Photos of the Greco Roman Miletus Archaeological Site Ruins

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Photos of the Greco Roman Miletus Archaeological Site Ruins Including Photos of Miletus Theatre, Turkey. Photos by Photographer Paul E Williams. (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

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Photos of the Greco Roman Miletus Archaeological Site Ruins

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Photos of Ancient Magnesia on the Maeander archaeological site, Turkey.

Ancient Greek Magnesia

Magnesia was an important Greek city state in Anatolia that is situated between Priene, Ephasus and Trailles in the fertile Maeander river valley.

History of Magnesia

The history of Magnesia followed the same pattern as other cities in Ionia. For a time it came under Lydian rule then around 560 BC the city came under Persian rule. The area then swapped between Persian & Greek rule until Alexander The Great conquered Persia in 334 BC.

When Alexander died his Empire was split amongst his generals and Magnesia came under Selucid rule. In 192 BC the Selucid King Antiochus III invaded Greece, under Roman rule, with a 10,000 man army. Antiochus was routed at Themopylae and withdrew to Anatolia. The Romans followed though and supported by the army of the King of Pergamon defeated Antiochus at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC.

Pergamon Magnesia

Magnesia was then ruled by the Pergamon Kings until 133 BC when Attalus III, king of Pergamon, died leaving no heirs and bequeathing his kingdom to the Rome.

Magnesia Excavations

The archaeological site was excavated in 1891 by the German archaeologist Carl Human, who excavated Pergamon, and revealed the Artemis Temple, the Agora, the temple of Zeus and the Prytaneion.

The site had been badly depleted by the local use of the limestone ruins to make lime. The use of stone from Magnesia continued and by the time excavations resumed in 1984 much of ancient Magnesia had been destroyed.