THE LYDİAN PERİOD

In the 7th century B.C., Ephesus Tours and the other Ionian cities were attacked by the Cimmerians. It is not known for sure whether the Cimmerians captured Ephesus or not. The relics discovered during excavations indicate that the Temple of Artemis was burnt and demolished. Only a few typically Cimmerian object have been discovered in Ephesus. The ivory figure of aram displayed in the Hall of Artemis is one of these Cimmerian treasures.

Ephesus recovered and rapidly regained its power after the Cimmerian treasures.

The 6th century B.C. was one of the most glorious periods in the history of Ephesus. The minstrel Kallions, Hipponax, and the famous philosopher  Heraclitus lived during this period. Heraclitus especially, who accepted fire as the basic element and suggested that everything evolved, acquired great fame in the Ionian school. Heraclitus dedicated his work called “Nature”, a section of which is still extant, to the Temple of Artemis.

The fame of Ephesus spread everywhere at the time, and this is why King Croesus of Lydia attacked Ephesus first (560 B.C.). During the attack, Ephesians streched a rope believing that the goddness would save them. Unfortunately, their expectations did not come true and Lydian army entered the city.

Contrary to what was expected, Croesus treated the Ephesians as friends, yet, he forced them to leave the city in Koressos and establish another city in the vicinity of the Temple of Artemis. Since this second settlement has been covered by soil deposited by the river Kaystros (Küçük Menderes), today, it is birued 10 metres under the ground. Therefore it is impossible to excavate beyond the area around the Temple of Artemis.

When the Lydians captured Ephesus Tours, the archaic Temple of Artemis (564-546 B.C.) was stil under construction. To please the goddess and the Ephesians, Croesus presented column capitals with reliefs, and gold statues of calves to the temple. One of the column capitals had his name inscribed on it. (All these column capitals and may of the objects discovered in the temple in the course of excavations started in 1869, were taken to the British Museum). During this period, a fortification wall which started at the harbour was built around the city. The Artemission and its vicinity was also included in the area surrounded by this fortification wall.
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