History of Ephesus
The area surrounding Ephesus was already inhabited during the Neolithic Age (about 6000 BC). The city of Ephesus was founded as an Attic-Ionian colony in the 10th century BC on the Ayasuluk Hill, three kilometers from the center of antique Ephesus. The mythical founder of the city was Androklos, son of king Kodros and a prince of Athens, who had to leave his country after the death of his father.
According to a legend, in the year of 10 B.C. Androclus, the son of a King of Athens-Kodros, was searching a place establishing a site. As it was customary in ancient times to consult an oracle before any important event, Androclus did it about where to found a settlement. The answer was simple “at the place which will be indicated by a fish and a wild boar.”
Androclus and his colony were running from the Dor invasion in Greece, they arrived in Anatolia. While they were camping somewhere near Ephesus, a frying fish fell down from the pan irritated a hiding boar behind the bushes. The feared boar escaped immediately. Remembering the words of oracle, he decided to found the settlement there. Ephesus has been located at different places in different times and ruled by different emperors after the foundation. Androklos drove away most of the native Carian and Lelegian inhabitants of the city.
Ephesus was ruled by the Lydian king, Kreisos, in the mid 6BC. The city reached the "Golden Age" and became a good model to the Antic World in culture and art, as well. that age haven’t been revealed.