Named for the demigods who helped Lena give birth to Artemis and Apollo, the Curetes Way was Ephesus' main thoroughfare, lined with statuary, great buildings, and rows of shops selling incense, silk and other goods. Walking this street is the best way to understand Ephesian daily life.
Circular depressions and linear grooves are sporadically gouged into the marble, to keep pedestrians from slipping on the slick surface. This was important not only during winter rains, but also during the searing summer heat; shopkeepers would regularly douse the slippery marble street with water from the fountains to cool the air.
Flowering trees that once shaded the street and shops also lowered the temperature. Right under where they stood, there are occasional stone abutments adorned with 12 circular depressions – boards for games of chance that ancient Ephesians would play for fun, and even bet on: the contest was known in Latin as ludus duodecim scriptorum, or the ‘game of twelve markings’.
There's a rather patchwork look to the Way's marble blocks – many are not in their original places, due to ancient and modern retrofitting. An intriguing element in some blocks are the tiny, carved Greek-language initials; they denoted the name of the specific builder responsible for the relevant section. This helped labourers collect their pay, as it proved they had actually worked.
Several structures along the Way have occasional oval depressions in the walls – these held the oil lamps that lent a magical glow to the city’s main thoroughfare by night.
