The sites The temple an emperor lost
The Temple of Domitian, Above Domitian Square
Most walks through Ephesus begin at the top of the hill, and one of the first big stops is a broad platform of old walls and arches. A temple to an emperor stood up there, until Rome decided to forget him.
The short answer
The Temple of Domitian, properly the Temple of the Sebastoi, was the first temple in Ephesus built for the whole province's worship of the Roman emperors, dedicated in AD 89/90. The temple itself is gone; what survives is its great terrace, with vaulted walls and two carved pillars, beside Domitian Square at the top of Curetes Street. It lies on the usual walk from the Upper Gate and the standard Ephesus ticket covers it.
- Dedicated
- AD 89/90, under the emperor Domitian
- Honored
- the Flavian emperors: Vespasian, Titus and Domitian
- What stands today
- the terrace, its vaults and two carved pillars; the temple itself is gone
- Where
- Domitian Square, at the top of Curetes Street
- The statue
- a colossal head and forearm, now in the Ephesus Museum in Selcuk
- Ticket
- covered by the standard Ephesus Ancient City ticket
What was the Temple of Domitian?
It was the first temple in Ephesus built for the worship of the Roman emperors by the whole province of Asia, dedicated in AD 89/90 while Domitian was on the throne. Its real name was the Temple of the Sebastoi, Greek for "the revered ones", which meant the whole Flavian family: Domitian, his father Vespasian and his elder brother Titus.
For the city it was a prize. Ephesus already had smaller shrines linked to Rome and Augustus, but a temple of provincial rank was a different thing, and it gave Ephesus the title neokoros, "temple warden" of the emperors, for the first time. Pergamum and Smyrna already had provincial temples of their own, so this one put Ephesus level with its rivals, and the city proudly stamped the title on its coins.
How big was the temple?
Big enough that the builders first had to make new ground for it. The hillside here slopes, so they raised an artificial terrace of about 50 by 100 meters (roughly 165 by 330 feet), carried on rows of vaulted rooms, and set the temple on top. The temple itself measured about 24 by 34 meters.
Along the front of the terrace ran a covered colonnaded walkway, with pillars carved with figures. Inside the temple stood a cult statue several times life size. Pieces of it survived, and you can see them in Selcuk today.
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Why was Domitian's name taken off his own temple?
Because the Roman Senate condemned his memory after he was murdered in a palace plot in AD 96. Domitian had ruled since AD 81, and senators remembered him as a suspicious, harsh emperor. Once he was dead they ordered his name chiseled off public monuments across the empire and his statues taken down or recut, a punishment historians call damnatio memoriae.
That left Ephesus with a problem: its proudest new building belonged to a man Rome now wanted forgotten. The city's answer was practical. It rededicated the temple to Domitian's father Vespasian, the founder of the family, and kept both the building and its title as temple warden. That is why many archaeologists now call it the Temple of the Sebastoi rather than the Temple of Domitian.
What can you see at the Temple of Domitian today?
Mostly the terrace, not the temple. The temple itself was almost completely destroyed in the Christian era, so the level ground on top is open space with scattered blocks. What still stands is the edge of the platform: a high wall of rough stone with arched openings, the vaulted rooms that held it up, and two pillars carved with figures, set back up on the terrace front.
The best view is from Domitian Square below it. Stand near the tall arch of the Pollio Fountain and look up at the wall behind it: that is the terrace, and the temple stood on the flat ground above. With nothing left on top, it is easy to walk past without noticing, so it helps to have a guide point it out. On the same square you will see the Memmius Monument with its carved figures, and a few steps on, at the head of Curetes Street, the winged Nike relief that everyone photographs.
Where is it on a walk through Ephesus?
Near the start, if you enter at the Upper Gate, as most guided tours do, ours included. From the gate the path leads past the State Agora and the small Odeon, then opens into Domitian Square, and from there Curetes Street runs downhill to the Library of Celsus. Our walk through Ephesus sets each stop in order, and our page on the Upper and Lower Gates explains why most tours start at the top.
There is almost no shade on this upper stretch, so have a hat and water ready before you reach the square. One honest note for wheelchair users: the accessible route enters and leaves by the Lower Gate and stays in the lower city, so it does not climb as far as this square. Our wheelchair access page describes what that route does include.
Where is the giant statue from the temple now?
In the Ephesus Museum in Selcuk, a short drive from the ruins. What survives is a colossal marble head and a raised forearm, displayed side by side. The museum label names Domitian, but many scholars now read the face as his brother Titus. Since the temple honored the whole family, either one fits, and the question is still open.
The same museum also holds the sculpture group of Odysseus and the Cyclops Polyphemus found on Domitian Square. The museum is a separate ticket and takes about 40 minutes for the highlights. If you would like to see the statue and the square on the same day, our Your Ship, Your Day tour can add the museum around your ship's hours. Tell us your ship and date through our inquiry form and we will plan the timing.
Why does the temple matter to readers of Revelation?
Because it shows the world the Book of Revelation was written into. Early Christian tradition, going back to Irenaeus in the second century, places John's visions on Patmos near the end of Domitian's reign. Ephesus is the first of the seven churches addressed in Revelation, and its Christians lived a short walk from a temple where the emperor's family was worshiped.
Many readers link Revelation's warnings about worshiping the beast and its image to this setting. Others read those chapters differently, and the dating is debated too. Either way, standing on Domitian Square makes the pressure on that small church easier to picture, and Seven Churches of the Apocalypse explains how Rome pressed on the seven churches. Our Road of Paul and John tour includes this square on the walk down through the city.
Questions cruise guests ask us
Is the Temple of Domitian included in the Ephesus ticket?
Yes. It lies inside Ephesus Ancient City, so the standard Ephesus ticket covers it with no extra charge. Entrance tickets are not part of our tour price: we buy skip-the-line tickets in advance and you pay the official price. Our fees page lists the current amounts.
Why is it called the Temple of the Sebastoi?
Sebastoi means "the revered ones" in Greek, the title used for the emperors of the Flavian family: Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. An inscription found nearby gives the temple this name, and after Domitian's memory was condemned the city rededicated it to Vespasian, so many archaeologists prefer the name to the older Temple of Domitian.
Is the giant head in the Ephesus Museum Domitian or Titus?
Nobody can say for sure. The head and forearm from the temple's cult statue were labeled Domitian for decades, and the museum label still names him, but many scholars now see Domitian's elder brother Titus in the face. The temple honored the whole family, so both readings are possible.
How long do you spend at the Temple of Domitian on a tour?
Usually a short stop, long enough to see the terrace and the square and hear the story before carrying on down Curetes Street. A private guide can slow down here if Roman history is your interest. The whole walk from the Upper Gate to the Lower Gate takes about 1.5 to 2 hours with stops.
Who was the emperor Domitian?
Domitian ruled Rome from AD 81 to 96. He was the younger son of the emperor Vespasian and brother of Titus, who ruled before him. He built a great deal and kept tight control of the empire, but the Senate remembered him as a harsh ruler. He was murdered in a palace plot in AD 96, and his memory was officially condemned.
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