Gilles Pierre
The Antiquities of Constantinople
Chap. II.
Of the Church of the Apostles, the Sepulchre of Constantine the Great, the Cistern of Arcadius and Modestus, of the Palace of Placilla, and the Brazen Bull
’TIS attested by Eusebius, That Constantine the Great built the Church of the Apostles to a great Heighth, that he incrusted it with all Sorts of variegated Marble, which cast a beautiful Lustre from Top to Bottom; that he adorn’d it with small gilded Roofs, and cover’d it with Plates of Brass deeply gilt, which cast a blazing Reflexion to a great Distance. The upper Part of this venerable Structure, was curiously wrought all round it with Brass and Gold, and was enlightned with Abundance of Lattices and Windows. Round the Church there was a fine Court lying open to the Air. The Portico’s which enclos’d it, stood in a Quadrangular Manner. Near the Portico’s stood the Palace, the Bagnio’s, the Cloysters, and many other Houses and Buildings belonging to the Ecclesiasticks, and other Ministers of the Church. These bountiful Benefactions has the pious Emperor handed down to Posterity in Memory of the Apostles of the blessed Saviour of Mankind, to whom also he consecrated twelve Purses of Gold. The Coffin in which he intended to be buried after he was dead, was plac’d by his Order in the Body of the Church, and guarded with the twelve Apostles in Effigy. ’Tis added by Socrates, that the Body of Constantine lying in a golden Coffin, was brought into the City by his intimate Friends, and buried in the Church of the Apostles. I am inclin’d to believe, that Zonaras never read Eusebius, when he tells us, that ’twas buried in the Cloyster of the Church of the Apostles, which, he says, was built by Constantius for the Interrment of his Father. Near the broad Way which stretches itself along the Top of the Promontory, from the Church of St. Sophia, to the Gate of Adrianople, (hard by the Place where stood the Church of the Apostles,) there is shewn to this Day, a Coffin made of Porphyry Marble, empty; and without a Cover, ten Foot long, and five Foot and a half broad, which the Greeks and Turks say, was the Coffin of Constantine the Great; but I cannot vouch for the Truth of it: Yet the Authorities of Socrates and Eusebius seem to be somewhat doubtful, who tell us, that he was buried in a golden Coffin, unless perhaps the golden Coffin was inclos’d in that of the Porphyry Marble. Zonaras is of Opinion, that Theodora, the Wife of Justinian, built the Church of the Apostles; and adds, that there was anciently in the same Place a Church of the Apostles, but much Inferior in Beauty and Magnificence to that which stands at present, on the same Ground. Procopius says, that there had been for some Ages, a Church at Constantinople which was much impair’d by Time, and likely to fall, which Justinian order’d to be taken down, rebuilt, and enlarg’d, and made in the Figure of a Cross, the Body of the Church pointing East, and West, and the Part crossing it, North, and South. This Church is well wall’d, and adorn’d within with Ranges of Pillars standing one above another: Evagrius therefore seems to be mistaken, in attributing the Building of this Church to Justinian, when it is evident it was built by Constantine the Great; and Procopius too grosly flatters Justinian in ascribing to him the Building of many fine Structures, whereas, in reality, he only repair’d them when they were old, or rebuilt them when fall’n too much to decay, or destroy’d by Fire. There’s nothing remaining of this Church at present, no, not even of its Foundation. You see only the Ruines of an old Cistern, which supply’d the Church, and the Clergy with Water. There are now standing upon the same Spot of Ground about two hundred Sadlers Shops, and Work-houses, where they make and sell not only all kinds of Horse-Geer, but also Leathern Bucketts, Quivers, and Trunks. A little above this Cistern, stands a Mosque, with a Caravansera adjoining to it, situate on a Plain, which was built with square Stone, after the Form of the Church of St. Sophia, out of the Ruins and Sacrilege of the Church of the Apostles, and other Christian Churches by Mahomet, who took the City. The Roof is of a Semicircular Figure, made of Brick-Work, and cover’d with Lead, as are all the publick Buildings of the Turks. ’Tis beautify’d with a very elegant square Porch as broad as the Church itself, pav’d with the finest Marble, and adorn’d with square Portico’s. The Arches of them, which bear up the Roof, are supported with very large Pillars of Marble, curiously variegated. In the Middle of it is a Fountain with nine Pipes, whose Waters fall into a great Bason. Round the Mosque is a spacious Court, Part of which is enclos’d with Walls, and Part with long kind of Houses, some of which are inhabited by their Priests, and School-Masters. In the Eastern Part of this Court there’s a Garden, in the Middle of which stands the Sepulchre of Mahomet, built in a Cylindric Form of the whitest Marble. ’Tis covered with Lead, lighted with Windows, and has a Door of Entrance into it. In the Middle of this Structure is the Coffin of Mahomet, cover’d with Velvet, placed on the Ground on a rich Carpet. The Ground is wholly covered with the most costly Carpets, where the Priests continually sit, and guard the Body Night and Day. A little without the Court are several large Caravansera’s, built also with square Stone, which have Court-yards in the Middle of them, and Portico’s surrounded with Marble Pillars. These Caravansera’s have large Gardens adjoyning to them. In short, this Mosque, with the adjacent Buildings round the Court, with the Caravansera’s and Gardens, take up a Space of Ground six Furlongs in Compass. Mahomet, the same Emperor, built in this Place, where had formerly been the Old Cistern of Arcadius, or Modestus, the largest Bagnio’s in all the City. These Baths were of two Kinds, some for Men, and some for Women. They adjoin to each other, but have different Entries without any Passage out of one into the other. I shall only describe the Mens Baths; because the Womens are like them. The first Place you enter is the Room where they undress. From hence you pass into the hot, and from thence into the cold Bath. They all stand in one Range, and are only separated by Walls from each other. The Room where they undress is a square Structure, built of square Stone up to the Roof, which is arch’d and built with Brick; the Inside of which, measuring two hundred and fifty eight Foot in compass, is surrounded with an Ascent of Stone, above six Foot broad, and three Foot high. The Wall of this Room, from the Pavement to the Bottom of the arch’d Roof is thirty seven Foot high. In the Middle of the Floor, which is pav’d with Marble, there’s a large Marble Bason, which is thirty seven Foot in compass, and three Foot deep, which is always supply’d from a Fountain of Spring Water. There are two Doors out of the stripping Room into the hot Bath. This Apartment is a hundred Foot in compass in the Inside of it, and is supported with four Arches, which bear up a Dome at the Top. It contains eight Cells or bathing Rooms; one of which, not above half so large as the rest, has some Privies behind it, which are cleans’d by an Efflux of all the Waters which are turn’d out of the Bath. Six of these Cells have, each of them, a bathing Cistern, and are built in such a Manner, that two of these Arches hang each of them over one bathing Room; from whence you may pass, on the Right and on the Left, into another. The Cells under the other two Arches are so form’d, that that Arch which is nearest the Doors which lead out of the stripping Room into the hot Bath, hangs over a very large bathing Room. ’Tis pav’d with Marble, and the Turks wash their Linen in this Place. A plain Wall arch’d at top parts the hot from the cold Bath. In the Middle of the hot Bath there is a Bason with a Fountain playing. There is but one Door which leads out of the hot into the cold Bath. This Apartment has eight Arches which support its Dome, and contains eight bathing Places, which project beyond the Sphere of its Dome, and encircle the whole Bagnio, which is about ninety Foot in compass. The whole Pavement of it is lay’d with Marble, and in the Middle of it is built an Ascent in the Form of an Octagon, which is fifty seven Foot, and nine Inches in Circumference, and two Foot and four Digits high. Round the Octagon there runs a Channel of Water, which is of the same Depth with the Height of the Octagon. The four inward bathing Rooms are situate in four Angles, and are each of them every Way eleven Foot and three Digits broad, and these are call’d the Hot-Houses or Sweating-Bagnio’s. The Dimension of the two Bathing Rooms, which are situate without the two Arches, is the same. The other six Bathing Rooms are of a Semicircular Figure, and stand under six Arches within the Circle of the Dome of the hot Bath. At the Bottom of the Pillars which support the Arches, they are eleven Foot in length, and five Foot nine Inches in breadth. Every one of these Bathing Rooms has a Marble Cistern wherein they bath; and in one of them above the rest, there is erected a stately Marble Throne. There are no Lights in the Walls either of the hot or cold Baths, tho’ the Domes of them are wholly illuminated with Glass-Windows. The Stoke-Hole, which is two Foot and a half in compass, and of the same height, is built without the Baths. They keep a constant Fire in it, which heats a Brazen Vessel, whence it emits its warm Steams thro’ Pipes laid in a strait, and an oblique Manner, by that means heating the Bottom of the Cisterns in which they bath. There is a Rivulet in a Field of the Suburbs, about six Foot in breadth, which runs near the Stoke-Hole. There are Pipes laid in this Brook, which convey the Water thro’ the Walls of these Baths into all Parts of them. One of these Pipes which passes thro’ a heated Earthen Vessel, upon turning a Cock, supplies the Cisterns with hot Water; the other Pipe which rises higher, upon the turning of an other Cock, tempers the hot Water according to the Pleasure of the Person who baths in it. But I shall treat of the Use of Bathing, and the Way of building Bagnio’s among the Turks in another Place. I return now to the eleventh Ward, which Procopius takes Notice of, when he tells us, that Theodora the Consort of Justinian address’d herself to him in the following Manner: We have, may it please your Imperial Majesty, other Palaces still remaining, which are call’d the Palaces of Helena, as we have also those of Placilla, the Wife of Theodosius the Great. For as Justinus honour’d his Empress with several noble Palaces, which, after her own Name, were call’d the Palaces of Sophia, so it is highly probable that Theodosius did Placilla the same Honour in building a Palace for her, which was call’d the Palace of Placilla. I am induc’d to believe this, because he passionately lov’d her, and by Reason of that strong Resentment he bore to the People of Antioch, whom he subjected to the Dominion of the Laodenses, for demolishing the Statues of Placilla, plac’d in his own Forum, because he lay’d an additional Tribute upon them. This Palace may not improperly be call’d also the Palace of Flacilla, of whom Claudian speaks in the following Lines:
’Tis Spain alone, subject to potent Rome,
Which pays her Tribute in her Emperours.
Provision, Taxes, and Confederate Bands
Rome by her Arms in ev’ry Nation raises,
Which bows its Head to her superiour Greatness.
Spain only furnishes a Race of Princes,
Wise, Bold, and Warlike, form’d for Empire,
And fit to rule the Mistress of the World.
Nor pleas’d alone to send her valiant Sons,
Unless a second Offering she made,
Of princely Mothers, noble Empresses,
Flacilla, Maria, pious, humble, good;
And fair Serena, full of blooming Charms.
The Brazen Bull was plac’d in the eleventh Ward. In what Part of that Ward it was plac’d might easily be conjectur’d from a large Cistern, which, the modern Historians write, was built near it by Nicetas an Eunuch, in the Reign of the Emperor Theophilus, if that Cistern was now in being. If the Bull itself was remaining, or the Forum where it stood, I had heard something of it. Tzetzes in his History writes, that the Forum Bovis was so call’d from the Brazen Bull. This Bull is more particularly describ’d by Zonaras, who says, that the Body of the unhappy Tyrant Phocas was burnt at a Place call’d Bos, where there was a Stove, or Fire-Place set up in the Form of a Bull, which was brought from Troy. Cedrinus relates, that Antypas the Martyr was burnt to Death in this Bull. It is a plain Instance of the Cruelty and Tyranny of some of the Emperors of Constantinople, that they us’d to punish Malefactors with a Death so tormenting. The like Example of Barbarity we have in Perillus, or rather Perilaus, a Brazier of Attica, who made a Brazen Bull for the Execution of Phalaris, but first suffer’d in it himself. This Piece of Workmanship, says Pliny, was preserv’d a long Time, that those, who saw it, might curse the Hand that made it. I am more inclin’d to believe, that this Bull was brought from Sicily, or Italy. I enquir’d after it, but could hear nothing of it, altho’ the Inhabitants are not ignorant, that there was formerly such a Bull at Constantinople, and are us’d to boast of a Prophecy, which has been handed down to them from their Ancestors, concerning such a Bull, and lastly, altho’ they believe their own Interpretation of it to be more agreeable to Truth than that of Tzetzes, who explain’d it above three hundred and seventy Years ago in the following Manner. There was a mighty Talk of a Prophecy at Constantinople some Time ago, which run in these Words: Βοῦς βοήσει τε, καὶ Ταῦρος δὲ θρηνήσει, Bos mugiet, Taurus lugebit. The People conjectur’d from hence, says he, that great Calamities should befall the City, that they should be perplex’d with amazing Fears, that an innumerable Army of Germans, and other Nations, should come against the Town; and that they should be all terrify’d and affrighted with strange Dreams, by Reason of the Plundering and Destruction of their City. Upon which, the Wife of the Grand Hetæriarch being in great Consternation, and her Fears and Fancies being encreas’d by some fabulous Verses made upon the Occasion, she imagin’d she dream’d of all that had been the Town-Talk for some Time before. She dream’d that Constantinople was wall’d round with Brick, that near the Forum Bovis, or the Place call’d Bos, she saw infinite Numbers of arm’d Forces drawn up in Battle array, and that hard by the Street call’d Taurus, she saw a Man in a melancholly Posture expressing his Grief in a mournful Tone, and beating his Breast. The credulous Woman believing the Destruction of the City was at hand, told her Dream to Tzetzes, who thus interpreted it: The Brick Walls, says he, which you saw denote great Plenty of Provision to Constantinople. You are sensible, Gentlemen, says he, (speaking to those who stood by him) how wonderfully that Part of the Prophecy was accomplish’d at that Time. As to that Clause of it, which mentions that abundance of armed Forces shall stand round the Bull, and that a Man in a disconsolate and forlorn Condition shall sit down by the Bull, which is principally intended by the Prophecy, tho’ not yet fulfill’d; this may prove beneficial, and advantageous to every Citizen of us. Therefore hear, O Constantinople, and tell it to others, that this is the Interpretation of Tzetzes. The same Word, which among us Greeks signifies a Bull, signifies also a Cow, and sometimes a Heifer, and by the Word Taurus or Bull, the Latins call the Italian Bull. Our Cow therefore, which is the famous City of Constantine, and which was built by the Roman Bulls of Italy, full of Arms, abounding with Forces, and Plenty of Provision, shall sound an Alarm against our Enemies; and the Italian Bull, which is the Army of the Latins, shall look Pale with Fear, and mourn. Tzetzes, without Question, was a very learned Man, and this Interpretation of the Prophecy was cunning enough; besides that it was a fine Compliment to the Empress, and at the same Time the Historian pleas’d his own Humour in it, in interpreting the Prophecy according to his own Wishes. See how ingenious is the Weakness of Man to impose upon himself! But at that Time there was another Interpretation of this Prophecy, which, in the Event, was much more agreeable to Truth, tho’ Tzetzes took a great deal of Pains to confute, and expose it; and it was the general Opinion of the People of Constantinople, that the Army of the Latins would besiege their City, as it happen’d a little Time after, ravaging, burning, destroying every where; throwing some of the Ring-leaders of an arbitrary Party from the Top of Theodosius’s Pillar into the Street call’d Taurus, and burning others to Death in the Brazen Bull. The same Author is no less mistaken in the Interpretation of another Prophecy, which is as follows: Wo be to thee, O Constantinople, seated on seven Hills, thou shalt not continue a thousand Years. His Explanation of it is this: Altho’ it be not thy Fate, O Constantinople, to endure a thousand Years, but to be totally demolish’d, yet this ought to be no Occasion of Grief to thee, but the Cause of Joy; for thou shalt rise again from thy Ruines more beautiful, and more enlarg’d. For thou shalt be destroyed, ev’n to the Advantage of those who shall destroy thee. This Interpretation is a downright Flattery of the principal Leaders of the several Factions (or Companies of Charioteers) when they were struggling for the Government. But take this Interpretation which Way you will, it seems to be a very wild one. For whether the City was demolish’d by its own Inhabitants, or any foreign Power, it could neither Way be any reasonable Cause of Joy to them. This Prediction of the Oracle was seconded by another Prediction of the Astronomers to the same Purpose. Some Historians have attested, as ’tis confirm’d by Suidas, that Constantine the Great, after he had finish’d the City, sent for one Valens an Astronomer of great Skill, and commanded him to enquire what Star had the Ascendant at the Birth of the City, and by that means inform him of the Duration of it. Valens predicted that the City would continue six hundred and ninety Years; but that Time is past and gone. Therefore, says Zonaras, I must conclude, that this Prophecy of Valens was erroneous, and that there’s little Dependance to be had upon the Rules of Astronomy, or otherwise that Valens only meant the Time of her Prosperity, when the Laws of Polity were strictly obey’d, when the publick Peace was preserv’d, when their Senate was in high Estimation among the People, when the Empire flourish’d and was under a regular Administration, and there was no such Thing as Tyranny, and Arbitrary Power among them. But to finish the Oracular Predictions concerning this City, I come now to Zosimus, a very ancient Historian, if compar’d with Tzetzes, and Zonaras. This Author writes, that Constantinople was arriv’d to such a State of Grandeur, and Magnificence, that no City in the World was to be compar’d with it, in point of Greatness, or Prosperity. And yet, as he proceeds, when after a long Search I could find no divine Oracle, or Prophecy presignifying any Increase of Happiness to Constantinople, I at last accidentally, having read many Historians, and other Authors for that Purpose, met with an Oracular Prediction of a Sibyl, nam’d Erythræa Phaelles, or Phaenno of Epirus. This Woman, they tell you, being inspir’d, utter’d Oracles, to which Nicomedes, the Son of Prussias, conforming himself, especially in such Predictions as might be some Advantage to himself, enter’d into a War with his Father. The Oracle runs thus:
Attend, great King of Thrace, and learn thy Doom;
Thy stately City soon thou must depart,
And thy defenceless Sheep shall follow thee;
The Savage Lion’s irresistless Power
Shall plunder thee, and ravage all thy Stores.
Thou from thy princely Grandeur soon shalt fall;
The Dogs which now in State stand round thy Throne
Shall rouze the sleepy Wolf, bold to assert
His Liberty, nor drag thy servile Chain.
Bithynia’s Realm shall then become a Prey
To fierce devouring Wolves, and Jove’s Decree
Transfer thy Empire hence to fair Byzantium.
Happy, thrice happy Monarch would’st thou be,
Could’st thou repel with Force the rav’nous Wolf,
Thus timely warn’d by me: For I am forc’d
To speak, and tell the Will of Heav’n to Man.
Wide Desolation now attends thee, Thrace;
A heavy Vengeance waits; long hast thou try’d,
And daringly provok’d the Neighbouring States;
And now a Cloud of Woe hangs o’re thy Head,
Which daily swelling to a larger Size,
Shall burst in Blood, and ruine all about thee.
This Oracle or Prophecy, says Zosimus, truly fore-tells, tho’ in an Ænigmatical Manner, all the Calamities which would befall the Bythinians, by Reason of an excessive Tribute which had been demanded of them, and presignifies also their speedy Subjection to the Empire of Constantinople. And tho’ this did not happen till a long Time after, yet let no Man from thence infer, that the Time of the Accomplishment of the Prediction was expired before it came to pass. For all Time is but for a Moment with God, who is eternal. This Interpretation of the Oracle, says the Historian, I observed to be true, by comparing the Event of Things with the Words of the Prophecy; and adds, that if any other Interpretation seems more agreeable, any one is at his own Liberty to follow it. And to confirm the more this Explication of it, he tells us, how Constantine the Great and his Sons, oppress’d not only Bithynia, but the whole World with severe Exactions, so that whole Cities, unable to pay the Levies, remained desolate. The learned Tzetzes before-mentioned, explains this Oracle in another Manner, and says, that it was delivered by Phaenno. This Sybil, says he, was long ago famous for her Oracles, and foretold same Things many Ages since, which were accomplished but a little before the Times we live in; as the Conquest of Persia over the Empire, the Slavery and Subjection of the Emperor to them, his Dethronement by his People and Nobles, the Wars of the Scythians with the Eastern Empire, by whom she seems to mean the Turks. Thus far Zosimus. This Oracle, tho’ it be very antient, yet, amidst the present Ruins of Constantinople, it never appeared so manifest as now.
But to proceed in my Narration of other Monuments of Antiquity; On the Brow of the fourth Hill, which lies Eastward, you see a Church built to the Honour of Almighty God, which has been much celebrated in the Writings of modern Historians. The Walls of it within side are incrusted with several Kinds of Marble: It has two Porches or Vestibules, many lesser Cupola’s covered with Lead, the largest of which is supported with four Pillars of red Marble variegated, each of which Pillars measures seven Foot in Circumference. There’s another Cupola which bears upon four Arches, which are supported with four Pillars of Thebaic Marble. On the South Side of the fourth Hill there is erected a Pillar, which nearly resembles that, which was lately, as I observed, standing in the Exacionion, but is now removed into the Precinct of the Seraglio. Round the Basis of it there runs a Wreath of Laurel-work, and the Standard of the Cross, curiously cut in Basso Relievo. At the Foot of the fifth Hill is a double Wall, which encloses a Street now called Phanarium, because as the Inhabitants tell you, when the City was formerly besieged, it was built in the Space of one Night by Candle-light. I am induced from the Authority of Dionysius to believe, that Mellacopsas stood near this Street; the Reason why it was so called I have shewn in my Treatise of the Bosporus. On the Top of the fifth Hill stands the Palace of Selimus the Grand Signor, with a Caravansera, and his Tomb. Near it is a very large Cistern, in a pleasant Meadow, which is despoiled of its Roof and Pillars.