Ionia

Sources from old books

1638. The merchants mappe of commerce wherein by Lewes Roberts.

Of Ionia, and the Cities thereof.

Ionia is the next Province, wherein is that ancient famous Citie of Ephesus much ruined from its ancient recorded beauty, famous for the direction of an Epistle by Saint Paul to the inhabitants hereof: famous also for the Temple of Diana: and lastly, famous for the buriall of S. Iohn the Evangelist, who went heere alive into the grave. But this Citie is now become a poore village, and retaines no monument of her pride •…at I could find in Anno 1624 but a porch of a Grecian Church of Black Marble, wherein is excellently ingraven the life of our Saviour Christ, much admired by all Artists.

But now the only Citie of Trade in this Province is Smyrna, one of the places that strove for the birth of Homer, and wherein was found one of those Churches whereto S. Iohn dedicated his Revelation, seated in the bottome of a Bay or Gulph, knowne to our Seamen by the name of the gulph of Smyrna; and where there is a Consull resident for the English, as also for the French and Venetians to protect their Merchants and Trade, where in Anno 1619 •…n matter of traffique, I noted these things.