istory, the earthquake razed the town to the ground. The destruction was so great that the support of the Empire for rebuilding was necessary. EmperorMarcus Aurelius contributed greatly to the rebuilding activities and the city was re-founded again. The state agora was restored during this period. Much of the works of architecture pertaining to the pre-Turkish period of the city and that reached our day date from this period.
After the Roman Empire's division into two distinct entities, Smyrna became a territory of theEastern Roman Empire. It preserved its status as a notable religious center in the early times of theByzantine Empire. However, the city did decrease in size greatly during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Age, never returning to the Roman levels of prosperity
