood a temple to the Egyptian god Isis, originally built to receive Cleopatra and Mark Antony when they visited the city in the 1st century BC. This beautiful structure was lined with pink granite columns quarried in Egypt and transported to Ephesus. This temple was soon torn down by the Roman emperor Augustus, due to his distaste with all things Egyptian.

At one side of the State Agora stood a large cistern, filled with water carried to the city via the Pollio Aqueduct. From this cistern water flowed throughout the city in underground clay pipes. The northern side of the Agora was dominated by the two-story Basilica, which served as the court for the city. At the northernmost corner of the Agora stood the Bouleuterion, the Senate house, and the Domitian temple where local politicians would propose and debate laws for the city. It was also used as an auditorium for concerts.

Although not much of the State Agora is still standing, the grounds on which it was built and the pieces left behind are one of the highlights of a 6 Ephesus tour.

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Terrace Houses Church of Mary Magnesia Gate Hadrian Temple Harbor Street The Great Theater Domitian Temple Brothel Library of Celsus Odeion Memmius Monument Hercules Gate