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There is no complete information about the origins of this city. The myths that are told refer that the city of Ephesus (also known as Ephesos or Ephesia) was erected by Androclos, son of Krodos (King of Athens), after he escaped from the attack Pain to Greece and found a new place to install. Androclos fled to the Oracle of Delphi and was told that a boar and fish would guide him. A few days later, while cooking a fish, a hidden boar alarmed him. This wild boar fled and Androclos chased him and killed the animal, building Ephesus at the place where the animal was killed. Leaving the myth aside, it is believed that the city of Ephesus was created in the 11th century by Ionians, and is considered as the oldest Greek civilization located near the Aegean Sea. Years later it was enlarged by the Romans and became the site of Roman rule in Asia. Located at the end of the Royal Road, the main Roman road in the East, the city of Ephesus was the western frontier of commerce. The city was erected near the Cayster River and was transformed into a major port facing the Mediterranean, becoming the main dock in the region, leading as the most significant Mediterranean port for products from the Western Roman Empire, Greece, as well as from Italy.



The city was also famous for being a religious center. From the earliest times it grew around the oldest temple, that of Artemis, which is currently considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Before the implantation of the Christian, the city had a very important responsibility in the diffusion of this religious faith. The coming of St. Paul, who used the city of Ephesus as the principal place to expand Christianity to Greece and nearby cities, transformed the city and gave it a great Christian reputation. The city was even later a place for important cults which included those of the Virgin Mary and St John.

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