Stadium (Ephesus)

The Stadium of Ephesus was an ancient Greek stadium located in the city of Ephesus, in Asia Minor, in present-day Turkey. Its ruins are part of the archaeological site of Ephesus, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The stadium is situated on the north slope of Mount Peion, now Panayır-dağ, south of the Gymnasium of Vedio. The stadium was originally built in the Hellenistic period. In its original form, presumably there was only a single stand on the south side, and the athletic track ran in front of this stand. The exit gates were at the western end. The stadium was considerably expanded during the Roman period under Emperor Nero, with the contribution, among others, of the freedman C. Stertinio Orpex. In the inscription, the building was dedicated to Artemis of Ephesus and to Nero. Late in this phase, the stadium was enlarged to become a typical elongated horseshoe-shaped stadium, with a stand also on the north side and possibly also at the eastern end of the arch, and open at the western end. The north-side stand was placed on vaulted walkways, and a monumental gate was built at the western end.

At some point in the Roman era, around 200–300 AD, an elliptical amphitheater-shaped area of about 50 × 40 m was added to the eastern end of the stadium. At least in the later Roman period, it could be completely closed off separately from the stadium proper. It is believed that this area was used for gladiatorial and animal spectacles. The stadium was also used for the persecution of Christians.

The stadium suffered severe damage in the earthquake of 262 BC. Afterwards it was only partially restored. The building also suffered damage in the earthquakes of 259–366. Over time, the stadium fell into disuse and its stones were used for other buildings, such as the Basilica of Saint John. In the 400s a church was built on the stadium site and its surroundings began to become a cemetery. The athletics track area was later used as a field. All the stones of the seats were removed during the Middle Ages.

The stadium site has been excavated relatively little, but it is easily identifiable by the shape of a depression in the ground of about 3.3 hectares. The area has been the subject of more investigations since 1993.