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MEDIEVAL HISTORY LIBRARY |
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CHAPTER I
CONSTANTINOPLE IN THE
SIXTH CENTURY
II. Topography
Having now traced the
growth of the city on the Golden Horn from its origin in the dawn of Grecian
history until its expansion into the capital of the greatest empire of the
past, I have reached the threshold of my actual task—to place before the reader
a picture of Constantinople at the beginning of the sixth century in its
topographical and sociological aspects. The literary materials, though
abundant, are in great part unreliable and are often devoid of information
which would be found in the most unpretentious guide-book of modern times. On
the other hand the monumental remains are unusually scanty, insignificant indeed
compared with those of Rome, and few cities, which have been continuously
occupied, have suffered so much during the lapse of a few centuries as
Constantinople. Political revolution has been less destructive than that of
religion, and Moslem fanaticism, much more than time or war, has achieved the
ruin of the Christian capital. On this ground, the same calamities which
Christianity inflicted on paganism in the fourth century, she suffered herself
at the hands of Islam in the fifteenth.
The modern visitor, who
approaches Constantinople, is at once impressed by the imposing vista of gilded
domes and minarets, which are the chief objective feature of the Ottoman
capital. It is scarcely necessary to say that in the sixth century the minaret,
uniquely characteristic as it is of a Mohammedan city, would be absent, but the
statement must also be extended to the dome, the most distinctive element in
Byzantine architecture, which at the date of my description scarcely yet
existed even in the conception of the builder. If we draw near from
the Sea of Marmora (the Propontis) at the time of this history, we shall
observe, extending by land and sea from the southernmost point, the same ranges
of lofty walls and towers, now falling into universal ruin, but then in a state
of perfect repair. Within appear numerous great houses and several tall columns
interspersed among a myriad of small red-roofed dwellings, densely packed; and
here and there the eye is caught by a gleam of gilded tiles from the roof of a
church or a palace. In order to inspect the defences on the land side, the
aspect of the city most strongly fortified, we must disembark near the
south-west corner of the Xerolophos, the locality now known as the Seven
Towers. Without the city, towards the west, the ground consists of flowery
meadows diversified by fruitgardens and by groves of cypress and plane trees.
Almost at the water’s edge is an imposing bastion, which from its circular form
is called the Cyclobion. Proceeding inland we shall not at this date find a
road winding over hill and dale from sea to sea as at the present day. Most of
the country is occupied by walled philopatia or pleasaunces in which
landscape gardening has been developed with considerable art, suburban
residences of the Byzantine aristocracy. In a grove about a mile from the
shore we come upon a certain well, which is regarded as sacred and frequented
by sufferers from various diseases on account of the healing virtue attributed
to its waters. Northwards the extramural district abutting on the
Golden Horn is called Blachernae from the chief of a Thracian tribe, which formerly
occupied this quarter. Here, contiguous to the wall, we may notice
a small summer palace on two floors, built of brick with rows of stone-framed,
arched windows, now undergoing restoration and extension by the Emperor Anastasius.
A few paces further on is a Christian chapel dedicated
to the Theotokos or Mother of God, founded by Pulcheria, the pious but
imperious sister of Theodosius II, and finally the maiden wife of the Emperor
Marcian. Hard by is a natural well, which from its interesting associations is
now beginning to ripen into sanctity.
The scheme of fortification consists of
three main defences: (1) a foss, (2) an outer wall with frequent towers, and
(3) an inner wall, similar, but of much greater proportions.
(1) Since the moat necessarily follows the
trend of the ground as it rises on either side from the beach to the dorsum of
the peninsula, this canal, instead of maintaining a uniform level, consists of
a number of sections divided by crosswalls, the distances between which are
determined by the exigences of ascent or descent. In its course it outlines the
contour of the walls, which advance on the peninsula from each end in the form
of a bow. The average width of this foss is about sixty, and its depth about
thirty feet. It is lined on both sides from the bottom with substantial stone
walls, but, whilst that on the outside only reaches the level of the ground,
the wall next the city, with a crenellated top, rises for several feet, so
as to convey the impression of a triple wall of defence. In peace time the
water is allowed to run low, but if an assault is apprehended the trench can be
quickly flooded by means of earthenware pipes concealed within the partition
walls. From these conduits the city also derives a secret supply of water not
likely to be tampered with by a besieging army.
(2) At a distance of about twenty yards
from the inner edge of the moat, rising to a height of nearly thirty feet, with
dentated parapets, stands the lesser wall. Towers of various
shapes, square, round, and octagonal, project from its external face at
intervals of about fifty yards. Each tower overtops the wall and
possesses small front and lateral windows, which overlook the level tract
stretching from the foss. High up in each tower is a floorway having an exit on
the intramural space behind, and they have also steps outside which lead to
the roof. The vacant interval between the walls is about fifty feet wide,
usually called the peribolos. It has been artificially raised to within
a few feet of the top of the wall by pouring into it the earth recovered in
excavating the moat. This is the special vantage-ground of the defenders of the
city during a siege: from hence mainly they launch their missiles against the
enemy or engage them in a hand-to-hand fight should they succeed in crossing
the moat and planting their scaling-ladders against the wall.
(3) Bounding the peribolos posteriorly lies the main landwall of
Constantinople, the great and indisputable work of Theodosius II. In
architectural configuration it is almost similar to the outer wall, but its
height is much greater, and its towers, placed so as to alternate with the
smaller ones in front, occupy more than four times as much ground. Built as
separate structures, but adherent to the wall behind, they rise above it and
project forwards into the interspace for more than half its breadth. Most of
the towers are square, but those of circular or octagonal shape are not
infrequent. In level places offering facilities for attack the wall has a
general height of seventy feet, but in less accessible situations, on rising
or rugged ground, it attains to little more than half that elevation. As in the
case of the outer defences, the wall and towers are crested by an
uninterrupted series of crenated battlements.
The towers are entered
from the city at the back, and within each one is a winding stone staircase
leading to the top. Here, sheltered by the parapet, there is room for sixty or
seventy men to assail an enemy with darts or engines of war. There is also a
lower floor from which a further body of soldiers can act on the offensive by means
of front and side windows or loopholes. At intervals certain of the towers have
an exit on the peribolos for the use of those militants who have their
station on that rampart. In time of peace these towers serve as guard-houses, and the
sentries are enjoined to maintain their vigilance by passing the word of each
successive hour from post to post during the night. The usual
thickness of this wall is about eight feet, but no regular rampart has been
prepared along the summit, the defensive value of such an area being superseded
by the peribolos. Hence the top, the
width of which is limited to less than five feet by the encroachment of the
parapet, has no systematic means of access from the ground or from the towers.
Hewn stone, worked in the vicinity, has been used for the construction of these
fortifications, and in some places close to the city the ground may be seen to
have been quarried into hills and hollows for
the supply of the builders.
At about every half mile of their length
these walls are pierced by main gateways for the passing to and fro of the
inhabitants. In these situations the inner wall is increased to more than
treble its ordinary thickness, and the passage is flanked by a pair of the
greater towers, which here approximate at much less than their usual distance.
The thoroughfare consists of a deep and lofty archway, which on occasion can be
closed by ponderous doors revolving on huge iron hinges. Opposite each gate the
moat is crossed by wooden drawbridges easily removable in case of a siege. The
most southerly entrance, being opposite the holy well, is called the Gate of
the Fountain; next comes the Gate of Rhegium, then that of St. Romanus,
fourthly the Charsios or oblique Gate, and lastly the Xylokerkos Gate—that of
the wooden circus. Between the third and fourth gates the moat is deficient and
the walls are tunnelled for the transit of the streamlet Lycus, which, though
almost dry in summer, swells to a considerable volume in winter. The second and
last portals bear metrical inscriptions, differing verbally, but each declaring
the fact that the Prefect, Cyrus Constantine, built the wall in two months. On
the second gate, that of Rhegium, the circumstance is recorded in a Latin
tristich as well as in a Greek distich.
Besides these popular
approaches there is another series of five gates, architecturally similar, but
designed only for military or strategic purposes. About intermediate in
position and in line with neither roads nor bridges, they are closed to the
general public and named merely in numerical succession from south to north.
Just above the third gate, that is, about half way between the Golden Hom and
the Propontis, the walls dip inwards for a distance of nearly one hundred
yards, forming a crescent or, as the Greeks call it, a Sigma.
The first strategic gate, first also of the
land-wall, being scarcely a furlong from the Propontis, offers a notable exception
to the constructive plainness of all the other entries. Intended only as a
state entry to the capital for the display of Imperial pomp, it has been built
and adorned with the object of rendering it the most splendid object in this
part of the city. A pair of massive towers, each one hundred feet high, advance
from a façade of equal altitude, which is traversed by three arched portals,
that in the centre being elevated to sixty feet. The whole is constructed in
white marble, and this chaste and imposing foundation is made resplendent by
the addition of gilded statues, bas-reliefs, and mouldings. From a central
pedestal above rises a figure of Victory with flowing draperies, her hand
extended offering a laurel crown. At her feet stands an equestrian statue of
Theodosius the Great, and from the extremity of each
tower springs the two-headed Byzantine eagle. Below, the surfaces of the
monument are ensculptured all round with mythological designs, among which we
may recognize Prometheus the Fire-giver, Pegasus, Endymion, the labours of
Hercules and many others. Corinthian columns of green-veined marble bound the
main portal, within which is erected a great cross. In the fore area are placed
a pair of marble elephants, recalling those used by Theodosius in his triumphal
procession after the defeat of Maximus of Gaul; and behind these his grandson,
the builder of the gate, has raised a column bearing a statue of himself.
Profusely gilded, this elaborate pile is popularly and officially known as the
Golden Gate.
To proceed with our
survey we may re-embark on the Propontis and skirt the promontory by water from
end to end of the land-wall, passing through the mouth of the Bosphorus between
Europe and Asia and finishing our circuit in the upper reaches of the Golden
Horn. The single south wall, rising from the brink of the sea, is similar to
that of Anthemius, and the towers exhibit the same diversity of form. Courses
of rough stones immersed in the water lie along its base and form a kind of
primitive breakwater, which saves its foundations from being sapped by the
waves in tempestuous weather. These are said to have been quarried from the
tops of the hills during the process of levelling the ground for the extension
of the city, and then, at the suggestion of Constantine, sent rolling down the
slopes until they became lodged in their present position.
Several gates in this
wall give access to the water, but they possess no architectural distinction.
Westerly is the Porta Psamathia or Sand-gate, so called because an area of new
ground has been formed here by silting up of sand outside the wall. Near the
opposite extremity is the Porta Ferrea or Iron-gate, thus designated from the
unstable beach having been guarded by rails of iron to enable it to sustain the
ponderous burdens imported by Constantine? Towards the centre of this shore is
situated the Gate of St. Aemilian, named from its proximity to a church sacred
to that martyr. More noticeable in this range of wall are the entrances to two
excavated harbours, each closed by a chain stretching between a pair of
containing towers. The first, at the foot of the Xerolophos, dates from the
time of Constantine, who called it the Port of Eleutherius after his master of
the works. Remade by Theodosius I, it has since been most commonly associated
with the name of that emperor. Paved at the bottom and surrounded by a stone
quay, it is about a Roman mile in circuit, and is divided centrally by a dike
into an inner and outer basin. More easterly is another similar but smaller
harbour, having only one basin, designated Port Julian from its Imperial
founder, but it is more often spoken of as the New Port. Owing, however, to the
exceptional suitability for shipping of the north side of the city, both these
harbours have gradually fallen into disuse and, becoming choked with sand, have
been looked on merely as fit receptacles for the rubble accumulated in clearing
building sites. But the Port of Julian is soon to be reopened, for, at the
direction of Anastasius, rotatory pumps have been fixed to empty it of its
water and dredging operations are in progress. To insure its continued patency
a mole is even in course of construction in the Propontis over against its
mouth.
Passing the Porta
Ferrea, as we begin to round the headland, a large mansion or palace comes
into view, substituted apparently for the wall in about fifty feet of its
length. Fronted along its base with slabs of white marble, the edifice presents
a lofty stone balcony overhanging the water, and opening on to it, a central
group of three rectangular windows or doors with jambs and lintels of
sculptured stone. Above, a row of seven nearly semicircular windows indicates
the uppermost floor of the building, which is known as the palace of the once
famous Persian refugee, Prince Hormisdas. On entering the Bosphorus
we arrive at a small but very ornate harbour formed on quite a different plan
from those previously seen. Curved piers of masonry, enriched with marbles,
extending from the land, inclose about an acre of water, which is approached
from the city by flights of white marble steps. On the intervening quay rests a
handsome group of statuary representing a lion and a bull in the agonies of a
death struggle. This is the exclusive port of the Imperial Palace, an important
segment of which adjoins the wall at this point. Both palace and harbour take
the name of Boukoleon from the piece of sculpture which so conspicuously marks
the site. Further on is a small entry leading to a chapel sacred to the
Theotokos, surnamed the Conductress, another foundation of the devout
Pulcheria. Here are preserved a portrait of the Virgin painted by St. Luke,
the swaddling-clothes of Jesus, and other recondite memorials of Gospel history
grafted by imposture on the credulity of the age. This Conductress, by virtue
of a holy fount, is credited with being able to point out the way for the blind
to receive their sight; and a retreat for the blind, therefore, has been
established on the spot.
As soon as we turn the
north-east point, which marks the beginning of the Golden Horn, we exchange the
inhospitable aspect of a fortified coast for a busy scene of maritime life. The
wall recedes gradually to some distance from the waterline and forms an
inconspicuous background to the impressive spectacle, which indicates the port
of entry of a vast city. In the course of over a mile the shore has been
fashioned into wharves from which three sets of stairs of ample width descend
to the water’s edge to facilitate the unloading of vessels. The first stair,
named from its constructor, is that of Timasius; next comes that of Chalcedon;
and lastly the stairs of Sycae, a region of the city on the opposite side of
the gulf. Alternating with the stairs are placed the entrances of two excavated
harbours: the Prosphorian Port for the landing of all kinds of imported
provisions, and the Neorian Port, used chiefly as a naval station and for
ship-building. The quays of the latter port, which are distinguished by the
brazen statue of an ox, are also habitually frequented by the merchants of
Constantinople, who make it their principal Exchange. Similarly the vacant
spaces about the Prosphorian Port are set apart for a cattle market.
The first issue from the
city on this side is called the Gate of Eugenius, and is situated in the
retreating portion of the wall. More remarkable is the Tower of Eugenius, called
also the Centenarian Tower, a massive pile closer to the bank, which
corresponds to a similar erection across the water. These structures are the
work of Constantine, who raised them to serve as the points of attachment of a
ponderous iron chain, which should close the Golden Horn against the attack of
a hostile fleet. So far, however, no enemy has been encountered so adventurous
as to necessitate the practical application of this means of defence.
Beyond the stairs of
Sycae the locality is called the Zeugma. This tract is reserved for the storage
of wood, which, coal being unknown, is the only fuel available for cooking,
heating of baths, and all other purposes. Immense quantities have, therefore,
to be brought down by sea from the wild countries bordering on the Euxine and deposited here for the use of the Constantinopolitans. At this point we
have reached the limits of the wall of Byzantium and henceforth to the end of
the land-wall at Blachernae this side of the city lies open to the water.
Deeming it improbable that the town should ever be assaulted from this
sequestered inlet, Constantine and his successors have omitted to fortify this
bank. Originally this shore was indented by a number of small creeks, but the
teeming population, overflowing into every available space, has now so crowded
the strand with houses that the outer rank, founded on piles, extends beyond
the water’s edge. In the further part of this district the stream becomes narrower,
and from a projecting point a wooden bridge has been thrown across to the
opposite shore. In its vicinity a brazen dragon commemorates or
suggests a legend of virgins ravished and devoured until the destruction of the
monster by St. Hypatius. A slight expansion of the Golden Horn at Blachernae is
called the Silver Bay.
Having inspected the
outside of Constantinople, it now remains for us to enter the city and pass in
review its principal streets, buildings, and open spaces, whence we shall be
led to make some acquaintance with the manners and customs of its inhabitants.
From the Gate of Eugenius we can proceed directly to the most aristocratic
quarter, where a majority of the public buildings are clustered round the
Imperial Palace. Inside we shall find that thoroughfares of three kinds
intersect the city for the purposes of general traffic: (1)main or business streets; (2) squares or market-places; and (3) lanes or
side-streets for private residents.
(1) A main street
consists of an open paved road, not more than fifteen feet wide, bounded on
each side by a colonnade or portico. More than fifty of such porticoes are in
existence at this date, so that a pedestrian can traverse almost the whole city
under shelter from sun or rain. Many of them have an upper floor, approached by
wooden or stone steps, which is used as an ambulacrum or promenade. They
are plentifully adorned with statuary of all kinds, especially above, and
amongst these presentments of the reigning emperor are not infrequent. The
latter may be seen in busts of brass and marble, in brazen masks, and even in
painted tablets. Such images are consecrated and are sometimes surreptitiously
adored by the populace with religious rites. They are also endowed
with the legal attribute of sanctuary, and slaves not uncommonly fly to them
for refuge as a protest against ill-treatment by their masters. Portraits of
popular actors, actresses, and charioteers may also be observed, but they are
liable to be torn down if posted close to the Imperial images or in any
position too reputable for their pretensions. On the inside the porticoes are
lined for the most part by shops and workshops. Opening on to them in certain
positions are public halls or auditoriums, architecturally decorative and
furnished with seats, where meetings can be held and professors can lecture to
classes on various topics. Between the pillars of the colonnades next the
thoroughfare we find stalls and tables for the sale of all kinds of wares. In
the finer parts of the city such stalls or booths must by law be ornamentally
constructed and encrusted outside with marbles so as not to mar the beauty of
the piazza. At the tables especially are seated the money-changers
or bankers, who lend money at usury, receive it at interest, and act generally
as the pawnbrokers of the capital. Such pleasant arcades have naturally become
the habitual resort of courtezans, and they are recognized as the legitimate
place of shelter for the houseless poor.
(2) The open spaces, to
which the Latin name of forum is applied more often than the Greek word agora, are expansions of the main streets, and, like them, are surrounded on all
sides by porticoes. They are not, however, very numerous and about a dozen will
comprise all that have been constructed within the capital. They originate in
the necessity of preserving portions of the ground unoccupied for use as
market-places, but the vacant area is always more or less decorative and
contains one or more monuments of ornament or utility. Each one is named
distinctively either from the nature of the traffic carried on therein or in
honour of its founder, and most of them will deserve special attention during
our itinerary of the city.
(3) The greater part of
the ground area of Constantinople is, of course, occupied by residential
streets, and these are usually, according to modern ideas, of quite preposterous
narrowness. Few of them are more than ten feet wide, and this scanty space is
still more contracted above by projecting floors and balconies. In many places
also the public way is encroached upon by solaria or sun-stages, that is
to say by balconies supported on pillars of wood or marble, and often furnished
with a flight of stairs leading to the pavement below. In such alleys low
windows, affording a view of the street, or facile to lean out of, are
considered unseemly by the inmates of opposite houses. Hence mere light-giving
apertures, placed six feet above the flooring, are the regular means of
illumination. Transparent glass is sometimes used for the closure of windows,
but more often we find thin plates of marble or alabaster with ornamental
designs figured on the translucent substance. Simple wooden shutters, however,
are seen commonly enough in houses of the poorer class.
Impatient to see the
immense vacant area which he added to Byzantium covered with houses Constantine
exercised little or no supervision over private builders; necessary
thoroughfares became more or less blocked, walls of public edifices were
appropriated as buttresses for hastily erected tenements, and the task of
evolving order out of the resulting chaos was imposed on succeeding rulers. On
Constantinople becoming the seat of empire, as a resident of the period
remarks, “such a multitude of people flocked hither from all parts, allured by
military or mercantile pursuits, that the citizens out of doors and even at
home are endangered by the unprecedented crush of men and animals”. In 447
Zeno, taking advantage of an extensive fire, promulgated a very stringent building act, contravention of which renders the
offending structure liable to demolition, and inflicts a fine of ten pounds of
gold on the owner. The architect also becomes liable in a similar amount, and
is even subjected to banishment if unable to pay. By this act, which remains
permanently in force throughout the Empire, the not very ample width of twelve
feet is fixed for private streets, solaria and balconies must be at
least ten feet distant from similar projections on the opposite side, and not
less than fifteen feet above the pavement; whilst stairs connecting them
directly with the thoroughfare are entirely abolished. Prospective windows also
are forbidden in streets narrower than the statutory allowance of twelve feet.
These enactments, however, too restricted in their practical application, have
done but little to relieve the congested thoroughfares. Thus, long afterwards,
another resident complains that every spot of ground is occupied by contiguous
dwellings to such an extent that “scarcely can an open space be discovered,
which affords a clear view of the sky without raising the eyes aloft.”
These by-streets, of which there are more
than four hundred in the capital, consist chiefly of houses suitable for
single families of the middle or lower classes. There are also, however, a
large number of dwellings for collective habitation, which cover a greater area
and rise by successive stories to an unusual height; but by law they are not
allowed to exceed an altitude of one hundred feet. When one side of such
buildings is situated next a portico the adjacent part of the ground floor is
usually fitted up as a range of shops.
Besides the ordinary domiciles, which
constitute the bulk of the city, there are the mansions or palaces of the
wealthy, situated in various choice and open positions throughout the town.
Such residences are generally two-storied, and have ornamental façades on which
sculptured pillars both above and below are conspicuous. The windows, arched or
rectangular, are divided by a central pilaster, and the roof, usually
slanting, is covered with wood or thin slabs of stone. Within, a lofty hall is
supported on tall columns surmounted by gilded capitals, and the walls are
inlaid with polished marbles of various colours and textures. Throughout the
house the principal apartments are similarly decorated, and even bedrooms are
not destitute of the columnar adornments so dear to luxurious Byzantines.
Ceilings are almost invariably fretted and liberally gilt. In houses of this
class a central court, contained by a colonnade, giving air and light to the
whole building, is considered a necessity. Much wealth is often expended in
order to give this space the appearance of a landscape in miniature. Trees
wave, fountains play, and artificial streams roll over counterfeited cliffs
into pools stocked with tame fish.
Within the gate of Eugenius we are on the
northern slopes of the first hill, whereon was placed the citadel of Byzantium.
Rounding it to the east we soon approach a tall Corinthian column of white
marble, bearing on its summit a statue of Byzas, a memorial of the victories
by land and sea of Venerianus or other Byzantine generals over the marauding
Goths about 266. “Fortune has returned to the city,” so runs the inscription on
the base, “since the Goths have been overcome.” But these events have now
passed into oblivion, and the vicinity is given up to low taverns, whilst in
the popular mind the monument is associated with the more signal exploits of Pompey
the Great in his Mithridatic wars. To the south of this pillar, and close to
the eastern wall, is situated the Imperial arsenal or Manganon, founded by
Constantine, a repertory of weapons of all descriptions, and of machines used
in the attack and defence of fortifications. It contains, besides, a military
library.
Passing the Cynegium, a
deserted amphitheatre of pre-Constantinian date, and a small theatre, we may
make the circuit of the first hill on the south side and enter the chief square
of the city. This area, the ancient market-place of Byzantium, is called the
Augusteum, that is the Imperial forum; and it forms a court to those edifices
which are particularly frequented by the Emperor. Around it are situated his
Palace, his church, his Senate-House, and a vast Circus or Hippodrome, where
the populace and their ruler are accustomed to meet face to face. Almost all
the public buildings at this date, which aspire to architectural beauty, are
constructed more or less exactly after the model of the classical Greek temple;
that is, they are oblong, and have at each end a pediment corresponding to the
extremities of a slanting roof. The eaves, projecting widely and supported on
pillars, form a portico round the body of the building, which, in the most
decorative examples, is excavated externally by a series of niches for the
reception of statues. The vestibule of the Palace, which opens on the southern
portico of the Augusteum, is a handsome pillared hall named Chalke, or the
Brazen House, from being roofed with tiles of gilded brass. An image of Christ,
devoutly placed over the brazen gates which close the entrance, dates back to
Constantine, but the remainder of the building has lately been restored by
Anastasius. This vestibule leads to several spacious chambers or courts which
are rather of an official than of a residential character. Amongst these most
room is given to the quarters of the Imperial guards, which are divided into
four companies called Scholars, Excubitors, Protectors, and Candidates
respectively. The latter are distinguished by wearing white robes when in
personal attendance on the Emperor. Here also we find a state prison, the Noumera,
a great banqueting hall, the Triclinium of Nineteen Couches, and a Consistorium
or Throne-room. Three porphyry steps at one end of this apartment lead to the
throne itself, which consists of an elaborately carved chair adorned with
ivory, jewels, and precious metals. It is placed beneath a silver ciborium, that is, a small dome raised on four pillars just sufficiently elevated to
permit of the occupant standing upright. The whole is ornamentally moulded, a
pair of silver eagles spread their wings on the top of the dome, and the
interior can be shut in by drawing rich curtains hung between the columns.
Beyond Chalke, the term
includes its dependencies, we enter a court,
colonnaded as usual, which leads on the right to a small church dedicated to
St. Stephen, the upper galleries of which overlook the Hippodrome. On the left, that is on the east of this court, is an octagonal
hall, the first chamber in a more secluded section of the palace called Daphne.
It derives its name from a notable statue of Daphne, so well known in Greek
fable as the maiden who withstood Apollo. On the domed roof of this second
vestibule stands a figure, representing the Fortune of the City, erected by
Constantine. The palace of Daphne contains the private reception rooms of the
Emperor and Empress, whose chief personal attendants
are a band of nobles entitled Silentiaries. The duty of these officers, amongst
whom Anastasius was included before his elevation to the purple, is to keep
order in the Imperial chambers. The terraces and balconies of Daphne, which
face the west, overlook the Hippodrome. Adjoining the Palace on the south is an
area fitted up as a private circus, which is used by members of the Court for
equestrian exercises.
Passing through Daphne
to the east we enter a further court, and find ourselves opposite a third
vestibule which, being of a semi-elliptical form, is
called the Sigma of the Palace. The division of the Imperial residence to which
this hall introduces us is specially the Sacred or “God-guarded” Palace, because
it contains the “sacred cubicle” or sleeping apartment of the Emperor. In this
quarter a numerous band of cubicularies or eunuchs of the bedchamber have
their principal station, controlled by the Praepositus of the sacred cubicle. Here
also are a crowd of vestiaries or dressers who are occupied with the royal
apparel, including females of various grades with similar titles for the
service of the Empress. At the eastern limit of the Palace stands the Pharos, a
beacon tower afterwards, if not now, the first of a series throughout Asia
Minor by which signals were flashed to and from the capital. The
Tzykanisterion, Imperial Gardens, large enough to be called a park, occupies a
great part of the south-eastern comer of the peninsula. It is surrounded, or
rather fortified, by substantial walls which join the sea walls of the city on
the east and south. The western section, which terminates on the south near the
palace of Hormisdas and Port Julian, is surmounted by a covered terrace named
the Gallery of Marcian, the emperor who caused it to be constructed. A detached
edifice within this inclosure, close to the Bucoleon Port, possesses
considerable historical interest. It is called the Porphyry Palace, and
Constantine is said to have enjoined on his successors that each empress at
her lying-in should occupy a chamber in this building. Hence the royal children
are distinguished by the epithet of Porphyrogeniti or “born in the purple.” The
edifice is square, and the roof rises to a point like a pyramid. The walls and
floors are covered with a rare species of speckled purple marble imported from
Rome. Hence its name. All parts of the Imperial palace
are profusely adorned with statues, some mythological, others historical,
representing rulers of the Empire, their families, or prominent statesmen and
generals. Chapels or oratories dedicated to various saints are attached to
every important section of the building.
The north side of the
Augusteum, opposite the vestibule of Chalke, is occupied by an oblong edifice
with an arched wooden roof, the basilica of St. Sophia, commonly called the
Great Church. The entrance faces the east, and leads from a cloistered
forecourt to a narrow hall, named the narthex, which extends across the
whole width of the church. The interior consists of a wide nave separated from
lateral aisles by rows of Corinthian columns, which support a gallery on each
side. At the end of the nave stands the pulpit or ambo, approached by a
double flight of steps, one on each side. Behind the ambo the body of the
church is divided from the Bema or chancel by a lofty carved screen,
decorated with figures of sacred personages, called later the Iconostasis or image-stand. Three doors in the Iconostasis lead to the Bema, which contains the altar, a table of costly construction enriched with gold and
gems, and covered by a large and handsome ciborium. The edifice is
terminated by an apse furnished with an elevated seat, which forms the throne of the
Patriarch or Archbishop of Constantinople. Light enters through mullioned
windows glared with plates of translucent marble. Every available space in the
church is adorned with statues to the number of several hundreds, the majority
of them representing pagan divinities and personifications of the celestial
signs. Among them is a nearly complete series of the Roman emperors, whilst
Helena, the mother of Constantine, appears thrice over in different materials,
porphyry, silver, and ivory. Close to St. Sophia on the north is the church of
St. Irene, one of the earliest buildings erected for Christian worship by
Constantine. It is usually called the Old Church. Between these two sacred
piles stands a charitable foundation, Sampson’s Hospital, practically a refuge
for incurables reduced by disease to a state of destitution. Yet a third place
of worship in this locality to the north-west of the Great Church may be mentioned,
Our Lady (Theotokos) of the Brassworkers, built in a tract previously devoted
to Jewish artisans of that class.
On the east side of the
Augusteum are situated two important public buildings, viz., the Senate-house,
and, to the south of it, a palatial hall, the grand triclinium of Magnaura. The
latter stands back some distance from the square in an open
space planted with trees,and consists of a pillared façade, from whence we pass into a vast
chamber supported on marble columns. It is the largest of the State reception
rooms, and is the established rendezvous of Imperial pageantry whenever it is
desirable to overawe the mind of foreign ambassadors.
Next to Chalke on the west is placed the
handsomest public bath in the city, that of Zeuxippus, the most ambitious work
of Severus during his efforts at restoration. It is compassed by ample
colonnades which are conjoined with those of the Palace, and are especially
notable for their wealth of statuary in bronze and marble, dating from the best
period of Grecian art. Within and without, in the palatial halls and chambers
encrusted with marble and mosaic work, and in the niches of the porticoes, are
to be found almost all the gods and goddesses, the poets, politicians, and
philosophers of Greece and Rome, as celebrated by the Coptic poet Christodorus
in a century of epigrams. Amongst these a draped full-length figure of Homer is
particularly admired: with his arms crossed upon his breast, his hair and beard
unkempt, his brows bent in deep thought, his eyes fixed and expressionless in
token of blindness, the bard is represented as he lived, absorbed in the
creation of some sublime epic. The bath, or institution, as it may properly be
called, is brilliantly illuminated during the dark hours of night and morning
on an improved system devised by the Praefect Cyrus Constantine.
On the west side of the
Augusteum the ground is chiefly taken up by a large covered bazaar, in which
dress fabrics of the most expensive kind, silks, and cloth of gold, are warehoused
for sale to the Byzantine aristocracy. It is known as the House of Lamps, on
account of the multitude of lights which are here ignited for the display of
the goods after nightfall. Close by is the Octagon, an edifice bordered by
eight porticoes. It contains a library and a lecture theatre, and is the
meeting-place of a faculty of erudite monks, who constitute a species of privy council frequently consulted by the Emperor.
Preferment to the highest ecclesiastical dignities is the recognized destiny of
its members. In the same vicinity is a basilica named the Royal Porch, wherein
is preserved a library founded by the Emperor Julian. Here principally judicial
causes are heard, and its colonnades have become the habitual resort of
advocates, who for the greater part of each day frequent the place in
expectation of, or consulting with, clients.
In the open area of the Augusteum we may
notice several important monuments. South of St. Sophia are two silver statues raised
on pedestals, one on the west representing the great Theodosius, and another on
the east opposite the Senate-house, a female figure in a trailing robe, the
Empress Eudoxia, wife of Arcadius. This is the famous statue round which the
populace used to dance and sing so as to disturb the church service in the time
of Chrysostom, whose invectives against the custom were deemed an insult by
the Court, and made the occasion of his deposition and banishment. Adjoining
is a third statue, that of Leo Macella, elevated by
means of a succession of steps, whereon popular suitors for Imperial justice
are wont to deposit their petitions. These are regularly collected and
submitted to the Emperor for his decision, whence the monument is called the
Pittakia or petition-stone. Near the same spot is a fountain known as the
Geranium. The most important structure, however, is the Golden Milestone or
Milion, situated in the southwest corner of the square. This is merely a
gilded column to mark the starting-point of the official measurement of
distances, which are registered systematically on mile-stones fixed along all the main
roads of the Empire. But, in order to signalize its position, a grand triumphal
arch, quadrilateral, with equal sides, and four entries, has been erected above
it. The arch is surmounted by figures of Constantine and his mother holding a
great cross between them. This group is of such magnitude that it is not
dwarfed by equestrian statues of Trajan and Hadrian, which are placed behind
it. Beneath the arch a flying group, representing the chariot of the Sun, drawn
by four flame-coloured horses, is elevated upon two lofty pillars.
The Hippodrome or Circus
commences near the Milion, whence it stretches southwards towards the sea and
terminates in the vicinity of the Sigma of Julian, a crescentic portico verging
on the harbour of that name. It is an artificially constructed racecourse
having an external length of about a quarter of a mile, and a breadth of nearly
half that distance. This elongated space, straight on the north and round at
the opposite end, is contained within a corniced wall decorated outside with
engaged Corinthian columns, thirty feet in height. Owing to the declivity of
the ground as it sinks towards the shore, the circular portion of the
architectural boundary is supported on arcades which gradually diminish in
altitude on each side as they approach the centre of the inclosure. Interiorly,
except at the straight end, a sloping series of marble benches runs
continuously round the arena, the level of which is maintained in the sphendom or rounded part by the vaulted substructions based on the incline of the hill.
The northern extremity is flanked by a pair of towers, between which, on the
ground level, lies the Manganon, offices for the accommodation of
horses, chariots, and charioteers. Above the Manganon is placed the Kathisma,
the name given to the seat occupied in state by the Emperor, when viewing the
races. It is situated in a covered balcony or lodge fronted by a low
balustrade, and is surrounded by an ample space for the reception of guards and
attendant courtiers. In advance of the Kathisma, but on a lower level, is a
square platform sustained by marble columns called the Stama, which is the
station of a company of Imperial guards with standard-bearers. Behind the Kathisma is a suite of retiring rooms, from whence a winding
staircase leads, by the gallery of St. Stephen’s chapel, to the colonnades of
Daphne. This is the royal route to the Circus. The whole of the edifice
superimposed on the Manganon is named the Palace of the Kathisma or of the
Hippodrome. A narrow terrace constructed in masonry, about three feet high,
extends along the centre of the arena equidistant from all parts of the peripheral
boundary. This Spine, as it was called in the old Roman nomenclature, but now
renamed the Euripus, serves to divide the track of departure from that of
return. It is adorned from end to end with a range of monuments of great
diversity. In the middle stands an Egyptian obelisk, inscribed with the usual
hieroglyphs, resting on four balls sustained in turn by a square pedestal. An
inscription at the bottom of the pedestal, illustrated by diagrams, exhibits
the engineering methods adopted under the great Theodosius for the erection of
the monolith on its present site; higher up elaborate sculptures show the Emperor
in his seat presiding at the games. Farther to the south is a still loftier
column of the same shape, covered with brass plates, called the Colossus. Intermediately is the brazen pillar,
ravished from the temple of Delphi, composed of the twisted bodies of three
serpents, whose heads formerly supported the golden tripod dedicated to Apollo
by the Grecian states in memory of the defeat of the Persians at Plateia. The
names of the subscribing communities can still be read engraved on the folds
of the snakes. Adjacent is a lofty pillar bearing the figure of a nymph with
flowing robes, who holds forth a mail-clad knight mounted on horseback with one
hand. Near the south end is a fountain or bath with a central statue, known as
the Phial of the Hippodrome. Contiguous is an aedicule raised on four pillars,
in which is displayed the laurelled bust of the reigning Emperor. Above the
obelisk, on a column, is a celebrated statue of Hercules Trihesperus by
Lysippus; the hero of colossal size, in a downcast mood seated on his lion’s
hide. There are also several pyramids in various positions along the Spine as
well as numerous figures of famous charioteers interspersed among the other
ornaments. To these are to be added the necessary furniture of the Spine of a
Roman Circus, viz., the narrow stages raised on a pair of pillars at each end,
the one supporting seven ovoid bodies, by the removal or replacing of which
the spectators at both extremities are enabled to see how many laps of the
course have been travelled over by the chariots; the other, seven dolphins,
ornamental waterspouts through which water is pumped into the Phial beneath. At
each end of the Euripus are the usual triple cones, figured with various
devices, the “goals” designed to make the turning-points of the arena
conspicuous. Over the Manganon, on each side external to the Kathisma, are a pair of gilded horses removed by Theodosius II from
the Isle of Chios. The Podium, or lower boundary of the marble benches, is
elevated about twelve feet above the floor of the arena by a columnar wall; at
the upper limit of these seats a level terrace or promenade is carried
completely round the Circus. This walk is crowded with statues in brass and
stone, many of them inscribed with their place of origin, from whence they have
been carried off. A number of them are deserving of special mention: a bronze
eagle with expanded pinions rending a viper with its talons, and engraved with
mystic symbols beneath the wings, said to have been erected by the
arch-charlatan or illusionist, Apollonius Tyaneus, as a charm against the
serpents which infested Byzantium; a group representing the semi-piscine
Scylla devouring the companions of Ulysses, who had been engulfed by Charybdis;
the figure of a eunuch named Plato, formerly a Grand Chamberlain, removed from
a church notwithstanding a prohibition cut on the breast: “May he who moves me
be strangled”; a man driving an ass, set up by Augustus at Actium in memory of
his having met, the night before that battle, a wayfarer thus engaged, who, on
being questioned, replied, “I am named Victor, my ass is Victoria, and I am
going to Caesar’s camp”; the infants Romulus and Remus with their foster-mother
the wolf; a Helen of the rarest beauty, her charms enhanced by the most
captivating dress and ornaments; a factitious basilisk crushing an asp between
its teeth; a hippopotamus, a man grappling with a lion, several sphinxes, a
well-known hunchback in a comic attitude, statues of emperors on foot and on
horseback, and various subjects from pagan mythology, the whole representing
the spoliation of more than a score of cities looted in time of peace at the
caprice of a despot. Four handsome arched gateways, two on each
side, with containing towers, give the public access to the interior of the
Hippodrome. That on the south-east is named the Gate of the Dead, a term which
originated at the time when a special entry was reserved for removing the
bodies of those slain in the fatal, but now obsolete, combats of gladiators.
The Sphendone, however, is now frequently used for the execution of offenders
of rank, not always criminal, and this portal has still, therefore, some
practical right to its name. When necessary, the Circus can be covered with an
awning as a protection against the sun or bad weather.
From the western arch of
the Milion we enter the Mese, that is, the Middle,
Main, or High Street of the city, which traverses the whole town from east to
west with a southerly inclination between the Augusteum and the Golden Gate. It
is bounded in almost all of its course by porticoes
said to have been constructed by Eubulus, one of the wealthy Romans who were
induced to migrate by Constantine. The same patrician gifted the city with two
other colonnades which extend for a considerable distance along the eastern
portion of the north and south shores. The Mese proceeds at first between the
north of the Hippodrome and the Judicial or Royal Basilica with the adjacent
buildings already mentioned. Contiguous to the Royal Porch is a life-size
statue of an elephant with his keeper, erected by Severus to commemorate the
fact that the animal had killed a money-changer, who was afterwards proved
dishonest, to avenge the death of his master. Near the western flank of the
Circus is the Palace of Lausus, said to be one of those reared by Constantine
to allure some of the Roman magnates to reside permanently in his new capital.
Subsequently, however, it was transformed into an inn for the public
entertainment of strangers. In its vestibule and galleries were collected many
gems of Grecian statuary, but most of these have been destroyed by the great
fire which raged in this quarter under Zeno. Amongst them were the celebrated
Venus of Cnidos in white marble, a nude work of Praxiteles; the Lindian Athene
in smaragdite; the Samian Hera of Lysippus; a chryselephantine, or ivory and
gold statue of Zeus by Phidias, which Pericles placed in the temple at Olympia;
an allegorical figure of Time by Lysippus, having hair on the frontal part of
the head, but with the back bald; and also many figures of animals, including
a cameleopard.
Proceeding onwards for
about a quarter of a mile we pass on our right the Argyropratia, that is, the
abode of the silversmiths, and arrive at the Forum of Constantine, which
presents itself as an expansion of the Mese. This open space, the most signal
ornament of Constantinople, is called prescriptively the Forum; and sometimes,
from its finished marble floor, “The Pavement.” Two lofty arches of white
Proconnesian marble, opposed to each other from east to west, are connected by
curvilinear porticoes so as to inclose a circular area. From its centre rises a
tall porphyry column bound at intervals with brazen laurel wreaths. This pillar
is surmounted by a figure of Constantine with the attributes of the Sun-god,
his head resplendent with a halo of gilded rays. The mystic Trojan Palladium,
furtively abstracted from Rome, is buried beneath the monument, on the base of
which an inscription piously invokes Christ to become the guardian of the city.
The sculptural decorations of this Forum are very numerous: the Fortune of the
City, called Anthusa, was originally set up here, and adored with bloodless
sacrifices; a pair of great crosses inscribed with words of the Creed and
Doxology are erected on opposite sides; Constantine with his mother Helena, and
a pair of winged angels form a group about the one, whilst the sons of the same
emperor surround the other. Here also may be seen Athene, her neck encircled by
snakes emanating from the Gorgon’s head fixed in her aegis; Amphitrite
distinguished by a crown of crab’s claws; a dozen statues of porphyry ranged in
one portico, and an equal number of gilded sirens or seahorses in the other;
and lastly the bronze gates bestowed by Trajan on the temple of Diana at
Ephesus, embossed with a series of subjects illustrating the theogonies of
Greece and Rome. These latter adorn the entrance to the original Senate-house
which is situated on the south side of the Forum.
If we diverge from the
Mese slightly to the north-east of the Pavement, we shall enter a large square
named the Strategium, from its forming a parade-ground to the barracks of the
Palatine troops. Amongst several monuments a Theban obelisk conspicuously
occupies the middle place, but the most striking object is an
equestrian figure of Constantine with the pillar alongside it by which
Constantinople is officially declared to be a second Rome. This locality is
associated in historic tradition with Alexander the Great, of whom it contains
a commemorative statue. From hence he is said to have started on his expedition
against Darius after holding a final review of his forces. On this account it
was chosen by Severus as a permanent site for military quarters. The public
prison is also located in this square.
Continuing our way
beneath the piazzas of the Mese beyond the Forum of Constantine we reach the
district known as the Artopolia or public bakeries which lie to the north of
the main street. A strange group of statuary, allegorizing the fecundity of
nature, is collocated in this region, viz., a many-headed figure in which the
faces of a dozen animals are seen in conjunction; amongst them are those of a
lion, an eagle, a peacock, a ram, a bull, a crow, a mouse, a hare, a cat, and a
weasel. This eccentric presentment is flanked by a pair of marble Gorgons.
Adjacent we may also observe a paved area in which a cross stands conspicuously
on a pillar, another record of the hybrid piety of Constantine.
Farther on by a couple
of furlongs is the great square of Taurus, also called the Forum of Theodosius,
through its being specially devoted to memorials of that prince. It covers an oblong space, extending from level ground on the south up the
slope of the third hill, the summit of which it includes in its northern limit.
This eminence, in accordance with the conception of making Constantinople a
counterpart of Rome, is called the Capitol, and is occupied by an equivalent of
the Tabularium, that is, by a building which contains the Imperial archives.
Similarly, this site has been chosen for an edifice composed of halls and a
lecture-theatre assigned to a faculty of thirty professors appointed by
government to direct the liberal studies of the youth of the capital—in short,
for the University, as we may call it, of Constantinople. The principal
monument in Taurus is the column of Theodosius I, the sculptural shaft of which
illustrates in an ascending spiral the Gothic victories of that Emperor. But
the equestrian statue which originally crowned this pictured record of his
achievements, having been overthrown by an earthquake, has lately been replaced
by a figure of the unwarlike Anastasius. To the north of this column, on a
tetrapyle or duplex arch, Theodosius the Less presides over the titular Forum
of his grandfather. But in the fading memory of the populace the figure of this
Emperor is already confounded with a horseman said to have been abstracted from
Antioch, whom some imagine to be Jesus Nava, and others Bellerophon. Facing
each other from east to west on opposite sides of the square are arches
supporting figures of those degenerate representatives of the Theodosian
dynasty, Arcadius and Honorius. To the western of these arches we may observe
that an assortment of troublesome insects, counterfeited in brass, have been
carefully affixed—another charm of Apollonius Tyaneus intended to protect the
inhabitants against such diminutive pests. In this vicinity is also a palace,
built by Constantine, in which strangers from all parts are hospitably
entertained without expense or question.
From the west side of
Taurus we may perceive the great aqueduct of Valens, which crosses the third
valley, and is here conjoined with the chief Nymphaeum, a decorative
public hall built around a fountain. Several of these Nymphaea exist in
the city, and they are often made use of for private entertainments,
especially nuptial festivals, by citizens who have not sufficient space for
such purposes in their own homes. The water supply of the town is
under the care of a special Consul, and very stringent laws are in force to
prevent waste or injury to the structures necessary for its storage and distribution.
With the exception, however, of that of Valens, aerial aqueducts (so
conspicuous at Rome) have not been carried near to, or within, the walls of
Constantinople; and subterranean pipes of lead or earthenware are the usual
means of conveying the precious liquid from place to place. The public cisterns are in themselves a
striking architectural feature of the city. Some of these are open basins, but
many of them possess vaulted roofs, upborne by hundreds of columns whose
capitals are sculptured in the varied styles of Byzantine art. Most of these
receptacles for water are distinguished by special names; thus, beneath the
Sphendone of the Hippodrome, we have the Cold cistern, and near to the palace
or hospice of Lausus the Philoxenus, or Travellers’ Friend. By a law of
Theodosius II, the wharf dues, paid for the use of the various stairs on the
Golden Horn, are applied to the repair of the aqueducts, the supply of water
from which is free to the public. In connection with the cisterns a
group of three storks in white marble is pointed out as a further result of the
fruitful visit of Apollonius Tyaneus to Byzantium; owing to the district
becoming infested by serpents, flocks of these birds were attracted hither, and
caused a terrible nuisance through having contracted a habit of casting the
dead bodies of the reptiles into the water reservoirs; but the erection of this
monument speedily achieved their perpetual banishment from the city.
If we step aside a short
distance from Taurus, both on the north and south sides, we shall in each case
come upon an interesting monument. 1. On the far side of the Capitol,
overlooking the Zeugma, on a marble pillar, is a noted statue of Venus, which
marks the site of the only lupanar permitted by Constantine to exist in
his new capital. Around, each secluded within its curtained lattice, are a
series of bowers consecrated to the illicit, or rather mercenary, amours of the
town. The goddess, however, who presides here is
credited with a remarkable leaning towards chastity; for, it is believed, that
if a wife or maid suspected of incontinence be brought to this statue, instead
of denying her guilt, she will by an irresistible impulse cast off her garments
so as to give an ocular proof of her shamelessness. 2. To the south, elevated
on four pillars, is a lofty pyramid of bronze, the apex of which sustains a
female figure pivoted so as to turn with every breath of wind. The surfaces of
the pyramid are decorated with a set of much admired bas-reliefs; on one side a
sylvan scene peopled with birds depicted in flight or song; on another a
pastoral idyl representing shepherds piping to their flocks, whilst the lambs
are seen gambolling over the green; again, a marine view with fishers casting
their nets amid shoals of fish startled and darting in all directions; lastly,
a mimic battle in which mirthful bands of Cupids assault each other with apples
and pomegranates. This elaborate vane, which is visible over a wide area, is
known as the Anemodulion, or Slave of the Winds.
Beyond Taurus the Mese
leads us to the Philadelphium, a spot dedicated to brotherly love and
embellished by a group representing the three sons of Constantine in an
affectionate attitude. The monument commemorates the last meeting of these
noble youths, who, on hearing of the death of their father, encountered each
other here prior to assuming the government of their respective divisions of
the Empire. Opposite is another group of the same princes, who ultimately
destroyed each other, erected by Constantine himself with the usual
accompaniment of a large gilt cross. A few paces
farther on, our route is again interrupted by a square, the entrance to which
is marked by a Tetrapyle, or arch of four portals, executed in brass. Above the
first gateway is affixed a significant symbol, namely, a modius or measure for
wheat standing between a pair of severed hands. It records the punishment by
Valentinian I of an unjust dealer who ignored his law that corn should be sold
to the people with the measure heaped up to overflowing. The Forum on which
the Tetrapyle opens is called the Amastrianum, perhaps from a wanderer
belonging to Amastris in Paphlagonia, who was found dead on this spot. It is
the usual place of public execution for the lower classes, whether capital or
by mutilation. This square, which is close to the streamlet Lycus, is no
exception to the rule that such open spaces should be crowded with statues.
Among them we may notice the Sun-god in a marble chariot, a reclining
Hercules, shells with birds resting on the rim, and nearly a score of dragons.
Yet two more open spaces
on the Mese arrest our progress as we proceed to the Golden Gate. The first is
the Forum of the Ox, which contains a colossal quadruped of that species
brought hither from Pergamus. This is in reality a brazen furnace for the
combustion of malefactors condemned to perish by fire, and has the credit of
having given some martyrs to the Church, especially under the Emperor Julian. Farther
on is the last square we shall find it necessary to view, the Forum of
Arcadius, founded by that prince. Its distinguishing monument is a column
similar in every way to that in Taurus, but the silver statue which surmounts
it is the figure of Arcadius himself. We are now on the top of the Xerolophos,
and the colonnades which lead hence to the walls of Theodosius are named the Porticus
Troadenses. But about halfway to the present Imperial portal we pass
through the original Golden Gate, a landmark which has been spared in the
course of the old walls of Constantine. The extensive tract added by Theodosius
II to the interior of the city was formerly the camping ground of the seven
bodies of Gothic auxiliaries, and for that reason was divided into seven
districts, denoted numerically from south to north. The whole of this quarter
is now spoken of as the Exokionion, that is, the region outside the
Pillar, in allusion to a well-known statue of Constantine which marks the
border. But, in order to particularize the smaller areas of this
quarter, some of the numbers are still found indispensable, and we often hear
of the Deuteron, Triton, Pempton, and Hebdomon. Adjacent to the Golden Gate is
situated the great monastery of St. John Studii, which maintains a thousand
monks.
On entering the Exokionion the Mese gives off a branch thoroughfare which leads to the Gate of the
Fountain, skirting on its way the church of St. Mocius, a place of worship
granted to the Arians by Theodosius I when he established the Nicene faith at
Constantinople. By this route also we arrive at a portico which adorns the
interior of the mural Sigma, and contains a monument to Theodosius II erected
by his Grand Chamberlain, the infamous eunuch Chrysaphius.
If we now retrace our
steps to the Philadelphium and diverge thence from the Mese in a
north-westerly direction, we shall soon reach the church of the Holy Apostles,
the most imposing of the Christian edifices founded by Constantine. It is
contained within an open court surrounded by cloisters, on which give the
numerous offices required for the guardians of the sacred precincts. This
church is one of the first of those constructed in the form of a cross. Outside
it is covered with variegated marbles, and the roof is composed of tiles of
gilded brass. The interior is elaborately decorated with a panelled ceiling and
walls invested with trellis-work of an intricate pattern, the whole being
profusely gilded. Cenotaphs ranged in order are consecrated to the honour and
glory of the Twelve Apostles, and in the midst of these is a porphyry
sarcophagus wherein repose the remains of Constantine
himself and his mother. The building is in fact a heroon or
mausoleum designed to perpetuate the fulminating flattery of the period by
which Constantine was declared to be the “equal of the Apostles.” Subsequently,
however, this religious pile was adopted as the customary place of interment of
the Imperial families, and many tombs of royal personages are now to be seen
scattered around. Amongst them lie the sons of Constantine, Theodosius I and
II, Arcadius, Marcian, Pulcheria, Leo I, and Zeno. On leaving this spot, if we
turn to the south for a short distance, we shall be enabled to examine a tall
column with a heavy capital elaborately sculptured in a Byzantino-Corinthian
style. An inscription on the pedestal testifies to its having been erected by
the Praefect Tatian to the memory of the Emperor Marcian.
The region of Sycae, built m the steep slope of the hill which rises almost from the water’s edge to the north of the Golden Horn, is considered to be an integral part of the city. It is particularly associated with the brother of Arcadius, the enervated Honorius, who ruled the Western Empire for more than thirty years, an effigy rather than the reality of a king. Thus the Forum of Honorius constitutes its marketplace, and its public baths are also distinguished by the name of the same prince. It possesses, moreover, a dock and a church with gilded tiles, and is fortified in the usual way by a wall with towers.
One remarkable feature
of the city, to be encountered by the visitor at every turn, is an elevated
shed which can be approached on all sides by ranges of steps. These “Steps”,
as they are briefly called, are stations for the gratuitous daily distribution
of provisions to the poorer citizens. Every morning a concourse of the
populace repairs to the Step attached to their district, and each person, on
presenting a wooden tessera or ticket, inscribed with certain amounts,
receives a supply of bread, and also a dole of oil, wine, and flesh. More than
six score of such stations are scattered throughout the town, and the
necessary corn is stored in large granaries which are for the most part
replenished by ships arriving every season from Alexandria. More than twenty
public bakeries furnish daily the required demand of bread. Besides
free grants of food and houses for the entertainment of strangers, the city
contains various other charities under the direction of state officials, the
chief of which are hospitals for the sick and aged, orphanages, poor-houses,
and institutions for the reception of foundlings. A medical officer, entitled
an arch-physician, with a public stipend, is attached to each parish to attend
gratuitously to the poor.
The civic authorities
are well aware that disease arises from putrid effluvia, and hence an elaborate
system of deep drainage has been constructed so that all sewage is carried by
multiple channels into the sea. Since the introduction of Christianity,
cremation has become obsolete, and burial in the earth is universally
practised. Public cemeteries, however, are not allowed within the walls, but
churches and monasteries are permitted to devote a portion of their precincts
to the purpose of interment. Such limited space is necessarily reserved for
members of the hierarchy and persons of a certain rank, who have been
beneficiaries of the church or order.
We may here terminate our exploration of the topography of Constantinople, content to leave a multitude of objects, both interesting and important, beyond the limits of our survey. Were I to attempt the description of everything worthy of notice in the city, my exposition would soon resemble the catalogue of a museum, and the reader’s attention would expire under the sense of interminable enumerations. Our picture has been filled in with sufficient detail to convey the impression of a vast capital laid out in colonnaded squares and streets, to the adornment of which all that Grecian art could evolve in architecture and statuary has been applied with a lavishness attainable only by the fiat of a wide-ruling despot.
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