Commercial Agora (Tetragonos Agora)

Ephesus Commercial Agora

The Commercial Agora was an open square with sides 360 ft long and surrounded by stoas with two aisles behind which were shops. It was the center of the commercial world in Ephesus. In addition to the marketing of goods there was also a slave market of beautiful girls brought from different places by sea. It was the second largest slave market of the Ancient World. A water-clock and a sundial as parts of a horologium stood in the middle of the agora. Water clock which drained out every 20 minutes was used in court proceedings, to measure out the speaking time alotted to each person. An inscription found on the wall of agora says "The people of Ephesus express their gratitute to agoranome, (market supervisor) Eutuches, son of Menecrates, for having pre-empted a rise in the price of bread". According to some biblical scholars there is a high possibility of St. Paul having a tent making shop in the commercial agora of Ephesus between 53-56 AD.

Marble Road

The Marble Road is another main street between the library and the theater, but it was originally part of the sacred road stretching to the Artemis Temple. Traces of chariots can be seen here. On the west side in the middle of the marble road, on the pavement is a piece of marble with graffiti showing a woman with a crown, a heart and a left foot. This is accepted as being the earliest advertisement in the world probably of a lady in the so-called brothel for sailors. Among its various interpretations is that "if you want to make love with this particular lady (her name was written there) who was as beautiful as queens, keep going in this direction and she is on the left-foot side of the street". An inscription over the entrance way of Brothel informs us that this public building served as a brothel with with two floors, the upper floor being for ladies and the ground floor for visitors. In the main hall there are some remains of mosaics depicting scenes of the four seasons. The statue of Priapus which is exhibited in the Ephesus Museum was found in the brothel. Priapus was the son of Aphrodite and Dionysus. Portrayed as a grotesque little man with a huge penis, he was associated particularly with fertility rites and also protected crops and gardens from animals, birds and thieves.According to the legend Priapus was a very handsome boy who took the attention of all the girls including Athena the godess of wisdom. Athena wanted to have a relation with Priapos. Priapus ignored Athena and Athena punished Priapos. The punishment was the continously erected penis. Today the medical desease priapism is originated from Priapos.