Archaeology
The first formal excavations were undertaken in 1904-5, by a French railroad engineer, Paul Augustin Gaudin.
The most recent, ongoing excavations were begun by Kenan Erim under the aegis of New York University in 1962 and are currently led by Professor Christopher Ratté (at NYU) and Professor R.R.R. Smith (at Oxford University). The findings reveal that the lavish building programme in the city's civic center was initiated and largely funded by one Gaius Julius Zoilus, a local who was a slave of Gaius Julius Caesar, set free by Octavian. When Zoilus returned as a freedman to his native city, endowed with prestige and rich rewards for his service, he shrewdly directed it to align with Octavian in his power struggle against Mark Antony. This ensured Octavian Augustus's lasting favor in the form of financial privileges that allowed the city to prosper.
Read more about this topic: Aphrodisias