As the second book of the Ancient Cities series, the book opens the doors of Ephesus and Ionia with Herodotus’ description of ‘the finest skies and the finest climate we know on this earth’. Describing Ephesus, a Ionian city, in detail, the book contains other Ionian cities for a better understanding of the region: to the northeast the Ionian cities of Lebedus and Colophon; the Oracle of Apollo at Claros, which belonged to Colophon; Teos, Clazomenae and Erythrae; then Smyrna (Izmir), a latter-day member of the league; and the northernmost city, Phocaea; and to the south, Priene, Miletus, Myus and the Temple of Apollo at Didyma. Including an up-to-date photograph, drawing and a detailed map, it prepares you to the Ephesus and the Ionian cities even before taking a step into Ephesus.