Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 7.djvu/238

226 into this theatre through the central doorway, and, on clearing the pulpitum. or stage, discovered on the pavement many small fragments of marble. These, on being put together, were discovered to contain inscriptions in Greek; they were the text of three letters of Antoninus Pius to the people of Ephesus, two dated 145, and one dated five years later. This theatre was 153 feet in diameter, and could seat 2,300 persons. Near it were found the remains of a tomb, which Mr. Wood takes to be that of the evangelist Luke; it was apparently a circular building, 50 feet in diameter, standing in a quadrangle 150 feet across, surrounded by a colonnade.

The exploration of the Great Theatre or amphitheatre began in February, 1866. This was one of the largest structures of its kind in Asia Minor, being 495 feet in diameter, and capable of seating 24,500 persons. Here were found many interesting Greek, and a few Latin inscriptions—chiefly decrees of the senate and people of Rome—and also some sculptures. One of these inscriptions, known as the Salutarian inscription, furnished to the persevering explorer the clew to the site of the temple. The inscription consisted of decrees relating to gold and silver images vowed to Diana by C. Vibius Salutarius. It is there prescribed that on certain days of assembly in the theatre these images were to be carried in procession by a priest of the temple, accompanied by a staff-bearer; and after the assembly they were to be carried back to the temple. Here was the desired clew to the site of the temple. "There were," says Mr. Wood, "two gates to the temple, named the Magnesian and the Coressian gates. It seemed to me that if I could find these gates their direction could not fail to point to the site of the temple. I at once searched for them, and in due time they were found."

In January, 1868, he put a gang of seventy men to work at the great theatre, and at the same time began to follow up the road leading from the Magnesian gate. This consisted of three openings—two for foot-passengers, and one for wagons and chariots. The pavement was intact, with four distinct chariot-ruts cut into it. Having followed up this road for about 700 feet, Mr. Wood came upon the stone piers of a portico 12 feet wide. This was undoubtedly the grand portico built by Damianus, a rich Roman noble. Many tombs were found, some of which were vaulted chambers finished in stucco or cement, and painted, and these had tablets over them. In some of the tombs were found several skeletons—in one as many as fourteen—lying in various directions. Next he hit upon a corner of the Peribolus wall, on which were inscriptions showing that this wall was built in the time of Augustus.

This was in May, 1869. The discovery of the Peribolus wall proved sufficient to induce the trustees of the British Museum to make further advances of money, and accordingly work was resumed in the October following. In the area within this wall, i. e., in the