Aqueduct at Ephesus
One of the most wonderful cities of ancient times was Ephesus. It is a heap of ruins to-day, but it was once the glory of the plain on which it rose, and of the mountains that overshadowed it, and to the sides of which it clung. A beautiful sea stretched out from its presence toward the setting sun. The whole land that lay back of it, the islands that dotted the classic sea in front of it, the distant cities and shores that sent their rich and varied commerce to its gates—all these knew and praised and patronized it. Splendid city! Rich and busy, crowded with peoples of all lands and tongues, full of pomp and pleasure, full of sin and idolatry! Caravans of camels came from afar into its gates from the east, and fleets of ships passed into its ample harbor on the west. To-day silence reigns over the empty plain. The desolate hills echo to the cry of wild birds and wild beasts. The ruins of houses and temples are buried under the surface, and but for the enterprise of eager scholars in distant lands, their very existence had remained a secret. There was in the city a Roman aqueduct which conveyed water to the city of Ephesus from the mountain to the east, traversing the ravine from east to west. It was built in the time of Tiberius, as shown by an inscription upon the structure. A view of this is given in “Falkener’s Ephesus;” it forms a pretty architectural feature in the Ephesus landscape.
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