1. Location Above the theatre of Ephesus, in a specially arranged terrace, the architectural remains of a luxurious city mansion (villa urbana) came to light in the first decades of the 20th century. Unfortunately, due to the location of the structure, which lies outside the main archaeological area of Ephesus, these ruins were soon reclaimed by vegetation. 2. Architectural description This house was designed in the Hellenistic period but later renovations and interventions turned it into a sumptuous villa for the city’s wealthy families, which remained in use until the Late Roman period.1 An important space of the house was the peristyle courtyard (atrium), with sides measuring 20.50 m. in length and a westerly orientation.2 Individual chambers were arranged on the three sides of the open-air courtyard; these were used as living spaces, reception areas or places for preparing and storing food. Exedrae with colonnades at their façade were arranged around the central courtyard and were decorated with colorful mosaic floors closely mirror the abovementioned plan in the middle of the north and east side of the peristyle.3 The house featured a private bathroom in the northeast rooms, another token of the level of opulence. The area of the bath was circular, with semicircular niches symmetrically arranged in the corners of its walls. The bathtub was dug into the ground, surrounded by eight columns. The hypocaust heating system, which allowed warm air to flow through the walls and under the floor, kept the room and water temperature at the right level. The bath’s roof was domed, decorated with coffers. In general, the form of this private bath closely resembles later Christian baptisteries.4 The formal symposium area (triclinium) was located in the SE rooms. Its ground plan was arched and it was also decorated with mosaics. This chamber was very important, as the financial standing of the villa’s inhabitants meant their social life was also rich and they would often entertain eminent visitors and guests.5 Finally, we should mention that a rectangular structure was discovered south of the house. It measured 40.5 x 11.5 m. and it was divided into five smaller areas. This building has been interpreted as the hall of some religious collegium.6
1. Apart from its luxurious construction, the house’s commanding location overlooking the harbor and the city reinforces this conclusion. Cf. Keil, J., "XVI. Vorläufiger Bericht über die Ausgrabungen in Ephesos", Öjh 27 (1932), Bbl., p. 12; Miltner, F., Ephesos. Stadt der Artemis und des Johannes (Wien 1958), pp. 79-80. 2. Doric order columns were used in the courtyard’s peristyle; cf. Keil, J., "XVI. Vorläufiger Bericht über die Ausgrabungen in Ephesos", Öjh 27 (1932), Bbl., p. 10. 3. Cf. Keil, J., "XVI. Vorläufiger Bericht über die Ausgrabungen in Ephesos", Öjh 27 (1932), Bbl., p. 10; Scherrer, P. (ed.), Ephesus. The New Guide (Vienna 2000), p. 170. 4. For a detailed description of the spaces of the private bath, see Keil, J., "XVI. Vorläufiger Bericht über die Ausgrabungen in Ephesos", Öjh 27 (1932), Bbl., p. 12, pl. 5-6; Miltner, F., Ephesos. Stadt der Artemis und des Johannes (Wien 1958), pp. 80-81. 5. Keil, J., "XVI. Vorläufiger Bericht über die Ausgrabungen in Ephesos", Öjh 27 (1932), Bbl., p. 11; Miltner, F., Ephesos. Stadt der Artemis und des Johannes (Wien 1958), p. 81. 6. The house itself has been correlated with this rectangular structure which is mentioned in the bibliography as the hall of a religious collegium dedicated to the worship of Dionysus. For more details on this building see Keil, J., "XVI. Vorläufiger Bericht über die Ausgrabungen in Ephesos", Öjh 27 (1932), Bbl., pp. 14-15, pl. 7-8; Miltner, F., Ephesos. Stadt der Artemis und des Johannes (Wien 1958), pp. 83-84; Scherrer, P. (ed.), Ephesus. The New Guide (Vienna 2000), p. 170. |
|
|