2015-06-18
【Aiden in English】
In ancient times, Ephesus in Turkey stretched 4.3 miles/7 kilometers and bustled with more than 300,000 people. As a central trading post with the Middle East, its archaeological sites were rich in Greek and Roman history. Some of the fascinating buildings of the time were the ruined Temple of Artemis, the sacred House of the Virgin Mary, and the grand Basilica of St. John right up against the Aegean Sea. Ephesus wasn't a grand metropolis compared to one of the world's most enormous jigsaw puzzles approximately 3,000 years ago. Ephesus was invaded at its most significant peak for many reasons, too. First of all, there was Christianity. It was changing the population's ways of thinking and having the House of the Virgin Mary built a few miles away from where Mary was brought here by the Apostle John after the Resurrection of Christ, and lived out her days. It was quickly spreading like wildfire. Word was fast to go around. The following reason was the nearby Cayster River that flowed into the Aegean Sea. Ephesus was a hub of trade overseas. Returning to my 4th-grade science kit, I've learned that a river carries bits of land and can plop them where it feels fit. The bits of land are made up of sand, rocks, and very fertile soil. The silt was dumped in the river mouth near the entrance to the Aegean Sea. More and more land came to fill here, forming a delta. It had marsh-like conditions, and the port, once connected to the sea, was now on dry land. No ships in or out meant no trade. Back in a simpler time, no trade meant no wealth, and no wealth meant no power. Finally, Ephesus was next to many conquering armies. Because it's fertile, many thought Ephesus was worth fighting for. Ephesus' host goddess was Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. The Temple of Artemis was built in her honor and became Earth's most significant architectural structure in 800 BC. Unfortunately, an invading army destroyed it, which is a shame since now it's well-known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The place was ideal for a city in a valley with a river nearby. Nevertheless, that wasn't all. The architecture was top-notch, fending off rainwater and earthquakes. Ephesus had an extensive underground system of pipes that carried rainwater. Brutal, lethal, melting, incinerating, piercing, blazing, X-ray-like sunshine was prevalent around 90% of the year. For the other ten, however, let's say not even the sky could hold its bladder forever. The pillars of the city needed strength against earthquakes as well, since the area was sitting near the meeting of two continental plates between Europe and Africa. The metal clamps secured the pillar to the ground for protection, and then the molten lead was poured over it to solidify it. It is the technique used now; we use concrete instead of lead. The advancements didn't just stop there. Ephesus demonstrated a sign of early recycling. When a block of marble ran out of use, it would be paved into the street. So, as I walked down the road, I was probably standing on one of the most expensive pathways ever made in the world. Talk about beautification. The culture, technology, and architecture seem so new for a city so old. Although the life of Ephesians was different from ours, time can’t change certain things for man. It never had, and it never will. 【紅霞譯】
從前，土耳其古城以弗所“理想城”地域橫亙四英里多/七公里長，人口高達三十多萬，作為通往中東地區的貿易門戶，城邦建設濃重地沿襲了古希臘和古羅馬傳統，在愛琴“波浪”海沿岸留下為數不少的名勝古蹟，譬如：阿爾忒彌斯“女神”廟遺蹟、聖母瑪麗亞“慈愛”故居、聖約翰“神慈”大教堂。
如今以弗所已不再是三千年前的繁華都會，昌盛期間由於種種原因一直深受外部勢力影響。首先在宗教上，基督教改變了人們的世界觀，聖母瑪麗亞故居就建在離市區僅有若干英里遠的地方，據說瑪麗亞在基督復活之後被耶穌十二門徒之一聖約翰帶到這裡直至魂歸天堂，消息如野火春風，很快傳遍世間各地。其次在地理上，基士特河流經以弗所附近匯入愛琴海，以弗所因此正好成為海運交通樞紐。早在小學四年級科普教育時就已提到，河水流動會帶走陸生雜質，而這些由泥沙、碎石及沃土組成的陸生雜質沿河床隨處沉積，愛琴海入海口處淤泥四溢，逐漸形成三角洲，出現類似沼澤一樣的鹽鹼地。連接海灣的港口被陸地取代，船隻無法行駛，海上貿易失去運作功能。回到古代那會兒，如果失去對外貿易交流，那麼無異於掐斷了本地經濟命脈；倘若沒有錢財收入，勢必導致權力喪失。最後在政治上，以弗所屢經血火洗禮，因土地富饒而深陷戰爭泥潭。
以弗所的保護神是阿爾忒彌斯，即希臘神話中的狩獵女神。阿爾忒彌斯神廟是以弗所人為祭祀狩獵女神而建，號稱公元前八百年間全球最雄偉的建築，不幸的是它毀於戰亂，真是奇天大恥，因為阿爾忒彌斯神廟算得上古代世界七大奇蹟之一。這一帶風水寶地，山谷間河流旁尤其適於建造城邦，然而除了自然優勢之外，神廟在建築水平上實屬一流，既防水又抗震，並且地下設有管道系統，可以排放雨水。這裡一年四季90％日子裡，陽光歹毒致命燒心焦化火燎，如同X線穿透力強，剩下的10%則大雨滂沱，連老天爺都自慚形穢。以弗所石柱需要經得起地震考驗，因為其所在地恰巧處在歐非大陸板塊之間，為了增強穩定性，使用金屬鉗子才能將石柱牢牢固定在地基上，然後再澆築溶化的鉛液來提高防腐功效，直到今天我們仍在沿用這種技術，只不過改用鋼筋混凝土而已。先進的創舉絕非局限到此，以弗所還萌發回收想法，報廢的大理石被拿來鋪墊通道，所以當我漫步其上，沒準正踩在迄今為止世界上最昂貴的馬路，暫且不談令人腳下生風的美感。 雖說以弗所是個古老的城邦，但無論在文化技術還是建築工藝上都發展得相當前沿，那時人們的生活肯定跟現在有所不同，時代造就英雄，這是永遠無法改變的事實，以前不會，將來恐怕也不可能。
Today in History(歷史上的今天):
2015: Kusadasi, the Aegean Resort TUR(土耳其庫薩達斯·愛琴海避暑勝地) 2015: Seljuk, the Sacred/Honored Place TUR(土耳其賽爾柱·神聖之地)
2014: Last Day of Fifth Grade(小學五年級最後一天)
2013: 學期評估(Year-End Evaluation)  Ephesus, the Ancient Trading Center
(以弗所·古代貿易中心)
Stone Carving of Gladiator (石刻·角鬥士)  Stone Carving of Capital (柱頭石刻)
 Corbel Carved w/ Acanthus Leaves
(莨苕葉雕花托臂)  Statue of Nike (雕像·勝利女神)
 Trajan Fountain from the Early 2nd Century AD
(圖拉真 "大膽" 噴泉·建於公元2世紀初)  PADlio Fountain Noted for Its Extra-Wide & High Arch Supporting a Triangular Capital
(波利奧噴泉·以其超寬高拱門和三角形柱頭而聞名)  Curetes Street (庫瑞忒斯“年青人”街 06-18-2015)
Curetes Street (庫瑞忒斯街 06-18-2015)  Celsus Library, One of the Few Remaining Examples of the Great Libraries of the Ancient World Located in the Roman Empire
(塞爾蘇斯“崇高”圖書館·羅馬帝國境內少數現存的古代世界大型圖書館之一)
Celsus Library, the 3rd Largest Library in the Greco-Roman World (塞爾蘇斯圖書館·古希臘羅馬世界第三大圖書館 06-18-2015)
 Great Theatre from the 3rd Century BC w/ Marble Columns & the Remains of an Ancient Stage Capable of Holding 24,000 Spectators
(大劇院·建於公元前3世紀，有大理石柱和古代舞台遺蹟，可容納24,000名觀眾 06-18-2015)  Marble Street @ the Archeological Excavations of Ephesus
(以弗所考古發掘出來的大理石街 06-18-2015)  Commercial Agora (商業集市 06-18-2015)
Temple of Domitian, Built in the 1st Century AD & the 1st Structure in Athens Known to Be Dedicated to an Emperor (圖密善“馴服”神廟·建於公元1世紀，是已知的以弗所第一座獻給皇帝的建築)  Temple of Hadrian Built Before 138 AD & Dedicated to EmperorADdrian
(哈德良“神色頭髮”神廟·在公元138年前建造，獻給哈德良皇帝)  Temple of Isis Dedicated Temple to the Ancient Egyptian Deity of Eternal Life & Resurrection
(伊西斯“王座”神殿·供奉古埃及永生與復活女神)  Terrace House about the Wealthy Life During the Roman Period
(露台房·展示了羅馬時代富人生活)  Explorer Lounge of Emerald Princess
(“公主·翡翠”號遊輪——探索者休息室 06-18-2015) 
Pina Colada (椰林飄香雞尾酒 06-18-2015)  午餐：烤番茄奶油湯、牛肝菌蘑菇汁小牛肉餛飩、無糖半冷凍藍莓凍、水煮梨和藍紋奶酪塊
Crosslinks(相關博文): Turkey(出遊土耳其)
Europe(歐洲掠影) 6th Grade(初中一年級)
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