The Antiquities of Constantinople

Chap. VII.

Of the eighth Ward, and the Hind-part of the third Hill

I Cannot find by the Ancient Description of the Wards, that the eighth Ward was situate on the South Side of the third Hill, though it says, that the eighth Ward, on the Side of the Taurus, is not bounded by the Sea, and may be look’d upon to be rather a narrow than a broad Piece of Ground, though this Defect is sufficiently amended by its great Length. For by this Description of it, I am left altogether in Suspence, whether it lye North or South. But I discover the Situation of the eighth Ward from hence, that the Author of the Description tells us, that it contained part of the Forum of Constantine, and a Portico on the left Side of it, as far as the Taurus, and that the seventh Ward stretch’d itself from the right Hand of the Pillar of Constantine, to the Forum of Theodosius. I observe from these Authorities, that part of the Promontory, which reaches from Sea to Sea, situate between the Porphyry Pillar and the Taurus, was divided into the North and South Side, and that the Portico’s on the right and left extending themselves from the Pillar of Constantine to the Taurus, parted the seventh and eighth Ward, the former of which contain’d the right Hand Portico’s, and the latter, the left. There’s nothing to be seen of these Portico’s at present, but only the broad Way which runs from the Church of St. Sophia to the Land-Wall. This Ward contains also the Capitol, and the Basilica of Theodosius both of which, ’tis very probable, stood near the Pillar and Forum of Theodosius. It is no less evident from Zonaras and Cedrinus, that the Fire in Leo’s Time consumed the Senate-House, built for the Dispatch of publick Business by the great Council of the Empire, and for the Conveniency of the Emperor, when Consul, to preside over them. This Senate-House, as the same Authors add, had twelve Pillars curiously variegated, made of Trojan Marble, which were twenty five Foot high, the Roof of it being supported with four Arches. This House, according to these Writers, was about two hundred and forty Foot long, and a hundred and fifty Foot broad. I am inclin’d to believe, from what I have mention’d upon this Occasion, that it was either the Capitol, or the Basilica of Theodosius. For it is plain from modern Historians, that these two Structures, by whomsoever they were rebuilt after the Fire, lost their Names, and they tell us, that in the Taurus there was a Palace, and a Place for the Entertainment of Strangers. And these Authorities are strengthen’d by some ancient People of Constantinople, who attest, that in their Remembrance, near the Mint-House, where they now coin their Money, there stood a spacious Palace, inhabited, as some say, by Mahomet who took the City, before he built the great enclosed Palace which stands upon the first Hill, and that some of the Sultans have since beautified their Palaces out of the Ruins of the former. The Place of Entertainment, or rather the Church, which stood to the South-west of the Taurus, I saw entirely demolish’d, and the Pillars of it carried off, to build a Caravansera, which the Emperor Solyman erected in Memory of his Son, whom he dearly lov’d. I leave it to the Greek Priests to make the Enquiry, whether this was not the same with the Church of St. Paul, which stood in the seventh Ward, though I could never yet meet with one of them, who could give me Insight into this Matter.

Chap. VIII.

Of the ninth Ward; of the Temple of Concord; of the Granaries of Alexandria and Theodosius; of the Baths of Anastasia, of the House of Craterus; of the Modius, and the Temple of the Sun and Moon

THAT the ninth Ward was situate behind the third Hill, partly on the Clifts which lye under the Ridge of it, and partly on those which lye at the Bottom of it, and partly on the Shore of the Propontis, extending itself as far as the Gardens call’d Blanchæ; I am convinced, among other Authorities, principally by the Author of the Description, &c. who says, that the ninth Ward is all a Declivity, and bounded by the Sea, as also from the Account he gives of the eighth Ward, which as it is not terminated on the Side of the Taurus, by any Part of the Sea, I have Reason to believe, took up the Plain on the Top of the third Hill, but not the Descents below it, and that the ninth Ward lies partly under the eighth, on that Side of it, which extends from the Taurus Southward towards the Sea of the Propontis, and was partly situate also on the two Declivities; one of which descends from the Taurus to South, South-west, the other from the Houses of the Janizaries to the South. You may also discover by the Situation of the Temple of Concord, where the ninth Ward stood, which though it be not expressly declared by the Author of the Description; yet Reason, and the Authority of other Writers, will lead us into that Discovery. For Evagrius, describing the Fire which happen’d in Leo’s Time, says, that it raged in a frightful Manner on the North Side of the City, from the Bosphorian Haven to the old Temple of Apollo; on the South, from the Port of Julian, to the Houses seated at a small Distance from the Temple of Concord; and in the Middle Part of the City, from the Forum of Constantine to the Taurus; and farther, that it extended itself in Length to the Distance of five Furlongs. From hence it is discoverable, that the Fire destroy’d all that Part of the ninth Ward, through which you may draw a strait Line from the Taurus to the Propontis. And this would evidently appear to any one, who would walk the five Furlongs from the Forum of Constantine to the Forum of Taurus, and there fix a Mark, and should afterwards walk Westward from the Port of Julian, through the Plain on the Sea Shore, to the Distance of five Furlongs more, and should there fix another Mark, and should compare that Mark with another fix’d at the Taurus, he would vary very little as to the Situation of the Temple of Concord. But that, and the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle are now entirely in Ruins. If we consider the Rules generally observed in Architecture, ’tis reasonable to believe, that the Granaries of Theodosius stood near the Port of Theodosius, which was situate in the Gardens now call’d Blanchæ. There was no Port either in the eighth or ninth Ward, but in that Part of the twelfth Ward which adjoins to the ninth, is the Port of Theodosius, of which I shall speak more largely hereafter. Above the Blanchæ to the North, there stands a Temple upon an Eminence, call’d Myreleos; in the Inside of which was a Cistern, the Roof of which is supported with about sixty Marble Pillars. In the Place of this Cistern there was formerly a Granary, which Suidas, though very improperly, calls Horeium. The Statue of Maimus, says he, who march’d his Army against the Scythians, stood in the Horeium, (which was before the House of Craterus, now of Myreleus) near the Modius, and the Brazen Hands. This Modius, or Bushel, was a settled Measure, or Standard, according to which they bought and sold their Corn. The Emperor Valentinian made a Law, that twelve Bushels should be sold at such a Sum; a certain Sea-faring Man, acting in Violation of this Law, forfeited his right Hand. This, they tell you, was the Reason why Valentinian order’d two brazen Hands to be set up in a Nich of some Place in the Amastrianum, and the brazen Bushel to be placed between them. Others say, that Valentinian commanded, that this Bushel should not be sold by the Strike, but in full Measure; and that a certain Offender lost both his Hands, for not observing this Order. Cedrinus writes, that some Places here were call’d the Amastrianum, from a sorry abandon’d Fellow, a Native of Amastrum, who laying under the deepest Scandal for cursing the Paphlagonians, and to escape the Punishment of Homicide, fled for Shelter to Constantinople. The same Author writes, that in the same Place there was a very large Temple of the Sun and Moon, where were carved, at the Charge of Phidalia, the Sun riding in a white Chariot, and the Moon as his Spouse sitting by him. Below these Figures, near the Ground, was cut a powerful Prince, prescribing the Rules of Obedience to his People. Near his Throne was carv’d a Jupiter, in a recumbent Posture, which was the Work of Phidias. If the House before mention’d was the House of the learned Craterus a Sophist, there was erected his Suggestum, or Desk, which has been celebrated in Verse by Julian the Ægyptian. Besides the Curiosities, the ninth Ward also contain’d the famous Baths of Anastasia, which took their Name, as Marcellinus says, from Anastasia the Sister of Constantine. Sozomen writes, that Marcian the Grammarian was Tutor to the two Daughters of the Emperor Valens, Anastasia and Carosia; and that the Baths which went by their Names, were standing in Constantinople in his Time.

Chap. IX.

Of the third Valley, and the tenth Ward; of the House of Placidia, and her Palace; of the Aqueduct of Valentinian, the Bagnio’s of Constantine, and the Nympheum

THAT the tenth Ward extended itself towards the North, and that it was situate in the third Valley, and on the East Side of it; as also on the Top of the Promontory, rising above the third Valley, is evident from the Author of the Description of the Wards, who writes, that the tenth Ward is divided from the ninth by a broad Way; that it lies much more upon the Level; that ’tis in no part of it uneven, but near the Sea Shore; that ’tis of a proportionable Length and Breadth; and that it contains the Church of St. Achatius, the Bagnio’s of Constantine, the House of Placidia Augusta, and many other fine Buildings. But I could not find, after the utmost Search and Enquiry, the Situation of any of them; so that I was obliged to have Recourse to the Authority of Historians who had wrote of these Matters; and in consulting them, I could not but take Notice of a Mistake in the Author of the Description, &c. who says, that this Ward contain’d the Bagnio’s of Constantine, whereas I cannot find, that Constantine ever had any Bagnio’s at Constantinople, but that Constantius had. For Sozomen, speaking of those Persons, who, favouring St. Chrysostom and his Doctrine, were expelled the City, says, That perceiving the People to be furiously enraged against them, they did not assemble the next Day in the great Church, but celebrated the Holy Communion in a Bagnio, which was called the Bagnio of Constantius. Suidas reports, that Elladius Alexandrinus wrote a Description of the Bagnio’s of Constantius, in the Time of Theodosius the Less. Socrates relates, that Valens the Emperor commanded the Walls of Chalcedon to be taken down, and the Stones to be carried to Constantinople to build a Bagnio, which was to be called the Bagnio of Constantius; and adds, That in one of these Stones was cut a Prophecy, which had been hid for many Ages, but was then explained, viz. That when the City abounded with Water, a Wall would be of some Service to a Bagnio, and that numberless Nations of the Barbarians, should invade the Territories of the Romans, make great Devastations there, but at last should be overcome. The Prophecy, as described by Socrates, is as follows:

Zonaras and Cedrinus write this Prophecy the same Way, but differ in the Greek from Socrates, and put for δροσερὴν, ἱερὴν, for λουτροῖο, λουτροῖσι, for ἄγρια μαρμαίροντα, ἄγρα μαργαίνοντα, for καλιρόοιο, κιμμερίοιο. This Prophecy is thus interpreted by Socrates, who tells us, that it was fully accomplished, when Valens built an Aqueduct, which supplied the City with Plenty of Water, when the Barbarous Nations invaded the Territories of New Rome. However, it is capable of being interpreted in another Manner. For after Valens had brought the Aqueduct into Constantinople, Clearchus, the Prefect of the City, built a large Cistern in the Forum of Theodosius, into which the Aqueduct emptied it self, and the People were there entertained at a jovial Feast, and that therefore it was called the plentiful Cistern, which they tell you, was foretold by the Prophecy in the Lines abovementioned. But some Part of this Prophecy was not fulfilled till some Time after, when the Wall of Chalcedon was pulling down by the Order of Valens. At this Time the People of Nicomedia, of Nice, and Bithynia, petitioned the Emperor against it, who being highly displeased with them for it, could hardly be prevailed upon to comply with their Petition; and therefore to disengage himself from an Oath he had made to demolish the Wall, he ordered other Stones to be placed in their Room, as fast as the old ones were taken down. So that you may see at present, what a mean Superstructure is railed upon the Remains of the old Wall, which consisted of Stones of the largest, and most wonderful Size. Zonaras and Cedrinus record it also, that Valens to express his Resentment against the People of Chalcedon, for giving Protection to his Enemy Procopius, commanded the Walls of their City to be demolished, and an Aqueduct to be made of their Stones, which the former Historian sometimes calls the Aqueduct of Valens, and the latter sometimes the Aqueduct of Valentinian; and adds, among other Passages of the History before mentioned, that according to the Prophecy, the Barbarous Nations made their Incursions into Thrace, but were afterwards defeated. The Aqueduct of Valentinian, which is highly arched, passing thro’ the tenth Ward, reaches from the Sides of the fourth, to the Side of the third Hill. I should be much surprized, that the Author of the Description of the Wards, who has taken Notice of the Granaries of Valentinian, has not mentioned it; but that I am sensible he has omitted many other Monuments of Antiquity, which were in Being in his Time. In the Reign of Constantine, the Son of Leo the Emperor (who was a declared Enemy to Images in Churches) and in the Year of our Lord 759, there was so great a Drought at Constantinople, that the Dew ceas’d to fall from Heaven, and all the Cisterns, Bagnio’s, and Fountains of the City were dry’d up; which the Emperor observing, he began to repair the Aqueduct of Valentinian, which continued in good Order, till the Reign of Heraclius, when it was demolished by the Avares. Upon this he sent for Workmen from many Places to rebuild it; from Asia and Pontus he had a Thousand Builders, and two hundred White-washers; from Greece five hundred Brick-makers, and from Thrace a Thousand Day-labourers, over whom there presided a Nobleman, and some of the principal Men of the City, as Surveyors of the Works. When the Aqueduct was finished, the City was again supplied with Water, which was conveyed into the Town through a Passage lying between the ninth and the tenth Ward. There are many subterraneous Aqueducts which run through six of the Hills, but the Aqueduct of Valentinian has its Course above Ground, which the Historians, who have wrote of the Actions of Andronicus tell you, passed through the Great Forum, that the Water of it was clear and pleasant, that it was repaired and enlarged by Andronicus himself, and that he encreased its Current by the River Hydrales. At the Spring-head, from whence this Aqueduct arose, he built a Tower and a Palace, where he used to divert himself in the Summer. He also brought the Water from the same River into the Blachernæ, which is a Part of the Suburbs. The Tower was ruined by Isacius his Successor, in pure Resentment to his Memory. We are told by Procopius, that Justinian repaired the Church of Achatius, when injured by Time; that he placed white Marble Pillars round it, and that he paved and incrusted the Sides of it with the same kind of Marble, so that the whole Building was beautifully white. There were two Portico’s adjoyning to the Church, one which opening to the Forum, is encompassed with Pillars. This Passage is not inserted in the printed Edition of Procopius, which induced me the more to take Notice of it here. Cedrinus writes, that the Church of St. Achatius stood in a Place called the Heptascalum; others say, that it stood in the Scala; but no body at present knows where that Place was. However, if any one hereafter should have the Curiosity to enquire where this Church stood, I would advise him to take along with him the following Direction. Let him enquire where the great House stands, which Historians call the Carya, because there stands in the Area of it a Nut Tree, upon which, they tell you, that Achatius was put to Death, and upon that Occasion, that a Church was built in Memory of him, which some think, was situate in the Neorium, because they have seen it in some Authors, that the Image of St. Achatius, made with Glass Stones, and inlay’d with Gold, was placed in the Church of the Neorium. But the Person of whom this is spoke was another Achatius, who, not only, as many Historians, but as Suidas the Grammarian tells us, was Bishop of Constantinople in the Time of Leo Marcellus, but a Man of so proud and haughty a Spirit, that he commanded many of his Pictures to be placed in Churches, while he was yet alive, from whence he was called Doxomanes. The House of Placidia, I have observed before, stood in the first Ward, so that it may be questioned, whether it ought to be read Domus Placidiæ, or Placillæ, or Placidæ; for Agathius takes Notice of the Palaces of Placidæ or Placidi, in the following Inscription.

The learned Agathius upon a Picture in the Palace of Placidia, set up by the Gentlemen of the LONG ROBE, or new Chancery.

Beyond the Rocks called Scironides, Dionysius mentions a long Shore in a Plain of the third Valley, and the fourth Hill, which is looked upon as a remarkable Place for Fishing; for ’tis a very deep and a very still Water, which was antiently call’d Cycla, because the Greeks had formerly hemm’d in there the Barbarians. There is also in the same Place, an Altar dedicated to Minerva Dissipatoria, which was erected in Memory of that Action. Beyond Cycla is a Creek called Melias, another famous Place for Fishing, which is enclosed with several Rocks, and a Ridge of the Promontory hanging over the Sea. There is no Creek in this Valley at present. Time has filled it up, as we learn from Strabo, who writes, that this Creek was called Ceras, because it had many Inlets into the Shore in the Form of a Deer’s Horn, but there’s scarce any Appearance of them at present. Zosimus, who wrote his History in the Reign of Arcadius and Honorius, tells us, that Constantinople was then so crowded with Inhabitants, that the Emperors did not only enlarge the Walls beyond those of Constantine, but that they built upon Timber Foundations over the Sea. This Method of Building, ’tis probable, very much contributed in Time to incumber and stop up these Inlets of the Creek. At the End of the Creek called Melias, is a Place which goes by the Name of Κῆπος, because ’tis very good Garden Ground. Beyond the Garden is a Place named Aspasius; but of this I have spoken in my Treatise of the Bosporus.

BOOK IV