Life in Ephesus

Ephesus Ancient City was an important port city that united the East and the West, and for over a thousand years, it was a lively metropolis with continuous habitation. Although it witnessed various dominions throughout history such as the Lydians, Persians, Hellenistic, and Roman, the daily life practices of its people were generally shaped by Ancient Greek and especially Roman culture. During the Roman period, Greek and Latin were used as the official languages; therefore, today, visitors of the Ephesus ruins often encounter inscriptions in both languages on columns and monuments. The city was constructed in a planned manner: Streets intersected at right angles in a grid pattern, and with advanced sewage systems and public stone toilets, it set the standard of comfort in ancient times. Ephesus, in addition to its monumental structures, provides a unique scene reflecting the daily life of the ancient period with its marketplaces, houses, baths, and streets. Below, elements of daily life extending from market life to home life and social life in Ephesus are discussed with their historical contexts and cultural details.

Home Life: Housing, Food and Drink, and Family Order

The home life of the Ephesians varied according to social status and wealth levels but generally possessed the features of a typical Roman city. Homes were usually built of stone and brick, possessing courtyards and a design that emphasized privacy with no windows facing the street. The Terrace Houses, where wealthy Ephesians lived, were notable for their luxury. The central part of these houses contained an open inner courtyard (peristyle), with rooms positioned around it. The columned galleries overlooking the courtyard allowed for light to enter and added aesthetic beauty to the house. Houses were generally two-story; with living and dining rooms on the lower floor, while bedrooms and guest rooms were on the upper floor. Although the upper floors are now ruined, the remaining lower floor remnants reveal the plan of these spaces.

Heating and plumbing were advanced in Ephesus homes. In the Terrace Houses, a hypocaust system similar to that used in the city's baths, i.e., an underfloor heating system, was employed: Hot air was circulated through terracotta pipes laid beneath the floors and within the walls to heat the homes during winter. These houses also had taps connected to cold and hot water and marble-clad baths. Especially in the homes of affluent families, floors with mosaic tile designs and wall frescoes depicting mythological scenes could be seen; these decorations reveal the luxury and splendor of life in Ephesus. For example, the Dionysus mosaic found in one Terrace House shows the homeowners' devotion to art and religion. Such mosaics and paintings are among the most important evidences carrying the aesthetic tastes and decoration notions of ancient Ephesus into the present.

In wealthy homes, feasts and dinners also served as social events. Guests were entertained in dining rooms called Triclinium surrounded by couches on three sides. Music was common during meals: Guests would sip their wine accompanied by a flute (auloi) or lyre, engaging in conversation about philosophy, poetry, or city gossip. Wine was usually diluted with water and sometimes mixed with honey, hence special mixing vessels (krater) were kept in the homes. Table service was provided by the household slaves; in wealthy homes, trained slaves would be responsible for the wine cellars and kitchen, serving the guests in accordance with etiquette. While family members sat at the table, servants and slaves would usually eat separately or on floor cushions. This hierarchical order also reflected the domestic structure of ancient society.

The daily roles of women and children were determined according to the structure of the society. During the Ancient Greek period in Ephesus, women mostly assumed domestic roles, with limited public space and education opportunities. Girls were typically not sent to school, learning skills such as housework, weaving, and sewing under their mothers' supervision. Meanwhile, boys were educated in reading, writing, music, and sports from ages 6-7. However, this changed with Roman rule; girls too began to attend school alongside boys. In Roman-period Ephesus, schools taught subjects such as history, literature, logic, astronomy, arithmetic, philosophy, and mythology, providing both genders with a comprehensive education. At home, mothers were responsible for child care and managing the household. Daily tasks like cleaning, shopping, and meal preparation were carried out by women, while families in better economic conditions employed servants for most of these duties. Artifacts such as loom parts and needles found in Ephesus suggest that clothing was produced at home by women, meeting the family's garment needs through home production. Women also attended water needs, visiting street fountains or wells daily, creating opportunities for social interaction among neighboring women.

In Ephesus society, the family structure was under the influence of Roman law. While the father was considered the head of the family, the mother was the central figure managing the household. A newborn child's survival was never guaranteed; infant mortality was high due to prevalent illnesses. Additionally, in cases of births believed to be cursed according to ancient beliefs, families had the right to reject the child (in some sense abandon or kill). In later periods (during the crisis and decline years of the Roman Empire), as incidents of selling newborns as slaves increased due to economic hardships, the state had to legalize and regulate this practice. Despite these harsh realities, on an ordinary day in Ephesus, children played in the streets with wooden toy cars, rag dolls, or clay balls. The city's wide streets and temple courtyards also served as venues for children's running and play. Families would take evening walks around the temple, complete the day by chatting with neighbors in small courtyards in front of their homes. The daily life of Ephesus was a rich experience where familial warmth and urban mobility intertwined.

Baths and the Culture of Cleanliness

Baths were indispensable places Ephesians visited not only for cleansing but also for socializing and relaxation. During the Roman period, baths were a significant part of daily life, open from morning till evening. Ephesus contained several monumental bath complexes such as the Great Bath (Harbor Bath), the Scholastica Bath, and the Varius Bath. These bathhouses featured sections for hot, warm, and cold baths (caldarium, tepidarium, frigidarium) along with changing rooms and gymnasium areas where sports were performed. Women and men used the baths at different times of the day: From the first seven hours after sunrise, baths were open free of charge for women and children, and later in the day, men could use the baths for a small fee. This practice, introduced by Roman Emperor Caracalla as part of the empire-wide regulations, created a bath culture respecting social class and gender balance.

During bath visits, not only bathing occurred, but also entertainment and conversation. Masseurs providing massage services, small groups arranging musical performances, or storytellers could be found in Ephesus baths. After cleansing in the hot water pools and cooling in the cold ones, Ephesians enjoyed chatting with friends in the bath's garden accompanied by fruit and wine. The remains of an ancient toilet at the Scholastica Bath illustrate an interesting social custom of the period: These public toilets composed of side-by-side marble seats served as a meeting point where people continued conversations even while attending to their needs. With Ephesus's developed sewer infrastructure, these toilets were continuously cleaned with flowing water, carrying waste out of the city, thus maintaining hygiene at a very high standard by ancient standards.

An additional social aspect of the baths was that they hosted parties and entertainments. Especially on festive days, musical and dancing entertainments were organized in the spacious halls of the baths, and feasts sponsored by wealthy patrons were held. For instance, before the traditional Artemis festival, people gathered in the baths to cleanse; after bathing and applying fragrant oils, they would flock to the city's sacred areas. In all these aspects, the bath culture in Ephesus was central both in terms of bodily cleanliness and social communication.