EPIIESUS
241
EPHESUS
hausen, Erlldr. (Hanov. 1833, 8vo) ; Simcop, lUustrn- tion (Lonil. 1833, 4to) ; *Meier, Commentar (Berl. 1834, 8vo); *Havless, Commentar (8vo, Ed. 1834; Stuttg. 1858) ; *Kuckert, Erklcir. (Lpz. 1834, 8vo) ; Matthies, Beri'icks. (Griefsw. 1834, 8vo) ; Lcihlein, Syriis inter- pres (Erl. 1835, 8vo) ; Passavant, Aiishg. (Basel, 1836, 8vo) ; Luneniann, De ep. ad Eph. authentia (Giitt. 1842, 8vo) ; *De Wette, Ilandb. (Lpz. 1843, 8vo, vol. ii) ; *Stier, Auslegmuj (Berl. 1848-9, 2 vols, in 3 parts, 8vo ; abridged, 1850, 8vo) ; Perceval, Lectures (Lond. 1846, 12mo); M'Ghie, Lectures (Dublin, 184G, 2 vols. 8vo); *Baiinigarten-Crusius, Commentar (Jena, 1847, 8vo) ; *Meyer, Commentar (Gott. 1853, pt. ii) ; *Eadie, Com- mentanj (Glasg. 1854, 8vo) ; Bisping, Erklar. (Miinst. 1855, 8vo); Kiihler, /'/■ef/ijr/m (Kiel, 1855, 8vo) ; Hodge, Commentary (N. Y. 185G, 8vo); *Turner, Commentary (N. Y. 1856, 8vo) ; *Ellicott, Commentary (8vo, Lond. 1855,1859,1804; Andov. 1860) ; 'iSQ\\\a.\\A, New Catena (Lond. 18G1, 8vo) ; Clergymen (4), Eevision (Lond. 1861, 8vo); Pridham, Notes (Lond. 1862, 12mo) ; La- throp. Discourses (Phila. 1864, 8vo) ; Bleek, Vorlesun- (jen (Berl. 1865, 8vo). See Epistles.
Eph'esus (_"E(pi(Toc, according to one legend from 'ifemc, the permissiori given by Hercules to the Ama- zons to settle here), an illustrious city (Athen. viii, 361) in the district of Ionia (ttoAic 'Iwj'/ac tTrifavt- cTciTi], Steph. Byz. s. v.), on the western coast of the peninsula commonly called Asia Minor — not that this geographical term was known in the first centurj'. The Asia of the N. T. was simpl}' the Roman province which embraced the western part of the peninsula. Of this province Ephesus was the capital. See Asia Minor.
1. History. — It was one of the twelve Ionian cities in Asia Minor in the mythic times (Herod, i, 142), and said to have been founded by the Amazons, but in later times inhabited by the Carians and Leleges (Strabo, xiv, 640), and taken possession of by the lonians un- der Androclus, the son of Codrus (Cramer, Asia Mi- nor, i, 363). Besides the name by which it is best known, it bore successively those of Samorna, Trachea, Ortygia, and Ptelea. Being founded b}' Androclus, the legitimate son of Codrus, it enjoj'ed a pre-eminence over the other members of the Ionian confederacy, and was denominated the royal city of Ionia. The climate and country' which the colonists from Attica had se- lected as their future abode surpassed, according to Herodotus (i, 142), all others in beauty and fertilit}* ; and, had the martial spirit of the lonians corresponded to their natural advantages, they might have grown into a powerful independent nation. The softness, however, of the climate, and the ease with which the necessaries of life could be procured, transformed the hardy inhabitants of the rugged Attica into an indo- lent and voluptuous race : hence they fell successive- ly under the power of the Lydians (B.C. 560) and the Persians (B.C. 557) ; and, though the revolt of His- tia;us and Aristagoras against the Persian power was for a time successful, the contest at lent;th terminated in favor of the latter (Herod, vi, 7-22). The defeat of the Persians by the Greeks gave a temporarj' lib- erty to the Ionian cities ; but the battle of Mj'cale transferred the virtual dominion of the countrj' to Athens. During the Peloponnesian war thej^ paid tribute indifferentl}^ to either partv, and the treaty of Antalcidas (B.C. 387) once more restored them to their old masters the Persians. They beheld with indiffer- ence the exploits of Alexander and the disputes of his captains, and resigned themselves without a struggle to successive conquerors. Ephesus was included in the dominions of Lj'simachus; but, after the defeat of Antiochus (B.C. 190), it was given hy the Romans to the kings of Pergamuni. In the year B.C. 129 tl)e Romans formed their province of Asia. The fickle Ephesians took part with Mithi'idatcs against the Ro- mans, and massacred the garrison : they had reason to be grateful for the unusual clemency of L. Cornelius III.-Q
Sulla, who merely inflicted heavy fines upon the in- habitants. Thenceforward the city formed part of the Roman empire. "While, about the epoch of the intro- duction of Christianity, the other cities of Asia Minor declined, Ephesus rose more and more. It owed its prosperity in part to the favor of its governors, for Lj'simachus named the city Arsinoo in honor of his second wife, and Attains Philadelphus furnished it with splendid wharves and docks ; in part to the favor- able position of the place, which naturally made it the emporium of Asia on this side the Taurus (Strabo, xiv, 641, 663). Under the Romans, Ephesus was the capital not only of Ionia, but of the entire province of Asia, and bore the honorable title of the jirst and greatest metrop)olis of Asia (Biickh, Coip. Inscript. Grcvc. 2968-2992). The bishop of Ephesus in later times was the president of tlie Asiatic dioceses, with the rights and privileges of a patriarch (Evagr. Hist. Ec' cles. iii, 6). Towards the end of tlie 11th centui-y Ephesus experienced the same fate as Smyrna ; and, after a brief occupation by the Greeks, it surrendered in 1308 to sultan Saysan, who, to prevent future in- surrections, removed most of the inhabitants to Tyri- iEum, where they were massacred.
Early Silver Coin of F.phesiis. From the Uritisli Museum. Actual Size. Weight 1T6>^ grains.