The Antiquities of Constantinople. Gilles Pierre
on a Stone Pillar, and publickly fix’d up in the Strategium, near his own Equestrian Statue, order’d it to be called Nova Roma Constantinopolitana. Upon a Computation made, that the Natives were not a sufficient Number to people the City, he built several fine Houses in and about the Forums, of which he made a Present to the Senators and other Men of Quality, which he brought with him from Rome and other Nations. He built also several Forums, some as an Ornament, others for the Service of the City. The Hippodrom he beautify’d with Temples, Fountains, Portico’s, and a Senate-House, and allow’d its Members equal Honours and Privileges with those of Rome. He also built himself a Palace, little inferior to the Royal one at Rome. In short, he was so ambitious to make it rival Rome itself in all its Grandeur and Magnificence, that at length, as Sozomen assures us, it far surpassed it, both in the Number of its Inhabitants, and its Affluence of all Kinds. Eunapius a Sardian, no mean Writer, nay though an Enemy to Constantine, describes the vast Extent of Constantinople, in these Words: Constantinople, says he, formerly called Byzantium, allow’d the ancient Athenians a Liberty of importing Corn in great Quantities; but at present not all the Ships of Burthen from Ægypt, Asia, Syria, Phœnicia, and many other Nations, can import a Quantity sufficient for the Support of those People, whom Constantine, by unpeopling other Cities, has transported thither. Zosimus also, though otherwise no very good Friend to Constantine on the score of his Religion, yet frankly owns, that he wonderfully enlarged it; and that the Isthmus was enclosed by a Wall from Sea to Sea, to the Distance of fifteen Furlongs beyond the Walls of old Byzantium. But to what Extent soever Constantine might enlarge its Bounds, yet the Emperors who succeeded him have extended them farther, and have enclosed the City with much wider Walls than those built by Constantine, and permitted them to build so closely one House to another, and that even in their Market Places, that they could not walk the Streets without Danger, they were so crowded with Men and Cattle. Upon this Account it was, that a great part of the Sea which runs round the City was in some Places dry’d up, where by fixing Posts in a circular Manner, and building Houses upon them, they made their City large enough for the Reception of an infinite Multitude of People. Thus does Zosimus express himself as to the vast Extent of this City, as it stood in the Time either of Arcadius or Theodosius. Agathius says, that in the Time of Justinian the Buildings were so close and crowded together, that it was very difficult to see the Sky by looking through the Tops of them. The large Compass of this City before Justinian’s Time, we may in some measure collect from an ancient Description of the City, by an unknown but seemingly a very faithful Writer. He assures us, that the Length of the City from the Porta Aurea to the Sea Shore in a direct Line, was fourteen thousand and seventy five Feet, and that it was six thousand one hundred and fifty Feet in Breadth. And yet we cannot collect plainly from Procopius, that in the Reign of Justinian the Blachernæ were enclosed within the Walls, although before his Time the City was enlarged by Theodosius the Less, who as Zonaras and others write, gave Orders to Cyrus the Governour of the City for that Purpose. This Man, with great Diligence and wonderful Dispatch, built a Wall over the Continent from Sea to Sea, in sixty Days. The Inhabitants astonish’d that so immense a Work should be finish’d in so small a Time, cry’d out in a publick manner in the Theatre, in the Presence of Theodosius the Emperor, Constantine built this City, but Cyrus rebuilt it. This drew on him the Envy of his Prince, and render’d him suspected; so that being shaved by the Command of Theodosius, against his Inclinations, he was constituted Bishop of Smyrna. The following Inscriptions made to Constantinus, and carv’d over the Gate of Xylocerum and Rhegium, take Notice of him in these Verses.
Over the Gate of Xylocerum (Xylocercum or Xylocricum) in Byzantium, thus:
These Walls by Theodosius’ Royal Will,
And Constantinus Prefect of the East,
In sixty Days, surprizing Speed! were built.
Over the Gate of Rhegium is this Inscription:
Great Constantinus, Prefect of the East,
In sixty Days this stately Building finish’d.
The Reason why Constantine order’d Byzantium to be call’d New Rome, or Queen of the Roman Empire, is mention’d by Sozomen and others; namely, that God appear’d by Night to Constantine, and advised him to build a City at Byzantium worthy his own Name. Some say, that as Julius Cæsar, upon a Plot form’d against him, judg’d it necessary to remove to Alexandria or Troy, stripping Italy at the same time of every thing that was valuable, and carrying off all the Riches of the Roman Empire, leaving the Administration in the Hands of his Friends; so it is said of Constantine, that perceiving himself to be obnoxious to the People of Rome, having drain’d the City of all its Wealth, went over at first to Troy, and afterwards to Byzantium. Zosimus, an implacable Enemy to the Christian Name, alledges an execrable Piece of Villany, as the Cause of his Removal. Constantine, says he, when he had murder’d Crispus, and had been guilty of other flagrant Crimes, desiring of the Priests an Expiation for them, their Answer was, That his Offences were so many and enormous, that they knew not which way to atone for them; telling him at the same time, that there was a certain Ægyptian who came from Spain to Rome; who, if he had an Opportunity of speaking to him, could procure him an Expiation, if he would establish in his Dominions this Belief of the Christians, namely, That Men of the most profligate Lives, immediately upon their Repentance, obtain’d Remission of Sins. Constantine readily closed with this Offer, and his Sins were pardon’d. At the Approach of the Festival, on which it was usual with him and his Army to go up to the Capitol, to perform the customary Rites of their Religion; Constantine fearful to be present at that Solemnity, as being warn’d to the contrary by a Dream, which was sent him from the Ægyptian, and not attending the holy Sacrifice, highly disgusted the Senate, and the whole Body of the People of Rome. But unable to bear the Curses and Scandal they threw upon him on that Account, he went in Search of some Place or other equally famous with Rome, where he might build him a Palace, and which he might make the Seat of the Roman Empire, and that at last he had discovered a Place between Troas and Old Ilium, fit for that Purpose; and that there he built him a Palace, laid the Foundations of a City, and raised part of a Wall for its Defence: But that afterwards disapproving the Situation, he left his Works unfinish’d, and settled at Byzantium; and being wonderfully taken with the Agreeableness of the Place, he judged it in all respects to be very commodious for an Imperial Seat. Thus far Zosimus, a great Favourite of Julian the Apostate, and an inveterate Enemy to Constantine on the account of his Religion; to whose Sentiments I have so perfect an Aversion, that I cannot give the least Credit to those Enormities he charges him with, and of which he had the greatest Abhorrence, as being a Prince of remarkable Clemency and Goodness, which I am capable of proving abundantly, but that it would prove too great a Digression in the present History. The Truth of it is, that Sozomen and Evagrius both have sufficiently refuted these malicious Reflections. In these Calumnies, I say, I entirely differ from Zosimus, yet in his Description of the Extent, and Compass of the City, I am wholly in his Opinion; who, though an Enemy to Constantine, yet is forced to acknowledge him to have built so large, so noble, so magnificent a City. I am the more induced to give Credit to his History in this Respect, because he lived many Ages nearer to the Time of Constantine than our modern Monks, who, in the Books they have written of Constantinople, give the following Account of it; namely, that Constantine built a Wall from the Tower of Eugenius (which was the Boundary of old Byzantium) to St. Anthony’s Church, and the Church of the Blessed Virgin, call’d Rabdon, quite up to the Exacionion; and that at a Mile’s Distance, it passed on to the old Gates of the Church of St. John the Baptist, stretching itself farther to the Cistern of Bonus, from whence it extended itself to the Armation, and so winded round to St. Anthony’s Church again. I should give my self the Trouble to examine