Aphrodisias, a city of the eastern Roman Empire

 

Aphrodisias was a “free city” (i.e. self-governing) on a tributary of the Meander River in south-western Turkey, the remains of which have taught us a great deal about how civic life was lived in the eastern Roman Empire.

The city was named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, and was founded as a Greek colony during the Hellenistic period (after the death of Alexander the Great which took place in 323 BCE). However, most of the remains that can be seen today date from the city’s time as part of the Roman Empire.

Archaeology has uncovered not only buildings and statues, but also inscribed archives that record the links between Aphrodisias and Rome.

For example, much has been learned about Caius Iulius Zoilos, who began adult life as a slave but was later freed. He appears have done very well for himself and been a major benefactor to the city. Reliefs have been found that show him dressed both as a Greek and a Roman, being crowned by personifications of “manliness” and “honour” to show just how much distinction he had brought to the city.

Although Aphrodisias was self-governing, the cult of the Roman imperial family was still observed by the citizens, as is evident from a temple to Aphrodite approached via a courtyard flanked by two colonnaded buildings that were three storeys high. Porticoes on these buildings portrayed scenes showing the achievements of the Imperial family from Augustus to Nero. One of these shows Claudius subduing Britannia, thus reflecting his successful invasion of Britain in 43 AD.

Wealthy members of the community left money to enable festivals to be held, the details being recorded by a series of inscriptions. One of these bequests, in the late 2^nd century AD, was by Flavius Lysimachus to fund a musical contest. Games were held in his honour in a 4-yearly cycle.

The well-preserved theatre at Aphrodisias was where cultural events would have been held, with more athletic contests taking place in the stadium, where the seating was assigned to different groups of people, such as associations of gardeners and gold-workers, possibly reflecting the contributions that each had made to the building of the facility. The best seats were on the south side of the stadium, where the spectators would have been shaded from the sun by a canopy.

© John Welford