Divine Justice
The interest in the play staged at the magnificent theater of Ephesus, the capital of the Province of Asia, was immense. The Roman residents of Ephesus completely filled the steps of the theater. The movements of the actors on stage, their words, and the joyful songs of the chorus made the audience forget everything else. They watched the comedy with laughter and joined in the songs of the chorus.
Among the spectators was Romus, one of Ephesus's wealthy individuals. Everyone knew how poorly Romus, a crude and ruthless man, treated the female slaves in his magnificent villa. He would beat his slaves and force himself upon them whenever he became bored. Although slaves were thought to be the property of their masters because they were bought and sold, Romus's cruelty disturbed everyone.
After a while, Romus grew bored of the play and rose from the stone seat he was sitting on and began to make his way toward the exit door of the theater. As he walked, he felt a shadow pass over his head but did not pay much attention. After all, he had indulged too much in wine again during dinner. Upon leaving the theater and reaching the front of the Library of Celsus, he realized his bladder was full. He was quite desperate, and there was no way he could hold it until reaching the public toilet known as latrina. Seeing that it was becoming unbearable, he urinated on the beautiful stones beside the Mithridates Gate next to the Library of Celsus. When he finished his business and found relief, he again sensed a shadow passing overhead. Moreover, there was something strange in the air this time. Suddenly, the surroundings were as bright as daytime. When Romus looked at the sky, he saw the Moon was enormous and shining brightly. What was happening? He had never seen the Moon so close to the Earth before. With the urge to get home quickly, he turned around and noticed a beam of light on the wall beside the Mithridates Gate and was involuntarily drawn toward it. On that wall was a relief of Hecate, the goddess who was the master of the Moon, junctions, the underground, and gates both in the sky and on earth. The source of the light was the relief itself.
As Romus looked at the light emanating from Hecate's relief in horror, the wall split open, and Hecate emerged from the stone and revealed herself in all her glory. The goddess had three heads and three bodies, and the light from the torches she held overshadowed even the brightness of the Moon. Romus was struck dumb, his body was rigid as a stone. He could not even attempt to flee. Hecate spoke, and Romus heard the goddess's booming voice in his mind.
“You are a disgrace to humanity, Romus. Not satisfied with the cruelty you inflicted upon women, you desecrate my sacred ground with your vile liquid, don't you? You have forgotten there is a penalty for disrespecting the sacred. Women are sacred, the goddess is sacred... Human dignity is sacred, the land is sacred... I am Hecate, the ancient goddess of Anatolia. Protector of cities, women, animals, mistress of the Moon, and keeper of keys that open the underground gates, and soon I shall deliver your punishment.”
Although Romus wished to plead for mercy from Hecate, he could not do it. With his legs as rigid as rocks, there was no chance of fleeing. When Romus was enveloped by the three shadows that emanated from Hecate's three heads, his connection with the world and the moonlight illuminating his surroundings was completely severed. The goddess had trapped him in absolute darkness. No one saw Romus after that night. Despite all searches, neither his dead nor alive body could be found. Romus's female slaves, however, expressed gratitude each day for the divine justice that rescued them from Romus's violence.
Written for the Ephesus Foundation by Archaeologist Author Özlem Ertan.
The interest in the play staged at the magnificent theater of Ephesus, the capital of the Province of Asia, was immense. The Roman residents of Ephesus completely filled the steps of the theater. The movements of the actors on stage, their words, and the joyful songs of the chorus made the audience forget everything else. They watched the comedy with laughter and joined in the songs of the chorus.
Among the spectators was Romus, one of Ephesus's wealthy individuals. Everyone knew how poorly Romus, a crude and ruthless man, treated the female slaves in his magnificent villa. He would beat his slaves and force himself upon them whenever he became bored. Although slaves were thought to be the property of their masters because they were bought and sold, Romus's cruelty disturbed everyone.
After a while, Romus grew bored of the play and rose from the stone seat he was sitting on and began to make his way toward the exit door of the theater. As he walked, he felt a shadow pass over his head but did not pay much attention. After all, he had indulged too much in wine again during dinner. Upon leaving the theater and reaching the front of the Library of Celsus, he realized his bladder was full. He was quite desperate, and there was no way he could hold it until reaching the public toilet known as latrina. Seeing that it was becoming unbearable, he urinated on the beautiful stones beside the Mithridates Gate next to the Library of Celsus. When he finished his business and found relief, he again sensed a shadow passing overhead. Moreover, there was something strange in the air this time. Suddenly, the surroundings were as bright as daytime. When Romus looked at the sky, he saw the Moon was enormous and shining brightly. What was happening? He had never seen the Moon so close to the Earth before. With the urge to get home quickly, he turned around and noticed a beam of light on the wall beside the Mithridates Gate and was involuntarily drawn toward it. On that wall was a relief of Hecate, the goddess who was the master of the Moon, junctions, the underground, and gates both in the sky and on earth. The source of the light was the relief itself.
As Romus looked at the light emanating from Hecate's relief in horror, the wall split open, and Hecate emerged from the stone and revealed herself in all her glory. The goddess had three heads and three bodies, and the light from the torches she held overshadowed even the brightness of the Moon. Romus was struck dumb, his body was rigid as a stone. He could not even attempt to flee. Hecate spoke, and Romus heard the goddess's booming voice in his mind.
“You are a disgrace to humanity, Romus. Not satisfied with the cruelty you inflicted upon women, you desecrate my sacred ground with your vile liquid, don't you? You have forgotten there is a penalty for disrespecting the sacred. Women are sacred, the goddess is sacred... Human dignity is sacred, the land is sacred... I am Hecate, the ancient goddess of Anatolia. Protector of cities, women, animals, mistress of the Moon, and keeper of keys that open the underground gates, and soon I shall deliver your punishment.”
Although Romus wished to plead for mercy from Hecate, he could not do it. With his legs as rigid as rocks, there was no chance of fleeing. When Romus was enveloped by the three shadows that emanated from Hecate's three heads, his connection with the world and the moonlight illuminating his surroundings was completely severed. The goddess had trapped him in absolute darkness. No one saw Romus after that night. Despite all searches, neither his dead nor alive body could be found. Romus's female slaves, however, expressed gratitude each day for the divine justice that rescued them from Romus's violence.
Written for the Ephesus Foundation by Archaeologist Author Özlem Ertan.