After the devastating earthquake of 23 A.D., a lively building activity began. In the southeast of the city a completely redesigned government quarter was built. The Tetragonos Agora, also known as the State Agora, was enlarged to about twice its original size and surrounded by representative buildings.
Emperor Domitian granted Ephesus permission to build an official sanctuary for the cult of the ruler. (Neocoria). This sanctuary was built on a terrace supported by substructures and dedicated to the emperor. After his death, at the insistence of the Roman Senate, the Ephesians dedicated the temple to Domitian's father, Vespasian.

The only 24 x 37 large temple contained a 5 m high cult statue of the emperor, of which only the head and one hand remained. Both are exhibited in the archaeological museum in Selcuk. (see photo)

Titus Flavius Domitianus (* 24. October 51; † 18. September 96), mostly called Domitian for short, was Roman emperor from 81 to 96.
As successor of his father Vespasian and his brother Titus he was the third and last ruler of the Flavier family. Domitian was portrayed as a bad Princeps and tyrant (pessimus princeps) in the historiography traditionally written by senators, because he did not show the desired respect to the senate and made decisions without consulting him. After his death, his self-portrayal as emperor was to be officially extinguished. Only modern research from the end of the 20th century revised the Domitian image. His military successes in Germania and Pannonia as well as his financial and provincial policies made him appear a capable ruler. At the same time, his personality and conception of power remained in part inexplicable.