The Prytaneion of Ephesus was the town hall of the city. The leading officials worked here, important guests were welcomed here, and the sacred fire of Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, burned in its main hall. The ruins you see today go back to the time of Emperor Augustus, near the end of the 1st century BC.
The Ephesus Prytaneion, often referred to as the Town Hall, was more than just a center of governance. It served as a vibrant and symbolic hub that transcended its administrative function. The Prytaneion housed the offices of elected officials, providing a central location for managing the city’s affairs. Here, magistrates and council members convened to discuss and enact policies, ensuring the smooth running of the Roman Ephesus municipality. Beyond administration, the Ephesian Prytaneion held a deeper significance. It housed the sacred home, where a perpetual fire burned. This fire symbolized the lifeblood of the city, representing its continued existence and prosperity. The tending of this fire was often entrusted to a specific group of officials, ensuring its constant presence.
In the heart of the ancient city of Ephesus, standing between the ruins of temples and theaters, lies a structure that once held a dual role which was the seat of civic power or governor, and a sacred shrine where the gods and Roman god emperors were honoured. This building is the Prytaneion, also known as the Town Hall of Ephesus.
The Prytaneion was used as a civic center of Ephesus. The Prytaneion served as the administrative hub of Ephesus. It was here that the Prytan, a high-ranking official similar to a mayor today, ruled over the city’s affairs. The building housed offices, meeting chambers, and a banquet hall where notables were entertained.
The Sacred Hearth of Ephesus
Beyond its civic function, the Prytaneion was also a sacred site where the city’s spiritual center was hosted. On the right side of the Prytaneion stood an altar dedicated to the goddess Hestia. Within its confines blazed an eternal flame—a symbol of the city’s immortality. The extinguishing of this sacred fire was considered an ill omen, and the Prytan’s paramount duty was to ensure its perpetual glow. The Prytan was entrusted with the solemn duty of ensuring that this sacred fire was never extinguished.
The Prytaneion was decorated with statues of emperors and deities, further emphasizing its dual role as a civic and religious center. These statues stood as a testament to the city’s loyalty to the Roman Empire and its devotion to the gods. With the rise of Christianity in Ephesus during the first century, the pagan statues of the Prytaneion were deemed heretic and faced destruction. In an act of preservation, Roman pagans buried the statues to protect them from being damaged or destroyed. Centuries later, in 1957, archaeologists excavating the site unearthed these buried statues. The statues such as the statue of Goddess Artemis were brought to the Ephesus Museum, where they now stand as some of its most prized exhibits.
The College of the Curetes and Their Lists
The Curetes of Ephesus were a college of priests who served the sacred fire in the Prytaneion and kept the yearly rites of Artemis. In the myth they were the armed young men who hid the birth of Artemis at Ortygia nearby Ephesus from Hera with the noise of their shields. I tell that story in my post on the birthday of Artemis.
The real Curetes were men of good families, usually six of them, chosen for one year under the Prytan. Every year their names were carved on the columns of the hall, together with the sacred staff who worked with them, like the sacred herald, the flute player who played in the libations and the seer who read the sacrifices. The lists go on from the time of Augustus to the 3rd century AD, so you can read about three hundred years of Ephesian names on one building.
Once a year the college went out to Ortygia for mysteries of her birthday, with banquets and secret sacrifices. Later some of their inscribed columns were set up again along the marble street below the Prytaneion, and that is why we call it Curetes Street today.
The Prytan’s Year at the Fire of Hestia Boulaia
Hestia Boulaia means Hestia of the Council. The council of Ephesus met in the Odeon next door and honored her as its protector, so the fire of the Prytaneion was the common hearth of the whole city, not only of the town hall. A Prytan served for one year, made the offerings at her hearth and paid for the sacrifices of that year.
In Roman times this office was often held by a rich woman of the city. It was a great honor and a great expense at the same time, and the families were proud to carve the name of their Prytan next to the Curetes.
Why Were the Artemis Statues Buried in the Prytaneion?
Because somebody wanted to save them. The statues lay in the earth of the Prytaneion carefully placed, not smashed like so many pagan statues of that time. That is why we think people who still loved the goddess hid them in the floor of her city’s town hall when the old religion was losing ground, and then nobody came back for them.
Both of the famous Artemis statues of the Ephesus Museum came out of this building, and they are Roman marble copies of the old cult statue of the temple. When I take my guests to the museum, I like to stop longest in the Artemis hall and tell them that the goddess slept under the floor of the town hall for many centuries before she was found again.
3 Fascinating Facts about the Prytaneion
- The Prytaneion’s sacred fire was never allowed to go out. If it did, it was considered a bad omen for the city. To reignite the fire, they would use a sacred ember from another city’s Prytaneion.
- Dual Function: The Prytaneion served as both a government building and a religious shrine. This was common in ancient Greece and Rome, where religion and politics were closely intertwined.
- Hidden Statues: The statues found buried at the Prytaneion provide valuable insights into the art and culture of Ephesus during the Roman period. They also offer a glimpse into the religious beliefs and practices of the city’s inhabitants.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Prytaneion mean?
The word comes from prytanis, the title of the chief officials of a Greek city, so a prytaneion is simply the house of the city’s leaders. Almost every Greek city had one, and the common hearth with the sacred fire of Hestia stood inside it.
Who looked after the sacred fire at the Prytaneion of Ephesus?
A group of priests called the Curetes served the sacred fire. New members were chosen every year, and their names were carved on the columns of the building. The Prytan, who headed the city, had religious duties here too.
What can you see at the Prytaneion of Ephesus today?
It stands beside the Odeon, a few minutes from the Upper Gate. You can see a row of Doric columns and the courtyard, and a square of darker stones in hall is believed to mark the hearth. The Artemis statues found here are in the Ephesus Museum.
Is Arcadian Way in Ephesus the same as Curetes Street?
No, they are two different streets. Arcadian Street, or Harbor Street, is the wide marble street between the Great Theater and the old harbor. Curetes Street runs downhill from the Hercules Gate to the Library of Celsus. The Prytaneion stands above both of them, beside the Odeon.
How many Artemis statues were found in the Prytaneion?
Two large ones, which we call the Great Artemis and the Beautiful Artemis. Both were dug out of the Prytaneion in the 1950s and both stand today in the Artemis hall of the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, the most visited room of the museum.
Hire Tour Guide For Ephesus Tour
The Prytaneion of Ephesus stands as a testament to the city’s rich history and its unique blend of civic and religious life. It is a place where the power of the state and the devotion of the people converged, and where the sacred fire burned eternally, symbolizing the enduring spirit of Ephesus. Contact me to hire an Engish-speaking, professional tour guide for visiting Ephesus Prytaneion and the other attraction around Ephesus. See you soon, Hasan Gülday!
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