The Antiquities of Constantinople. Gilles Pierre
her Ruins to her former Grandeur and Magnificence. With what Fury did Severus pursue this City, even to an entire Subversion? And yet when he cool’d in his Resentments against these People, he recollected with himself, that he had destroy’d a City which had been the common Benefactress of the Universe, and the grand Bulwark of the Eastern Empire. In a little time after he began to rebuild her, and order’d her, in Honour of his Son, to be call’d Antonina. I shall end with this Reflection; That though all other Cities have their Periods of Government, and are subject to the Decays of Time, Constantinople alone seems to claim to herself a kind of Immortality, and will continue a City, as long as the Race of Mankind shall live either to inhabit or rebuild her.
BOOK I
Chap. I.
Of the Founders of Byzantium, and the different Successes and Revolutions of that City
It is recorded by Stephanus and Pausanias, that Byzantium, now call’d Constantinople, was first founded by Byzas the Son of Neptune and Ceroessa, or by a Person named Byzes, Admiral of the Fleet of the Megarians, who transplanted a Colony thither. I am of Opinion, that this was the same Person with Byzas. For had it taken its Name from Byzes, this City had more properly been call’d Byzeum than Byzantium. Philostratus, in the Life of Marcus a Sophist of Byzantium, calls the Admiral of that Fleet by the Name of Byzas, when he informs us, that Marcus (whom he would have descended from the ancient Family of Byzas) made a Voyage to Megara, and was exceedingly in Favour with the People there, who had formerly sent over a Colony to Byzantium. This People, when they had consulted Apollo where they should found a City, received in Answer from the Oracle, That they should seek out a Situation opposite to the Land of the Blind. The People of Chalcedon were given to understand by this mystical Answer, that tho’ they had made a Landing there before, and had an Opportunity of viewing the commodious Situation of that and other Places adjacent, yet at last had pitch’d upon the most improper Place of all. As to what is mention’d by Justin, that Byzantium was first founded by Pausanias a Spartan, I take it to import no more than this; that they who affirm that Syca, at present call’d Galata, was first founded by the Genoese, as was Constantinople by Constantine, their Meaning was, that they either rebuilt or enlarged those Places, and not that they were the first Founders of them. For when I find it in Herodotus, that upon the Invasion of Thrace by Darius, the People of Byzantium and Chalcedon were not in the least Expectation of the Arrival of the Phœnician Fleet, that having quitted their Cities, they retired into the Inland Shores of the Black Sea, and there founded Mesembria, and that the Phœnicians burnt Byzantium, and Chalcedon; I am of Opinion, that the Lacedæmonians, under the Command of Pausanias, sent a Colony thither, and rebuilt Byzantium, which was before either a Colony of the Megarians, or the Seat of the Subjects of Byzas the Son of Neptune, its first Founder. Eustathius assures us, that it was anciently called Antonina from Antoninus Bassianus, the Son of Severus Cæsar, but that it passed under that Name no longer than his Father liv’d, and that many Years after it was call’d New Rome, and Constantinople, and Anthusa, or Florentia, by Constantine the Great; upon which Account it is call’d by Priscian New Constantinopolitan Rome. It was foretold by the Oracle, that its Inhabitants should be a successful and flourishing People, but a constant Course of Prosperity did not always attend them. ’Twas with great Difficulty that this City first began to make a Figure in the World, in the Struggles it underwent with the Thracians, Bithynians, and Gallogrecians, and in paying a yearly Tribute of eighty Talents to the Gauls who govern’d Asia. ’Twas with greater Contests that it rose to higher Degrees of Eminency, being frequently harass’d, not only with foreign, but domestick Enemies. Mighty Changes it underwent, being sometimes under the popular, sometimes under the aristocratical Form of Government, widely extending its Conquests in Europe and Asia, but especially in Bithynia. For Philarcus observes in the sixth Book of his History, that the Byzantians had the same Power over the Bithynians, as the Lacedæmonians had over their Helotæ. This Commonwealth had so great a Veneration for the Ptolemæi Kings of Ægypt, that to one of them nam’d Philadelphus, they pay’d divine Honours, and erected a Temple to him, in the Sight of their City; and so great a Regard had they for the Roman Name, that they assisted them against the King of Macedon, to whom, as degenerating from his Predecessors, they gave the nickname of Pseudo-Philippus. I need not mention the powerful Succours they sent against Antiochus, Perseus, Aristonicus, and the Assistance they gave Antonius, when engaged in a War against the Pyrates. This City alone stood the Brunt of Mithridates’s whole Army landed in their Territories, and at last, though with great Difficulty, bravely repell’d the Invader. It assisted at once Sylla, Lucullus and Pompey, when they lay’d Siege to any Town or Fortification, which might be a Security to their auxiliary Forces in their Passage, either by Sea or Land, or might prove a convenient Port, either for Exportation or Importation of Provision. Joining its Forces at last with Niger against Severus, it became subject to the Perinthians, and was despoil’d of all the Honours of its Government. All its stately Bagnio’s and Theatres, its strong and lofty Walls, (built of square Stone, much of the same Hardness with that of a Grindstone, not brought from Miletus, as Politianus fancies) with which it was fortify’d, were entirely ruin’d. I say, that this Stone was cut out of no Quarry, either of ancient Miletus, or Miletopolis; because Miletus lies at too great a Distance from it, and Miletopolis, which is seated near the River Rhyndacus, is no ways famous for Quarries. I saw, by the By, this last City, adjoining to the Lake of Apolloniatus, entirely demolish’d, retaining at present its Name only. The Walls of Byzantium, as Herodian relates, were cemented with so thin a Mortar, that you would by no means think them a conjointed Building, but one entire Stone. They who saw them in Ruins in Herodian’s Time, were equally surpriz’d at those who built, and those who defaced them. Dion, whom Zonaras quotes, reports, that the Walls of Byzantium were exceeding strong, the Copings of which were built with Stones three Foot thick, cramp’d together with Links of Brass; and that it was so firmly compacted inwardly, that the whole Building seem’d to be one solid Wall. It is adorn’d with numerous and large Towers, having Gates in them placed one above another. The Walls on the side of the Continent are very lofty; towards the Sea, not quite so high. It had two Ports within the Walls, secured with Booms, as was their Entrance by two high Forts. I had then no Opportunity of consulting Xenophon in the Original; however I was of Opinion from the Latin Translation, that a Passage in that Author, which is as follows, has a Relation to one of those Ports: When the Soldiers, says he, had passed over from Chrysopolis to Byzantium, and were deny’d Entrance into the City, they threaten’d to force the Gates, unless the Inhabitants open’d them of their own Accord; and immediately hastening to the Sea, they scaled the Walls, and leap’d into the Town, hard by the Sides of the Port, which the Greeks call χηλαὶ, that is by the Piles; because they jet out into the Sea, winding into the Figure of a Crab’s Claw. But afterwards meeting with that Author in Greek, I found no Mention there of the Port, but only τὴν χηλὴν τοῦ τείχους, that is, near the Copings of the Wall, or rather the Buttresses that support it. Had it been in the Original χηλὴ τοῦ λιμένος, it ought rather to have been translated the Leg, or the Arm. Dionysius a Byzantian mentions, that the first Winding of the Bosporus contains three Ports. The Byzantians in their time had five hundred Ships, some of which were two-oar’d Galleys; some had Rudders both at Stem and Stern, and had also their Pilates at each, and two Sets of Hands aboard, so that either in an Engagement, or upon a Retreat, there was no Necessity for them to tack about. The Byzantians, both in the Life-time and after the Death of Niger, when besieged for the Space of three Years, acted Wonders; for they not only took the Enemies Ships as they sail’d by them, but dragg’d their three-oar’d Galleys from their Moorings; for diving under Water they