Pollio Fountain

Pollio Fountain in Ephesus, Turkey

​Across the street from Domitian Temple, you'll see the partially restored arch remains of the fountain of Pollio.
This was built around 92 AD. By C. Sextilius Pollio, a rich Ephesian who also financed the building of Basilica Stoa, found in the administration area in the upper part of Ephesus Ancient city.

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Water for fountains in the Ephesus Ancient City was brought by a system of Aqueducts from 3 main source rivers and was provided free of charge to citizens of Ephesus. The total length of the Aqueducts that surround Ephesus was around 75kms. The longest Aqueduct was around 43kms. long. The water was supplied from Spring sources not from the rivers surrounding Ephesus. Finding a good quality water and bringing it to the City was their Rocket Science of the day. 

​Various statues adorned this fountain including one of Zeus and the River God Marnas.
​A group statue of Odysseus and Polyphemus stood on the basin of the fountain.
These statues can be found on display in the Ephesus museum which is located in the town of Selcuk near Ephesus ancient city.

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Right next to the Fountain there was a Crypt Tomb was placed as a final resting place for Pollio himself.  It would seem too risky to place a corpse next to a water source but Ephesians figured this out by using Sarcophagus burial system. The bodies were kept in Sarcophagi so that they would be decomposed as fast as they could so they wouldn't have to worry about the epidemics.