The Greeks first inhabited Ephesus thirty centuries ago, and built the temple to the many-breasted Artemis, goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, childbirth, chastity, the moon, and protecting young women and girls. I nominate Artemis for goddess of multitasking. She is the twin sister of Apollo and daughter of Zeus and Leto. But you knew that.

The temple was one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. Ephesus grew to be the fourth-largest city in the Roman Empire, a major seaport and center of commerce, accessible by sea through a long canal which eventually choked with silt and left the town to decline.

The main drag felt the chariot wheels of Antony and Cleopatra. The spectacular façade of the Library of Celsus towers over the ruins. A bordello reportedly sat nearby, leading to the phrase used even today by illiterate husbands, “Honey, I’m going to the library.”

Watching these ne’er-do-wells from the façade’s niches are four female statues (l to the r): Sofia (Wisdom), Arete (Virtue), Ennoia (Insight) and Episteme (Knowledge).

Near the public baths, toilets were cut on a rock slab side by side, close enough to hold hands and squeeze.

Paul preached in the grand theater, and a couple millenia later, wowed by the acoustics, Ray Charles, Pavorotti, Elton John, Sting, Diana Ross, Joan Baez, Bryan Adams and Jethro Tull performed here. Mother Mary and John the Apostle moved to a hill overlooking Ephesus where Mary lived out her days.

John was exiled to Patmos where he wrote Revelations, then returned to Ephesus where he died of natural causes, the only apostle not martyred. Ephesus was also graced by the Apostles Luke, Thomas and Timothy, first Bishop of Ephesus, beaten and stoned to death by a hostile mob while attempting to break up a pagan festival honoring the Goddess Diana, aka Artemis, that busy many-breasted goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, childbirth, chastity, the moon, and protecting young women and girls, oh and protector of the lower classes, including runaway slaves. But she had no relation to the Paul Anka song, Diana.