A constructal history of Ephesos

While the constructal law was initially developed in the context of physical transport processes, it has shown promise to explain complex phenomena such as socio-economic or politico-cultural shifts. While these topics can be studied in a somewhat isolated fashion, there is a benefit to seeing all such processes comprehensively. One such circumstance is the city of Ephesos in Asia Minor. This paper will give a brief history of the city before drawing attention to particular processes and events which shaped the city and its trajectory with analysis according to constructal theory. Physical aspects of this analysis will focus on the Meander River, the harbor at Ephesos and its silting. Economic analysis will inspect commerce on the water-based highways and the linkage of the city with various empires. Cultural reflections will observe temples dedicated to Artemis, Hadrian, and St. John the Theologian and the role that various religions played in the city's life as a pilgrimage destination. Finally, the cutting off of flow from all layers observed played a role in the demise of the city - a phenomenon which is also explained via the constructal law. Several examples show that such flows are interconnected with feedback-like behavior yet still retaining constructal features.