Lucius, the son of one of the Ephesian wine merchants, began to walk from his villa towards the Celsus Library on Curetes Street as darkness descended upon the city. Lucius, a naive young man, was very fond of reading. His greatest ambition was to become a poet in the future. He frequently visited the library built in honor of the former Roman senator Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, which houses the tomb of this notable figure. Recently, he had developed an interest in the work ‘Metamorphoses’ by the Roman poet Ovid.

Reading the mythological stories penned in beautiful and artistic Latin by Ovid from papyrus scrolls drew 18-year-old Lucius deep into the world of imagination. Lucius particularly admired the story of the Greek hero Perseus. The tale of Perseus, the son of the god Jupiter—whom the ancient Greeks referred to as Zeus—and a mortal woman, who became a hero by cutting off the head of Medusa, a snake-haired creature whose gaze could turn men to stone, deeply fascinated Lucius.

Upon reaching the Celsus Library, Lucius lifted his head to gaze at the Medusa reliefs on the arches of the building's second floor. After Medusa was slain by Perseus, she transformed into a protective charm, and important buildings and temples were adorned with depictions of her for protection. Whether it was due to the influence of what he had read, or something else, Lucius shuddered as he stared long at the Medusa sculptures. He could swear he heard the hisses of the snakes on Medusa’s severed head. Attributing this feeling to the richness of his imagination, Lucius quickly entered the library and continued reading Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses,’ focusing on the story of Perseus and Medusa.

Hours passed, but the fear within Lucius continued to grow. He struggled with the sensation that Medusa might emerge from behind the columns at any moment and turn him to stone. Just as he was about to stand up and return to his villa in the Terrace Houses, he heard a woman's voice coming from deep within. “Oh no,” he thought to himself. “What if Medusa isn’t dead and comes out of the darkness to turn me to stone…” This feeling soon consumed Lucius. Trying to collect himself, he saw Apollodorus, a close friend of his father’s. Humming a cheerful tune, Apollodorus moved deeper into the library, smiled when he saw Lucius, and said, “Come on, follow me.”

Lucius was so scared that he followed Apollodorus without questioning where they were going. Together, they passed through a door Lucius had never seen before, entering a semi-lit, semi-dark tunnel where the voices of women echoed against the walls. These were the voices Lucius had heard in the library. Lucius was drenched in sweat from fear. Perhaps it wasn’t Apollodorus who led him into this tunnel but a shapeshifting monster. Lucius, devoid of the will to turn back, followed Apollodorus. As they spotted a light at the end of the tunnel, Lucius hoped the nightmare was about to end, but his heart began to race as if it would jump from his chest when he realized a long-haired woman awaited them under that light. Mustering all his strength, he grabbed Apollodorus’s arm tightly and asked, “Is that woman Medusa, the snake-haired monster? Will she turn me into stone?”

Apollodorus, laughing heartily at the young man's words, said, “You are such a dreamer, my boy. What Medusa? That woman works in a brothel. Didn't you know there is a tunnel under the library leading to the brothel across the street? Come on, come on, it's time to introduce you to another world.”

Written by Archaeologist Özlem Ertan for the Ephesus Foundation.

Lucius, the son of one of the Ephesian wine merchants, began to walk from his villa towards the Celsus Library on Curetes Street as darkness descended upon the city. Lucius, a naive young man, was very fond of reading. His greatest ambition was to become a poet in the future. He frequently visited the library built in honor of the former Roman senator Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, which houses the tomb of this notable figure. Recently, he had developed an interest in the work ‘Metamorphoses’ by the Roman poet Ovid.

Reading the mythological stories penned in beautiful and artistic Latin by Ovid from papyrus scrolls drew 18-year-old Lucius deep into the world of imagination. Lucius particularly admired the story of the Greek hero Perseus. The tale of Perseus, the son of the god Jupiter—whom the ancient Greeks referred to as Zeus—and a mortal woman, who became a hero by cutting off the head of Medusa, a snake-haired creature whose gaze could turn men to stone, deeply fascinated Lucius.

Upon reaching the Celsus Library, Lucius lifted his head to gaze at the Medusa reliefs on the arches of the building's second floor. After Medusa was slain by Perseus, she transformed into a protective charm, and important buildings and temples were adorned with depictions of her for protection. Whether it was due to the influence of what he had read, or something else, Lucius shuddered as he stared long at the Medusa sculptures. He could swear he heard the hisses of the snakes on Medusa’s severed head. Attributing this feeling to the richness of his imagination, Lucius quickly entered the library and continued reading Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses,’ focusing on the story of Perseus and Medusa.

Hours passed, but the fear within Lucius continued to grow. He struggled with the sensation that Medusa might emerge from behind the columns at any moment and turn him to stone. Just as he was about to stand up and return to his villa in the Terrace Houses, he heard a woman's voice coming from deep within. “Oh no,” he thought to himself. “What if Medusa isn’t dead and comes out of the darkness to turn me to stone…” This feeling soon consumed Lucius. Trying to collect himself, he saw Apollodorus, a close friend of his father’s. Humming a cheerful tune, Apollodorus moved deeper into the library, smiled when he saw Lucius, and said, “Come on, follow me.”

Lucius was so scared that he followed Apollodorus without questioning where they were going. Together, they passed through a door Lucius had never seen before, entering a semi-lit, semi-dark tunnel where the voices of women echoed against the walls. These were the voices Lucius had heard in the library. Lucius was drenched in sweat from fear. Perhaps it wasn’t Apollodorus who led him into this tunnel but a shapeshifting monster. Lucius, devoid of the will to turn back, followed Apollodorus. As they spotted a light at the end of the tunnel, Lucius hoped the nightmare was about to end, but his heart began to race as if it would jump from his chest when he realized a long-haired woman awaited them under that light. Mustering all his strength, he grabbed Apollodorus’s arm tightly and asked, “Is that woman Medusa, the snake-haired monster? Will she turn me into stone?”

Apollodorus, laughing heartily at the young man's words, said, “You are such a dreamer, my boy. What Medusa? That woman works in a brothel. Didn't you know there is a tunnel under the library leading to the brothel across the street? Come on, come on, it's time to introduce you to another world.”

Written by Archaeologist Özlem Ertan for the Ephesus Foundation.