Das Odeion im Aremision von Ephesos
Lili Zabrana
After the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus lost his religious significance, the famous sanctuary fell victim to extensive stone robbery and had long since been forgotten. The foundations, covered by eight-meters-high earth levels, were rediscovered around 1870. In the following 125 years of research, the legendary temple of Artemis was always the focus of the archaeological fieldwork, while the once densely built up sacred enclosure remained unexplored. Since 2009 the Austrian Archaeological Institute investigated for the first time a roman building southwest of the Temple, which was up to the present named “Tribune” and whose function could be finally clarified. Due to close typological parallels as well as equipment and furnishing, the building can be identified as roman Odeion of the Early Empire, a building type known as venue for musical contests. The existence of such competitions as part of the holy games for the Artemis of Ephesus is testified by Roman inscriptions mentioning the victory of three Comedians, a Rhetor, a Flute Player, a Citharede and a Poet of Encomien within musical contests of the Artemisia.
