The Gates of Mazaeus and Mithridates
This was at the end of Kuretes
Street, by southern gate of the northern agora in the Library Court, which was
calledn Triodos in antiquity. İt was first constructed as a triumphal arch but
then after the reign of Emperor Augustus was converted into the entrance gate
of the Agora. Between 1979 and 1988 the missing parts of the gate, which was
still in part standing, were restored and completed with modern replacement
parts by the Excavations Directorate. Both Mazaeus and Mithridates were slaves
of Emperor Augustus and his heir Agrippa. Emperor Augustus set them free and
sent them to Ephesus as officers in charge of maintaining the properties
belonging to the Roman Empire in Ephesus. Mazaeus and Mithridates constructed
this monumental gate in appreciation of their former owners: it was constructed
in 3 B.C. in honor of Emperor Augustus, his wife Livia, his son-in-law Agrippa
who had died and his doughter Julia. The inscription on his building is in two
languages. It was written in full detail in Latin on the sides of the Attica
and an extract in Greek was placed in the middle section at the back. The
inscription in Latinon the left record that it was constructed for “the son of
Caesar, Augustus, who was chosen for the 20th time as the perfect head of the people’s
assembly, the 12 times Consul and High Priest, and his wife Livia” and, onb the
right, that it was constructed for, “the son of Lucius, Agrippa, who was chosen
for the 6th time as the perfect emperor of the people’s assembly, the 3rd time
as Consul, Julia, doughter of Caesar Augustus, the former masters of
Mithridates and the people”. The monumental gate of Mazaeus and Mithridates
Consisted of three arched gates. These arched gates ended by the side of the
Tetragonos Agora in the same line, whereas the middle facade of the arched gate
of the Library Agora was slightly recessed. The gates were connected to each
other by richly decorated doorposts. There are two round niches in the outer
walls.
The roof of the gate consisted of an architrave in three ornamented
sections, a frieze adorned with vines and a dentil border. The attica on the
entablature with the inscription was bordered by a cornice molding on the top
and interlaced moulding on the bottom. There were the statues of the family of
the Emperor on the attica. There is a relief of Hecate, the God responsible for
crossroads on the outer walls of the gate. On the architrave on the
southeastern niche are courses on those people who choose to relieve themselves
in this place. Futher, all th ewalls of the gate were filled with notices
concering the grain supply to the city, price announcements, orders concerning
other issues and environmental plans. The original appearance of the northern
front of the gate was ruined during the course of modifications carried out in
the 1st century A.D., According to a notice, in order to prevent rainwater
running down Kuretes Street form overflowing into the Agora, the ground level
of the South Gate was rised, to let the water accumulate in the channels. There
were two storied wing structures on both sides of the gate, probably containing
the tombs of Mazaeus and Mithridates, when it was first constructed. The eastern wing was pulled down during
modifications made to the Agora and the western wing, which contained the tomb
of Mazaeus, was pulled down, at the latest when the library was constructed.
This was at the end of Kuretes
Street, by southern gate of the northern agora in the Library Court, which was
calledn Triodos in antiquity. İt was first constructed as a triumphal arch but
then after the reign of Emperor Augustus was converted into the entrance gate
of the Agora. Between 1979 and 1988 the missing parts of the gate, which was
still in part standing, were restored and completed with modern replacement
parts by the Excavations Directorate. Both Mazaeus and Mithridates were slaves
of Emperor Augustus and his heir Agrippa. Emperor Augustus set them free and
sent them to Ephesus as officers in charge of maintaining the properties
belonging to the Roman Empire in Ephesus. Mazaeus and Mithridates constructed
this monumental gate in appreciation of their former owners: it was constructed
in 3 B.C. in honor of Emperor Augustus, his wife Livia, his son-in-law Agrippa
who had died and his doughter Julia. The inscription on his building is in two
languages. It was written in full detail in Latin on the sides of the Attica
and an extract in Greek was placed in the middle section at the back. The
inscription in Latinon the left record that it was constructed for “the son of
Caesar, Augustus, who was chosen for the 20th time as the perfect head of the people’s
assembly, the 12 times Consul and High Priest, and his wife Livia” and, onb the
right, that it was constructed for, “the son of Lucius, Agrippa, who was chosen
for the 6th time as the perfect emperor of the people’s assembly, the 3rd time
as Consul, Julia, doughter of Caesar Augustus, the former masters of
Mithridates and the people”. The monumental gate of Mazaeus and Mithridates
Consisted of three arched gates. These arched gates ended by the side of the
Tetragonos Agora in the same line, whereas the middle facade of the arched gate
of the Library Agora was slightly recessed. The gates were connected to each
other by richly decorated doorposts. There are two round niches in the outer
walls. 
The roof of the gate consisted of an architrave in three ornamented
sections, a frieze adorned with vines and a dentil border. The attica on the
entablature with the inscription was bordered by a cornice molding on the top
and interlaced moulding on the bottom. There were the statues of the family of
the Emperor on the attica. There is a relief of Hecate, the God responsible for
crossroads on the outer walls of the gate. On the architrave on the
southeastern niche are courses on those people who choose to relieve themselves
in this place. Futher, all th ewalls of the gate were filled with notices
concering the grain supply to the city, price announcements, orders concerning
other issues and environmental plans. The original appearance of the northern
front of the gate was ruined during the course of modifications carried out in
the 1st century A.D., According to a notice, in order to prevent rainwater
running down Kuretes Street form overflowing into the Agora, the ground level
of the South Gate was rised, to let the water accumulate in the channels. There
were two storied wing structures on both sides of the gate, probably containing
the tombs of Mazaeus and Mithridates, when it was first constructed. The eastern wing was pulled down during
modifications made to the Agora and the western wing, which contained the tomb
of Mazaeus, was pulled down, at the latest when the library was constructed.
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