was a city in the Roman province of Asia, and the entire Roman Empire was being shaken by political instability, civil unrest, crime, and radical change. Half the population of the empire were slaves, sunk into such hopeless bondage that they were traded and sold like cattle. Except for a small class of rich aristocrats and patricians, most of the population eked out a poverty-line living as farmers, tradespeople, and laborers. The moral corruption of Ephesus was legendary. The city was the center