During the Roman Empire, Ephesus maintained its ‘free city’ (civitas libera) status. All the official duties relating to the administration of Ephesus honorary.
The rich Ephesians subsidized official expenses, such as the expenses that were incurred during important festivals and celebrations, and also for the construction and restoration of the official buildings. Also, rich Ephesians competed for the honour and fame attached to such functions, and as a reward, monuments dedicated to them were erected on the main streets or at the Agoras.
The political system in the city involved two groups. One of these was called the Boule and it was the advisory assembly. It consisted of three hundred members called Bouleutes and the assembly met in the Odeion.
The other group was called Demos i.e. “people’s assembly” and consisted of all the Ephesians. They met in the Theatre in Ephesus. Each assembly had a secretary called Boule Grammateus and Demos Grammateus respectively, who were in charge of administrative services. The Demos Grammateus also served as the president of the city administration. When Ephesus was a Polis (a city-state), a Strategos was in charge of security in the city. During the Empire, this function attained an administrative status.
Eirenarchs and Paraphvlakes served as the police and security officials in the city. Agoranomoi were in charge of order in the Agora and made sure that the amount of grain was adequate and that it was marketed in an orderly manner. Ephesus owed its wealth and fame to its harbour where Limenarchs were in charge.
The highest religious and administrative duty in the city was the prytany, which could be assumed both by men and women. The duty of the prytanis Who belonged to a distinguished class of people in the city was to make sure that the eternal flame in the city’s hearth, located in the Prytancion, never went out. The flame symbolized the existence of the city and the hearths in all the houses in Ephesus. In the name of Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, the prytanis assumed the job with great pleasure. The prytanis also supervised all the cults in the city and made sure that daily sacrifices were carried out. The expenses incurred were paid by the prytanis.
Throughout its history, the organization and administration of the Temple of Artemis were independent of the administration of the city. The Prytaneion of Ephesus is located at the western end of the Basilica. Besides the accessory buildings, it consists of a courtyard surrounded by a portico in the front and a large covered hall behind it. With its eight tall and thick Doric columns in the facade, it resembles a large temple. Two of the columns were repaired and placed in their original locations. The interior of the Prytaneion, in accordance with its exterior appearance, is quite ornate.
In each of the four corners of the hall, there are double columns with heart-shaped cuts. The foundation of the altar made of basalt is seen in the centre of the hall. The eternal flame of Ephesus burned day and night for centuries, in this hall called Hestia’s Sacred Area. The Artemis statues displayed in the Ephesus Museum were found in this area in an excellent state of preservation. Some of the inscriptions found on the columns and on the architectural fragments spread over the area give the list of the “League of Curetes”.
The Curetes were a class of priests in the Artemision. Originally there were six of them, but later their number was increased to nine. The league of Curetes which used to be affiliated only with the Artemision during the Classic and Hellenistic periods acquired a place in the Prytaneion with Emperor Augustus. Thus, most of the lists of the Curetes were discovered in the Prytaneion. The main function of the league was to celebrate the birth of Ephesian Artemis in Ortygia, near Ephesus, every year.
The Prytaneion was constructed in the 3rd century B.C. and attained its final shape during the reign of Emperor Augustus. After it was destroyed for various reasons, its columns and some of its other architectural elements were used in the construction of the Scholastikia Baths. In the course of excavations, they were brought back to the Prytaneion. On each side of the road which runs between the Prytaneion and Domitian Square, there is a statue base with figures on it.
The base on the left bears a figure of the god Hermes depicted nude, and holding a ram by its horns with one hand and a caduceus, his symbol, with the other hand. On the other side of the base, a tripod with a snake between its legs is depicted. The base on the right also bears the figure of a nude Hermes holding a goat by its horns, and on the other side of the base, there is a tripod with a plate between its legs.
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