1. Architectural Design

The so-called Stoa of Alytarches (no. 44) is located on the north side of the Embolos (aka Couretes Street), in front of the residential complexes 1 and 2. According to the foundation inscription, the building’s construction was funded by an alytarches. It is a long building, measuring 53 X 4.70-5.50 m., divided in two sections, due to the variance in the ground’s pitch. In the east section there is a variance of approximately 2.50 m. from the level of the street; this necessitated the construction of a series of steps to facilitate access to the stoa. A series of unfluted columns resting on bases decorated with concave-convex cymatia were arranged on its façade. Today these columns survive only to a small height.¹ The rear wall of the stoa featured doorways leading to twelve rectangular rooms (Ι-ΧΙΙ), which functioned as shops or workshops and some were decorated with murals.²

2. Decoration

The floor of the long stoa was covered at its full length with a colorful mosaic covering an area of 285 sq.m., and mostly comprising geometric motifs.³ The dominant colours are deep blue, white, red and yellow. Because of the difference in elevation in the stoa’s floor, the mosaic is arranged in two sections, the west and the east; in total it comprised twelve areas of varying sizes and decoration.

More specifically, in the western half of the stoa the mosaic features seven areas (1-7), arranged respectively in front of seven rooms (I-VII). The internal frame of the mosaic consists of two zones. The first zone, the internal, is decorated with a double twisting guilloche in dark and bright hues with a decorative meander or circular pattern in the middle. The second zone, the outer, is decorated with ivy leaf tendrils.⁴

The mosaic’s first level (1) is located in front of Room Ia, i.e. it is situated at the stoa’s SW corner. Its decoration consists of geometrical patterns, arranged in such a way as to create a three-dimensional effect. It comprises of squares of various sizes. The larger squares are arranged horizontally, while the smaller ones are placed with one angle pointing down, like lozenges. The large horizontal squares have a decorated interior filling comprising four-leaf rosettes, guilloches and meanders. The lozenges are sometimes decorated with a simple color filling, sometimes with concentric circles and other times with hatching.⁵ The second area (2) is located in front of Room ΙΙ and is adorned with a continuous pattern of guilloches twisting and intertwining horizontally. At their centers these contain rosettes.⁶ The third area (3) is situated in front of Room ΙΙΙ and is decorated with a series of octagons with rich decorative motifs, like stars, rosettes and so forth. These are interlinked with small squares which are in turn adorned by smaller concentric squares.⁷

In front of Room IV we have the fourth area (4), which contains the most interesting, less abstract and most representational decoration of all the other mosaic areas. At places it is embellished with bands containing images of birds and floral motifs (e.g. flowers). At one point we can discern two drinking vessels (kantharoi) and a pair of doves. The frame of this area is incorporated into a zone decorated by a meander pattern, and there is also a single human figure.⁸

In the rest of the areas (5, 6, 7) of the east part, arranged in front of the respective rooms (V, VI, VII) we have a reiteration of abstract decorative motifs.⁹

With respect to the eastern half of the stoa, it was determined that in this part of the building the ground was slightly raised. Because of this variance between Rooms VII and VIII the floor of the stoa and its mosaic are interrupted by three steps. In the east section the mosaic survives in a rather more fragmentary state, thus, out of the overall decoration, we can only extract conclusions about its basic decorative motifs. Like in the western half, in the eastern part a decorated area corresponds to each room. The borders of the areas are delineated by guilloches and meanders. In areas nine (9) and ten (10) the decoration consists mainly of octagons and squares, which encompass a variety of patterns, e.g crosses, rosettes etc. Octagons similar to those in area (3) of the west section cover area (8) as well, which is located in front of Room VIII. The decoration in area (11), in front of Room ΧΙ, contains cross-hatching, while area twelve (12) is decorated with squares.¹⁰

The stoa’s mosaic has been dated by scholars to the late 5^th or early 6^th century AD. In terms of its style and other decorative elements the mosaic was considered very similar to the large mosaic in the south stoa of Varius Baths (no. 41), which according to epigraphical testimonies was funded by a proconsul named Asclepius. In that mosaic one can observe a comparable choice of colors and decorative patterns similar to those in the mosaic of the Stoa of Alytarches.¹¹

3. Epigraphical Evidence and Dating

The monument’s foundation inscription is preserved in a section of the engraved three-fascia epistyle, which has been dated to the 4^th century. According to this inscription the monument was donated by a state official, about whom all we know is his office, he served as an alytarches, i.e. he was responsible for the observance of rules during athletic contests.¹²

Furthermore, a column from the stoa is inscribed with a letter from F. Tauros Seleukos Kyros Fl. Maximus and Fl. Valentinos Georgios Hippasias to the proconsul Flavius Heliodorus, dated to around 440 AD.¹³

Therefore, on the basis of the epigraphical evidence, the construction of the stoa should be placed to the late 4^th or the early 5^th century AD. It is possible that its renovation and the addition of the mosaic floor in its interior were completed probably before 440 AD and belong to a general rebuilding phase which affects most monuments in Ephesus that had been damaged by a series of destructive earthquakes.¹⁴