Of the Buildings of Justinian

by Procopius

FOOTNOTES:

[1] ‘A new era for Christian architecture commenced with his reign. The historian Procopius has simplified, in the different provinces of his Eastern empire, the task to those who would search for vestiges of buildings erected by this Prince. Anthemius was selected by him as his architect, and the Church of St. Sophia became the type of all the Greek churches from the sixth century. The basilica was, until his time, the type of the Christian church. Anthemius abandoned this form. The chief feature of the church was the dome, the form of the oblong nave being abandoned.’—Texier and Pullan, ‘Byzantine Architecture’ (fol., London, 1864), p. 20. (L.)

[2] There is a pun in the original upon παιδιά and παιδέια. Cf. Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.)

[3] ‘Taken altogether, there is no building erected during the first thirteen centuries after the Christian era which, as an interior, is either so beautiful or so worthy of attentive study as this.’—Fergusson, ‘Handbook of Architecture’ (8vo., London, 1855), p. 951. (L.)

In addition to Procopius, the erection of St. Sophia has been described by Agathias, and at much greater length by Paulus Silentiarius, and the three descriptions have been compared and analyzed in the ‘Corpus Historiæ Byzantinæ,’ s.v. Paulus Silentiarius. (L.)

A full description of St. Sophia with plans, sections, and detailed drawings of the mosaics, sculpture, etc., is given by Salzenburg in his splendid work ‘Alt Christliche von Constantinopel’ (Berlin, 1854). (L.)

[4] ‘The solid piles which sustained the cupola were composed of huge blocks of freestone, hewn into squares and triangles, fortified by circles of iron, and firmly cemented by the infusion of lead and quicklime.’—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.)

[5] ‘Nine western doors open into the vestibule, and from thence into the narthex or exterior portico. That portico was the humble station of the penitents. The nave, or body of the church, was filled by the congregation of the faithful; but the two sexes were prudently distinguished, and the upper and lower galleries were allotted for the more private devotion of the women.’—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.)

[6] Λώρους. I am unacquainted with the precise meaning of this word. Ducange, in his ‘Glossary,’ describes ΛΩΡΟΣ as ‘Fornix,’ ‘arcus,’ Ἁψίς, quoting Procopius. But this gives no definite information; nor, after consulting with several well-known authorities on this subject, can I find that the application of the term is now known. It is not alluded to either in Britton’s ‘Dictionary,’ or Willis’s ‘Nomenclature of the Middle Ages.’ From the context and Ducange’s use of the word ἅψις, I presume that λῶρος is applied to the great arch forming the opening of an apse. (L.)

[7] Hom. Il., xxii. 27. (S.)

[8] ‘St. Irene templum a Constantino M. extructum—tres sacras ædes. Deiparæ scilicet, St. Theodori et St. Irenes, eidem magnæ ecclesiæ unitas fuisse, neque proprium clerum habuisse, qui in iis sacra ministeria perageret.‘ ‘Unde cum Sophianæ ædis appendix fuerit, intra ejusdem septa ædificata dicitur.’ ‘Denique concussa est ipsa ædes eo terræ motu qui accidit Leone Isauro regnante. Hodie intra septum regium includi.’—Ducange, ‘Byzantinæ Historiæ Scriptoribus Constantinopolis Christiana’ (Venice, fol., 1729), lib. iv., p. 102.

Rebuilt, in part at all events, by Justinian late in his reign, but in a style entirely different from that of St. Sophia or SS. Sergius and Bacchus, being oblong on plan, with aisles and an apse at the east end. This apse was cleared in 1881. Mr. Edwin Freshfield, who visited the church at that time, states that he ‘found that it was filled with marble benches, or steps, somewhat similar to the Church of Torcello, near Venice. There is no doubt that they formed part of the original arrangement of the church, and that this was due to its being the Patriarchal church.’—Athenæum, 15th August, 1885. (L.)

[9] Ædes sacræ Deiparæ dicatæ. Deiparæ Blachernarum. Ædem vero Deiparæ Blachernianam a Pulcheria Augusta primum ædificatam scribunt passim scriptores Byzantini. Hanc postmodum de novo instauravit Justinus senior (V. Procopius de Ædifs., lib. i., c. iii.). Denique solo tenus incensum fuisse sub Romano Diogene, restauratum postmodum, novis ornamentis et nova ædificiorum accessione auxit mire Andronicus senior.—Ducange, lib. iv., pp, 55, 56. (L.)

[10] ‘Deuterum, Δεύτερον, locus et tractus urbis ita appellatus occurrit sæpe apud scriptores Byzantinos qui in eo ædes sacras Stæ. Annas, Sti. Georgii, St. Pauli et SS. Notariorum extitisse narrant.—Procopius scribens haud procul a St. Annæ æde in Deutero aliam ædificasse Justinianum Zoæ Martyri, ad ultimam urbis plateam.—Porro Deuterum dictum fuisse, quod secundo milliari a vetere Byzantio dissitum esset.’—Ducange, lib. ii., p. 133. (L.)

[11] ‘Templum quod Αρχαγγέδον et τὰ Στείρου appellatum fuit, id nominis sortitum eit, a Patricia quadam sterili, Leone M. Impr. Quum autem esset parvum oratorium ampliorem ædem ibi excitavit Judinianus M. quam terræ motu collapsam instauravit Basilius Macedo, qui insuper ablatam ex Strategio Phialam æream illuc transposuit. Observat porro Maltratus in margine Procopii περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ αὐτομάτου ἐν τῷ Σενατορίῳ—unde colligitur regionem in qua hæc ædes extructa fuit senatorii nomine donatam.’—Ducange, lib. iv., p. 66. (S.)

[12] ‘Assumptus ille in Hormisdas SS. Sergii et Bacchi Monasterio quod Palatio adjacet.’—Ducange, lib. iv., p. 93.

[13] ‘Juxta Hormisdæ palatium, ubi priusquam imperium adeptus esset habitabat Justinianus. Hormisdæ monasterium nuncupatur. Quippe ad Hormisdæ palatium, quod Imperator factus magno Palatio adjunxit, bina excitavit templa, quæ a latere cohærebant, et vestibulorum porticus, atria et propylea communia habebant. Cumque pari invicem decore ac magnitudine essent, in hoc tamen differebant, quod hujus directa esset longitudo, illius vero columnæ in semicirculum dispositæ essent fere omnes, priorem ædem SS. Petro et SS. Paulo, alteram SS. Sergio et Baccho dicavit.’—Ducange, lib. iv., p. 93. (L.)

One of the most interesting buildings in Constantinople. It is rightly called the Little Agia Sofia, as it was the first essay of Justinian, before he became Emperor, in the style of which the Great Church was to be the glory. I make no doubt that Anthemius of Tralles was the architect, and the building has in it many of the peculiarities of the Church Agia Sofia. It is further interesting as having furnished the model for the Church of St. Vitale at Ravenna, some of the details in the latter church being also copied from the Kutchuk Agia Sofia. This church was dedicated to SS. Sergius and Bacchus.—Mr. Edwin Freshfield, in Athenæum, August 15, 1885, p. 217. (L.)

[14] νἁρθηξ = a reed. (S.)

[15] ‘Sanctorum apostolorum templum, omnium quæ in urbe extiterunt, post Sophianum celeberrimum et pulcherrimum extruxit Constantinus Magnus, ut in eo Imperatores Christiani post obitum humarentur.’—V. Eusebius, lib. iv., de Vita Consti., c. 58; Ducange, lib. iv., p. 71.

Constantine erected it. The walls were covered with marble from pavement to roof; the nave was ceiled, and the dome, as well as the roof, was covered with plates of brass. Constantine caused his tomb to be erected in the centre of the church. It was damaged by an earthquake soon after its erection, but was repaired by Justinian.—Texier and Pullan, p. 12.

In 1038 A.D., the Church of the Apostles suffered terribly in an earthquake, and was pulled down by Mohammed II.—Texier and Pullan, ‘Byzantine Architecture,’ fol. 1864, p. 161. (L.)

[16] ‘S. Acacii qui martyrium passus est Byzantii sub Diocletiano, ædem ædificavit in Heptascalo Constantinus Magnus. Ædis situm eundem designant Menæa, ad 4 Junii. Ecclesiam S. Acacii conditam quidem a Constantino Magno, sed illius nomen ædi primum imposuisse Justinianum. Justinianus autem hanc a fundamentis instauravit, disjecta priore æde. Denique cum rursum ruinam minaretur de novo instauratum est a Basilio Macedone.’—Ducange, lib. iv., pp. 80, 81. (L.)

[17] ‘S. Platonis ædes ab Anastasio Dicoro primum ædificata est, qui in eam decem columnas sculptas ex Thessalonica intulit, quarum duæ in Chalceno a Lacapeno postea translatæ sunt. De novo instauratam a Justiniano. At cum postmodum illius tectum laboraret, novum confecit, murosque quibus incumbebat, firmiores reddidit Basilius Macedo.’—Ducange, lib. iv., p. 92.

[18] ‘S. Mocii Martyris templum, a Constantino Magno ædificatum. Codinus ait non de novo ædificatam fuisse a Constantino sed cum fanum esset deorum, illud expurgasse, dejectes simulacris ac idolis.’—Ducange, lib. iv., p. 89.

[19] This church is on the same plan as that of Myra.—V. Fergusson, p. 966. (L.)

[20] ‘S. Agathonici templum forma dromica ædificatum a Constantino Magno. Deinde in Angustiorem formam excitatum a Justiniano. Patriarches sedisse, coronatosque Imperatores quatuor, tandemque in Magno Palatio, cui adjacebat, inclusum sub Tiberio Mauricii socero.’—Ducange, lib. iv., p. 81. (L.)

[21] Κέρας = horn. (S.)

[22] Συκαί = fig-trees. (S.)

[23] The very ancient church at Ratisbon, known as the ‘Alter Dom,’ or ‘Stephan’s Kirchlein,’ is believed to have been originally built without windows. (S.)

[24] ‘St. Irene Martyris templum, ultra ædem S. Anthimi, ad ipsum Sinus Ostium ædificavit Justinianus. Verum S. Irenes ædis Sycænæ, seu Sycis proximæ, non fuit conditor Justinianus sed instaurator.’—Ducange, lib. iv., p. 103. (L.)

[25] Near the village of Kourou, Cheshmeh.—Murray’s ‘Guide to Turkey and Asia Minor,’ etc., 1878, p. 106. (L.)

[26] ‘S. Michaelis templum in Anaplo ædificavit Constantinus Magnus. Cum vero Anaplus proprie dicatur littus Bospori Europæanum, ut alibi indicatum, locum distinctius designat Cedrenus, ἐν τῷ Ἀναπλῳ καὶ Σωσθενίῳ. Ædem S. Michaelis Sosthenianam de novo et a fundamentis instauravit Justinianus Magnus ut et alteram quam in opposito littore Asiatico ab eodem Constantino Magno ædificatam narrat Nicephorus.’—Ducange, lib. iv., pp. 130, 131. (L.)

[27] ‘Joannis Baptistæ in Hebdomo templum excitavit Theodosius Magnus et in eo nuper inventum, et in urbem allatum caput sancti Præcursoris reposuit rotundo tecto Theodosius Magnus condidit. A Justiniano excitatam, seu potius instauratam prodit Procopius. Denique hanc rursum instauravit Basilius Macedo. Ea in latere ad solis ortum pertinente sita est, a Turcis maxima ex parte diruta, ubi aliquot columnæ marmoreæ extremam rapinam metuentes supersunt, sed paucæ ex multis ablatis. Quam, autem illa sumptuosa fuisset cum alia vestigia indicant, tum cisterna Boni paulò supra eam sita, longa 300 passus, columnis et concameratione spoliata, in qua nunc horti virent.’—Ducange, lib. iv., pp. 68, 69. Cisternam Boni. Cameris cylindricis tectam, extruxit Bonus Patricius et Magister cui Heraclius Imp., contra Persas profecturus, urbis custodiam commisit.’—Ducange, lib. i., p. 80. (L.)

[28] ‘Some ruins of this still remain near Fort Yousha, on the Asiatic shore of the Bosphorus.’—Murray’s ‘Guide,’ p. 118. (L.)

[29] ‘SS. Menæ et Menæi Martyrum ædem excitavit in Hebdomo Justinianus.’—Ducange, lib. iv., p. 88. (S.)

[30] ‘The finest marbles were taken from the Baths of Zeuxippus, and used by Mahomet II. for building his Mosque, etc.’—V. Texier and Pullan, p. 161. (L.)

[31] ‘The dome of a spacious quadrangle was supported on massy pillars; the pavement and walls encrusted with many coloured marbles—the emerald green of Laconia, the fiery red, and the white Phrygian stone, intersected with veins of a sea-green hue: the Mosaic paintings of the dome and sides represented the glories of the African and Italian triumphs.’—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.)

[32] ‘On the Asiatic shore of the Propontis, at a small distance to the east of Chalcedon, the costly palace and gardens of Heræum were prepared for the summer residence of Justinian, and more especially of Theodora.’—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.)

[33] Now Diarbekr, on the Tigris, about twelve miles from Nisebin.

[34] ‘Military architecture had a special character during the reign of Justinian, and his successors departed but little from the principles laid down by the engineers of his time. The walls were flanked with towers, usually round. The most commanding part was occupied by a square redoubt defended at the angles by towers. The gates were protected by an advanced work. The fortifications of many towns in Mesopotamia, e.g. Edessa, date from the time of Justinian, and are constructed on the same principle.’—Abridged from Texier and Pullan, pp. 23, 24. (L.)

[35] ‘The fortifications of Dara were almost entirely rebuilt by the Emperor Anastasius, A.D. 503. Hastily constructed, they fell into ruins in a few years. Justinian rebuilt the town, A.D. 537. The line of its ramparts, which were built of large blocks of limestone, can be traced throughout, certain portions being still 30 feet high.’—Abridged from Texier and Pullan, p. 53. (L.)

[36] ‘The fortifications of Dara,’ says Gibbon, ‘may represent the military architecture of the age. The city was surrounded by two walls, and the interval between them, of fifty paces, afforded a retreat to the cattle of the besieged. The inner wall was a monument of strength and beauty: it measured sixty feet from the ground, and the height of the towers was one hundred feet; the loopholes, from whence an enemy might be annoyed with missile weapons, were small, but numerous; the soldiers were placed along the rampart, under the shelter of double galleries, and a third platform, spacious and secure, was raised on the summit of the towers. The exterior wall seems to have been less lofty, but more solid; and each tower was protected by a quadrangular bulwark. A hard rocky soil resisted the tools of the miners, and on the south-east, where the ground was more tractable, their approach was retarded by a new work, which advanced in the shape of a half-moon. The double and treble ditches were filled with a stream of water; and in the management of the river, the most skilful labour was employed to supply the inhabitants, to distress the besiegers, and to prevent the mischiefs of a natural or artificial inundation.’—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.) See Note, page 58.

[37] ‘The Church of Dara is in a perfect state of preservation owing to the extreme solidity of its construction—a parallelogram 97·6 by 68·3. In the interior, the nave, with the adjoining chapels, forms a perfect square. A building adjoining, supposed to have been the baptistry, is ruined. Mr. Ainsworth says there are seven or eight churches in the town.’—Texier and Pullan, p. 52.

[38] Rabdium, near Jezireh-ibn-Omar. A fine old castle. ‘This appears to be the Rabdium of the Byzantines. The remains of an ancient bridge are seen crossing the Tigris at a short distance.’—Chesney’s ‘Euphrates.’ (L.)

[39] Mejafarkîn, north-east of Diarbekr. (W.)

[40] Founded by Theodosius II. V. ‘De Bello Persico,’ i. 10.—Gibbon. (S.) Now probably Ras el ‘Ain on the Khabûr. (W.)

[41] River Aborrhas. The Chaboras at the juncture of the Khabûr and the Euphrates: the Chaboras of Ptolemy and Pliny and probably the Araxes of Xenophon; now the Khabûr. (W.)

[42] ‘Circesium, the last Roman station on the Euphrates.’—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.) Now Kirkisiah at the juncture of the Khabûr and the Euphrates. (W.)

[43] ‘La fortification byzantine se composait de plusieurs parties qui correspondent du vallum, agger, et mænium des fortifications Romaines. C’est le τεῖχος, le mur ou la courtine, sur la face de laquelle s’élèvent les tours; en avant de ce mur s’élève le mur du parapet, première defense de la courtine, προτείχισμα. Ce mur est espacé (du τεῖχος) de la courtine d’un quart environ de la hauteur totale. L’espace compris entre ces deux murs est le péribole (περίβολος), le chemin couvert. Ce mot est appliqué aussi au chemin interieur de l’agger qui longe le fossé (τάφρος). L’agger, qui se compose des terres du fossé, est soutenu par un mur, quelquefois flanqué de tours, qui est le ἀντιτείχισμα, mur de l’avant rempart. Les tours (πύργοι), sont appliquées a l’une et l’autre murailles. La courtine est surmontée d’un parapet. C’est la partie du remparts qui porte le nom de ἐπιτείχισμα, muraille supérieure: sur cette muraille sont placés les creneaux, ἐπάλζεις, qui sont quelquefois réunis par un mur dans la partie supérieure, et forment des espèces de barbacanes, θυρίδαι, pour lancer les traits. Le creneau etait quelquefois surmonté d’un pyramidion, d’autres fois il etait fendu par un encoche pour appuyer le trait.

‘On ne saurait doubter que la ville d’Edesse n’eut été munie d’un double rempart; car ces deux parties, προτείχισμα et περίβολος, sont specialement mentionnées par Procope dans la relation du siège d’Edesse. C’est la muraille extérieure, ἑκτὸς τεῖχος, qui soutient l’agger, et par conséquent forme le chemin couvert, ὁ μέγας περίβολος.’—Texier, ‘Monographe sur l’Edesse.’ (S.) It is now Urfa. (W.)

[44] ‘The text (Procopius) is so conformable to the topography of the town, that it would appear to have been written on the spot.

‘We do not find, near the banks of the river, any vestige of the hippodrome mentioned by Procopius in “De Bello Persico,” book i., ch. xii. (L.) ‘A stranger is struck by the imposing aspect of the ancient castle; the same which was constructed by Justinian. Its form is that of a parallelogram, 400 by 200 yards, defended by several square and two large semi-octagonal towers. The capitals of the two Corinthian columns are surmounted by blocks of stone which show that they were intended to have some further decoration—probably the statues of Justinian and Theodora.—The diameter of each column is nearly two yards.’—Texier and Pullan, pp. 181-184.

‘In Smith’s “Dict. of Geog.,” it is stated that as late as 1184, there were fifteen large churches, which fell into the hands of the Saracens. It was deserted in 1285.

[45] Carrhæ (now Harran), a few miles south of Edessa.

[46] Callinicum, on the Euphrates, and marked on the map as ‘or Nicephorium,’ at the junction with the river Bilecha (Bilek). (L.)

[47] ‘On voit que l’historien Grec donne indistinctement à cette place les noms de Βάτνη au singulier, et Βάτναι au pluriel ... La table de Peutinger donne le nom Batna. Ce qui m’a surtout frappé dans cette localité, ce sont les vastes carrières qui ont dû fournir à une exploitation considerable. Une grande partie des materiaux qui ont servi aux constructions d’Edesse en à sans doubte été tirée.’—‘Edesse et ses Monuments,’ par Ch. Texier, Membre de l’Institut, Paris, 1859. (S.)

[48] ‘The ruins present the form of an acute triangle, having its base resting on the river, whilst its sides climb the acclivity of a conical hill, and terminate at its summit in a small Acropolis. It was defended by walls flanked by strong towers, which, as well as the public and private buildings, were all constructed of fine gypsum (which abounds along the Euphrates), and are as sharp and fresh as if they had recently been built.’—‘Narrative of the Euphrates Expedition,’ p. 247, by F. R. Chesney, London, 1868. 8vo. (L.)

[49] Suri (now Surieh), a few miles west of Callinicum. (W.)

[50] Is this the same as Tetrapyrgia, where St. Sergius was buried? (W.)

[51] Barbalissus (now Kala), at Balis, on the Euphrates. See Ant. Mart., ‘Itin.,’ xlvii. (W.)

[52] On the Euphrates, now probably Jerablûs, supposed by some to be the site of Carchemish. (W.)

[53] Hierapolis (Bambych), formerly the capital of Euphratesia, on west of Euphrates, between Antioch and Edessa. ‘Has no records of its ancient greatness but its walls, which may be traced all round; cannot be less than three miles in compass ... with towers of large square stone, extremely well built. A deep pit of about 100 yards diameter seemed to have had great buildings all round it, with the pillars and ruins of which it is now in part filled up, but not so much but that there was still water in it. Here are a multitude of subterraneous aqueducts brought to this city. You can ride nowhere about the city without seeing them.’—Maundrell’s ‘Journey from Aleppo to Euphrates,’ Bohn’s edition, 8vo., p. 507, 1848. (L.)

Hierapolis (Bambij, or Membij). The whole place is now a mass of ruin, but the outlines of a theatre and stadium can be traced. The lake is now represented by a deep circular pool, said to be always full of water. There are several springs in the ruins, and water was also supplied by ‘Kariz,’ or underground channels. Formerly a centre of great commercial importance; our word ‘bombazine’ comes from Bambya. (W. MS. notes, 1881.)

[54] Zeugma, on the right bank of the Euphrates, opposite Biredjik. (W.)

[55] Antiochia, now Antâkieh, founded by Seleucus Nicator. Having been nearly ruined by an earthquake it was almost rebuilt by Justinian, and called by him Theodopolis. In A.D. 1163, it is described by Benjamin of Tudela as a large city very strongly fortified, ‘overlooked by a very high mountain; a wall surrounds this height, on the summit of which is situated a well. The inspector of the well distributes the water by subterranean aqueducts, and thus provides the houses of the principal inhabitants of the city. The other side of the city is surrounded by the river.’ A plan of the city is given under ‘Antioch’ in Smith’s ‘Dict. of Antiquities.’

‘The city (the modern Antakieh) covers but a small part of the ground occupied by the ancient city, though it still contains fourteen mosques.

‘The population in 1836 was under 6,000.

‘The walls of the ancient city are comparatively perfect.

‘From the Acropolis the wall has been carried down the almost vertical face of the cliff, and after crossing the valley, is made to ascend the opposite steep hill in a zigzag and extraordinary manner.

‘At the steepest part of the hills these walls necessarily become a succession of gigantic steps between the towers, which, at some places, are close to one another.’—‘Narrative of the Euphrates Expedition,’ p. 189, by J. R. Chesney, London, 1868. (L.)

[56] ‘Cyrus, dans la Syrie. Procope rapporte que celle ville fut fondée par les Juifs. C’est la ville Cyrrhus de Ptolemée dont il fait la capitale de la Cyrrhestique. Elle était à 2 journées d’Antioche. Ou la nomine aussi Cyrrhus.’—‘Encyclopédie Méthodique,’ ‘Géographie Ancienne,’ Paris, 1787. (L.) It is now Chorres, north-west of Aleppo. (W.)

[57] ‘Chalcis, between Beyrout and Damascus, where there are ruins of the old city, surrounded by a prostrate wall. Two or three miserable hovels are now the only representatives of a royal city.’—Porter’s (Murray’s) ‘Syria and Palestine,’ 1875, p. 515. (L.) Is not the Northern Chalcis (now Kinnesrin), south-west of Aleppo, intended? It is mentioned in ‘Itin.,’ Ant., also in Ant. Mart., ‘Itin.’ (W.)

[58] ‘Martyropolis, near the River Nymphæus. Tradition says that it was founded towards the end of the fifth century by Bishop Maroutha, who there collected the relics of all the martyrs which could be found in Armenia, Persia and Syria. It was the capital of Roman Armenia, now Miafarékyn.’—Smith’s ‘Dict. of Geography.’ (L.)

[59] Citharizon, now probably Pâlû on the Murad Chai. (W.)

[60] Q.y. Autararizon.

[61] ‘Sebastia (Sivas) regarded by Pliny as not belonging to Pontus, but to Cappadocia. Its ancient name is unknown. Pompey increased it, and called it Megalopolis. Its walls were restored by Justinian: (Procopius). There are ruins of two castles of different epochs. One appears to have belonged to the kings of Pontus, strengthened by Romans and rebuilt by Mohammedans.’—Ainsworth’s ‘Journey’ in Chesney, p. 529. (L.)

[62] Nicopolis now Shabhin Kara Hissar. (W.)

[63] Melitene now Malatia. (W.)

[64] Trapezus now Trebizond. (W.)

[65] Amasea (Amasia). ‘Hamilton found two Hellenic towers of beautiful construction on the heights. But the greater part of the walls now standing are Byzantine or Turkish. (See “Researches in Assyria,” vol. ii., p. 16.) Hamilton explored a passage cut in the rock, about 300 feet, to a small pool of clear cold water.’—Chesney, p. 535. The tombs described by Strabo remain. They are supposed to have been built by Mithridates.

[66] Rhizeum now Rizeh, to the east of Trebizond. (W.)

[67] This country was known to the Greeks and Romans as Colchis.

[68] A town of the Lazi or Colchis, founded by a general of Justinian to keep the Lazi in subjection. Taken by Chosroes, 541; retaken, 551, by Romans and destroyed. See Procopius, B. Per. and Bel. Got., and Gibbon. Its ruins are now called Oudjenar. (L.)

‘The sole vestige of Petra subsists in the writings of Procopius and Agathias.’—Gibbon, ch. xiii. (S.)

[69] Sea of Azof. (W.)

[70] Formerly Dioscurias, on eastern shore of Black Sea. (W.)

[71] Now Anchialo in Eastern Roumelia. (W.)

[72] ‘Under the name of Justiniana Prima, the obscure village of Tauresium became the seat of an archbishop and a præfect, whose jurisdiction extended over seven warlike provinces of Illyricum; and the corrupt appellation of Giustendil still indicates, about twenty miles south of Sophia, the residence of a Turkish sanjak.’—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.)

[73] ‘From the edge of the seashore, through the forests and valleys, and as far as the summit of the Thessalian Mountains, a strong wall was continued, which occupied every practical entrance. Instead of a hasty crowd of peasants, a garrison of 2,000 soldiers was stationed along the rampart; granaries of corn and reservoirs of water were provided for their use; and by a precaution that inspired the cowardice which it foresaw, convenient fortresses were erected for their retreat.’—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.)

[74] ‘Six hundred of these forts were built or repaired by the Emperor; but it seems reasonable to believe, that the far greater part of them consisted only of a brick or stone tower, in the midst of a square or circular area, which was surrounded by a wall and ditch, and afforded in a moment of danger some protection to the peasants and cattle of its neighbouring villages.’—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.)

[75] Singidonum, now Belgrade. (W.)

[76] ‘Strabo speaks of the “Iron Gate” as the place where the Danube ends and the Ister begins. Trajan’s bridge, of twenty or twenty-two stone piers with wooden arches, was built, A.D. 103, just below the rapids of the “Iron Gate,” which grind to powder the ice-blocks of winter, and save the piers from the shock which might otherwise destroy them.’—Murray’s ‘Handbook of Southern Germany.’ (S.)

[77] Procopius here confounds the Mœsians of Europe with the Mysians of Asia Minor. The passage alluded to is in Homer’s ‘Iliad,’ ii. 604. (S.)

[78] Mœsia.

[79] ‘The “long wall,” as it was emphatically styled, was a work as disgraceful in the object, as it was respectable in the execution.... At the distance of only forty miles from the capital, Anastasius was constrained to establish a last frontier; his long wall of sixty miles, from the Propontis to the Euxine, proclaimed the impotence of his arms; and as the danger became more imminent, new fortifications were added by the indefatigable prudence of Justinian.’—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.)

[80] Selybria, now Silibri, on Sea of Marmora. (W.)

[81] Heraclea, now Eregli, on Sea of Marmora. (W.)

[82] Rhædestus, now Rodosto, on Sea of Marmora. (W.)

[83] Elæus, near the south-east extremity of the Gallipoli promontory, opposite the plain of Troy. (W.)

[84] Callipolis, now Gallipoli. The wall was about on the line of the Gallipoli lines so well known during the Crimean War. (W.)

[85] ‘In an age of freedom and valour, the slightest rampart may prevent a surprise; and Procopius appears insensible of the superiority of ancient times, while he praises the solid construction and double parapet of a wall, whose long arms stretched on either side into the sea; but whose strength was deemed insufficient to guard the Chersonesus, if each city, and particularly Gallipoli and Sestus, had not been secured by their peculiar fortifications.’—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.)

[86] Ænus, now Enos, at the mouth of the Maritza. (W.)

[87] ‘Considerable remains of a church were found on the hill at Ayasalouk. This was perhaps St. John’s Church, and was in existence when the Council was held in 431. The Greeks have built for themselves a small church over the site of an ancient Greek church, which was possibly the Church of St. John, as that was known to have been built on a hill.’—‘Ephesus,’ by J. T. Wood, and Society of Biblical Archæology (London, 1878), p. 332 and ‘Discoveries,’ p. 164.

‘St. John’s, at Ephesus, has been destroyed to its foundation. It was in the form of a cross, with a dome at the intersection.’—Texier and Pullan, p. 22. (L.)

[88] Leake, ‘Tour in Asia Minor,’ p. 10.

[89] See Leake’s ‘Tour in Asia Minor,’ p. 10.

[90] See Leake’s ‘Tour in Asia Minor,’ pp. 8, 10. (S.)

At the south end of the lake (Arcania), beautifully situated, stood the ruined towers of the famous Nicæa. Seldom have I had a harder day’s work than in attempting to see and comprehend this ruin of ruins.

‘The grandeur and peculiar beauty of the arts amongst the earlier Greeks cannot be concealed even in the broken materials.

‘Some parts of the walls are entirely Roman; in others the Cross, etc., give the date of the earlier Christians. On three of the towers in the walls of the city are three similar inscriptions. The sign of the Cross is prefixed to all three: “The Tower of Michael, the Great King, Emperor in Christ.”’—‘Travels in Asia Minor,’ by Sir C. Fellows (London, 1852), pp. 83, 85.

‘A very small church still stands within the present town, which, from its mosaic floor and ceiling, may probably be of the date of St. Mark’s at Venice, or rather of the Byzantine age.

‘Without the walls is a Roman aqueduct, which still supplies the town with water from the neighbouring mountain.’—Ibid., p. 87. (L.)

[91] Nicomedia, now Ismid. (W.)

[92] Sangaris, now Sakarieh River. The bridge is now some distance from the river, which has changed its course. (W.)

[93] Leake’s ‘Tour in Asia Minor,’ pp. 79, 80. (S.)

[94] Leake’s, ‘Tour in Asia Minor,’ pp. 180, 217. (S.)

[95] Leake, p. 215. (S.)

[96] Ibid., p. 214.

[97] ‘The Virgin of Jerusalem might exult in the temple erected by her imperial votary on a most ungrateful spot, which afforded neither ground nor materials to the architect,’ etc., etc.—Gibbon, ch. xl. (S.)

[98] See Appendix II.

[99] The church is octagonal. On the east side is an apse; on the north the main entrance. On five sides there are small chapels, and on the eighth probably a sixth. There is an inner octagon, which gives the place some resemblance to that of the Dome of the Rock. The only capital uncovered was of a debased Corinthian order. The church is believed to have been built by Justinian circa 533.

Plans by Sir C. W. Wilson are given in the Quarterly Statement of the Palestine Exploration Fund, 1873, p. 68.

The church is 70·0 inside east and west (inscribed circle of internal octagon). East apse, 15·0 diameter; side chapels, 27·0 long inside, with apses 9·0 diameter.

Said by Procopius to have been erected by the Emperor Zeno, not earlier than 474, to the Blessed Virgin. He says also that Justinian, after 529, built the external wall (9·0 thick) of the court, forming a fortress 180 by 230, with chambers built against the wall inside. One is 11·9 by 14·4 internally (vide Plan).—‘Palestine Exploration Memoirs,’ vol. ii., p. 189, 190. (L.)

[100] ‘The Vale of Palms by the shore of the Red Sea,’ Gibbon, ch. xlii.; Stanley, ‘Sinai and Palestine,’ ed. 12, pp. 20, 85, 519. (S.)

[101] Full plans, details and descriptions of the fort and church built by Justinian at the foot of J. Mûsa are given in the Ordnance Survey of Sinai. (W.)

[102] Tell es Sultân and Tellûl Abu el ‘Aleik (Roman). Many traces of ruins. The buildings do not appear to have been large or of fine masonry. A pillar-shaft nine inches in diameter, of marble, and fragments of cornices were found; also a capital of the rude Ionic style common in Byzantine buildings, cut in limestone and much weathered.

East and south-east there are extensive ruins on the way to Erîha—mounds, small foundations, and portions of an aqueduct. They do not appear to be of any great antiquity.

Jericho was inhabited in the fourth and fifth centuries, to which date the buildings near the Tell are most probably to be ascribed.—See ‘Memoirs, Survey of Western Palestine,’ vol. iii., pp. 173, 223. (L.)

[103] Well of St. Elisæus. May this be Elisha’s spring at ‘Ain es Sultan? (W.)

[104] The church is interesting as being the only basilica of Constantine left standing in Palestine.

The atrium is destroyed, but the basilica, consisting of a nave and four aisles, is almost intact, the original columns and the clerestory walls, with fragments of glass mosaic (of twelfth century), remaining. The basilica measures 87 feet east and west by 75 feet north and south.

At the east end is a transept with north and south apses and an east apse of equal size. The floor of the transept is raised for a width equal to that of the basilica nave (35 feet). The basilica is separated by a wall, erected by the Greeks in 1842, from the transept.—‘Palestine Exploration Memoirs,’ vol. iii., pp. 83-85.

Notwithstanding the slight notice of this city taken by Procopius, the part taken by Justinian in its adornment is otherwise spoken of in a very striking manner, and its celebrated basilica, usually stated, as above, to have been the work of Constantine, has been assigned in part to Justinian. The eastern part is almost certainly later than Constantine.

‘The choir, with its three apses, does not seem to be part of the original arrangement, but to have been added by Justinian when he renovated—Eutychius says rebuilt—the church.’—Fergusson’s ‘History’ (1867), vol. ii., p. 290.

Eutychius’ account is thus:

‘Jussit etiam Imperator legatum Ecclesiam Bethleemiticam quæ parva fuit diruere, aliamq, amplam, magnam et pulchram fabricare, adeo ut non esset Hierosolymis templum ipsâ pulchrius.

‘Perveniens ergo Legatus Hierosolyma, Nosocomium peregrinis condidit, et Ecclesiam Elenæ perfecit, templaque quæ incenderant Samaritani instauravit, nec non Monasteria quam plurima extruxit, dirutâque Ecclesiâ Bethleemiticâ eaudem eo quo jam se habet modo ædificavit.

‘Cumque his omnibus absolutis ad Imperatorem reversus esset, ille, describe mihi (inquit) quomodo Ecclesiam Bethleemiticam extruxisti. Quam cum ipsi descripsisset, haud probavit Imperator descriptionem estam nec ullatinus ipsi placuit, quaré valde ipsi iratus. Acceptos (inquit) nummos tibi ipsi congessisti, ædificium autem extruxisti male compactum et Ecclesiam tenebrosam confecisti nullatenus ex mente mea fabricatam, nec consilium meum secutus es. Capiteque ipsum plecti jussit.’

Eutychius adds after Omar’s conquest:

‘Deinde Bethleem ad eam visendam prefectus cum adesset orationis tempus intra Ecclesiam oravit ad arcum Australem.

‘Erat autem arcus totus opere tessellate variegatus. Scripsitque Omar Patriarchæ syngrapham;—neque mutaretur in eo quiequam.’—Eutychius, ‘Pocock’s Translation’ (Oxford, 1658), vol. ii., pp. 159, 288.

[105] The splendid cistern of St. John on Jordan, mentioned by Procopius as the work of Justinian, is still visible in an almost perfect condition. It is 30 feet deep, supported on rows of piers.—‘Memoirs,’ vol. iii., p. 177.

[106] Tŭbariya (Tiberias). ‘There are the remains of a sea-wall, and of some portions of a city-wall 12·0 thick; many traces of old buildings—at one place foundations which appear to belong to a church.

‘Epiphanius, in the fourth century, says that it had long been inhabited, exclusively by Jews. The Sanhedrim came to Tiberias in the middle of the second century. Thence it became the central point of Jewish learning for several centuries. (L.)

‘Justinian rebuilt the walls. These were thrown down by an earthquake in 1837.’—‘Palestine Exploration Memoirs,’ vol. i., p. 419.

‘The ruins of the ancient town of Tiberias. A great number of fine granite columns are lying about; also remains of the sea-wall, with towers. Behind the ruins the cliffs rise steeply, with traces of fortifications upon them.’—Palestine Exploration Quarterly Statement, 1877, p. 121.

[107] ‘Le Khan dit de Nebi-Younés a été depuis longtemps identifié avec Porphyreon.

‘Les dunes paraissent cacher des constructions antiques.

‘Quand je passai à Neby-Younés on venait d’ouvrir une de ces dunes, pour en tirer des pierres de construction. On voyait éventrées de jolies chambres, peintes présentant des animaux, des paons affrontés, sous de petits arceaux peints très ornés rappelant la disposition des canons qu’on trouve en tête des beaux évangeliaires Byzantins.

‘Il est évident qu’il y eut vers cet endroit une ville assez importante dont la floraison paraît avoir eu lieu surtout à l’époque Chrétienne.’—‘Mission de Phénicie dirigée,’ par M. Ernest Renan (Paris, Imprimerie Impériale, 1854), p. 510.

Khaifa, a small town at the foot of Mount Carmel. ‘Some have held Khaifa to be Sycaminos, and others Porphyreon. There seems to be some grounds for its identity with Sycaminos, but none for its being Porphyreon, nor Gath Hefer (Josh. xix. 13), as Benjamin of Tudela has tried to prove.’—‘Journey in Syria and Palestine in 1851-2,’ by C. W. M. Van de Velde (8vo., 1854), vol. i., p. 289.

‘All that is left of the ancient town of Porphyreon is a single granite column, with a sarcophagus. A Phœnician site has been replaced by a few tamarisks beside a Moslem well.’—Palestine Exploration Quarterly Statement, 1874, p. 199.

‘The Crusaders called Haifa (at the foot of Carmel) Porphyreon. The real town of this name, which was derived from the purple of the Murex there caught, was eight Roman miles from Sidon towards the north, and just south of the river Tamyras (Nahr Damûr).’—Palestine Exploration Quarterly Statement, 1876, p. 188.

[108] Acre (Ptolemais). ‘There are many fragments of Crusading masonry in the town. A small chapel near the sea, of this nature, has been identified with the Church of St. Andrew. There are also remains of the Hospital of the Knights of St. John and Church of St. John. Apian (given p. 163 of the ‘Memoirs’) dated 1291 contains notes of many churches and monasteries, but nothing referring to St. Sergius’ house.’—‘Palestine Exploration Memoirs,’ vol. i., pp. 160-167.

[109] ‘A large city of Syria, on the Orontes, called Pella by Seleucus Nicator, who fortified and enlarged it. In the Crusading times it bore the name of Tamieh—now Kŭlat el Medîk. There are large remains of ancient ruins.’—Smith’s ‘Dictionary of Geography.’ (L.)

[110] This is the celebrated Daphne (now Beit El Ma), near Antioch (Theopolia). (W.)

[111] ‘Dr. Robinson identifies the site of Tell Neby Mendeh with the Laodicea of Lebanon (also called Laodicea Cabiosa, Καβιώσα), mentioned by Ptolemy and Polybius—one of six towns founded circa 300 B.C. by Seleucus Nicator, in honour of his mother Laodice. It was eighteen M. P. from Emesa (Homs) on the road to Heliopolis (Baalbeck). (W.)

‘It is a great mound.

‘The principal ruins are on the flat ground east of the mill—the foundations of a building called El Kamû’a, about 50 by 50 feet, with remains of a doorway in the south-east corner. Some broken pillar-shafts lie near, and the walls appear to have been ornamented with pilasters in low relief. The details appear to belong to a late period of classic art.

‘These probably are the remains of the Laodicea of later times. This city was the see of a bishop.’—Palestine Exploration Quarterly Statement, 1881, pp. 162, 167. (L.)

[112] Isauria. A district in Asia Minor to the south of Iconium. (W.)

[113] Now probably Karioon, about 15 miles from Alexandria. (L.)

[114] ‘Discoveries at Cyrene,’ by Capt. R. M. Smith, R.E., and Commander E. A. Porcher, R.N. (fol., London, 1864). At page 6 a map of the coast is given, and also a plan, to a small scale, of Ptolemeta, Apollonia, Teuchira and Ben Ghazi (Berenice). The five cities (Pentapolis) of Cyrenaica were Apollonia, Barca, Berenice or Hesperis, Cyrene and Teuchira.

[115] ‘A town in the Libyan Nome, west of the Delta, and about 25 miles from Alexandria. There were probably several places of this name in Egypt, but this appears to have been the most considerable, inasmuch as it was the place where the prefect of Alexandria held the periodical census of the Libyan Nome.’—Smith’s ‘Dictionary of Geography,’ 1857. (L.)

[116] ‘Tocra, the ancient Teuchria, afterwards called Arsinöe, which, although totally deserted, is still completely enclosed, except on the sea or north side, by walls of uncommon solidity and thickness, strengthened at intervals by quadrangular towers, twenty-six in number, and is entered by two strong-built gateways.... The walls were repaired by Justinian, in doing which blocks of stone and marble have been introduced, many bearing Greek inscriptions, which evidently formed part of much older buildings.’—Eng. Cycl., s.v. ‘Cyrene.’ (S.)

A plan of the remains of Taucra or Teuchira is given in Capt. Beechey’s ‘North Coast of Africa,’ p. 388 (4to., 1828). He states, p. 353, that the walls repaired under the Emperor Justinian still remain in a state of perfection which sufficiently proves the solidity of the work. A long account of the city and its walls is given at p. 375, etc. Also in Smith and Porcher’s ‘Discoveries at Cyrene’ (1864), p. 64, where Justinian’s walls are particularly mentioned.

[117] ‘Scarcely a vestige of the wall remains.’—Eng. Cycl. s.v. ‘Bengazi.’

[118] Berenice, about 40 miles to south-west of Barca. Here the ancients placed the gardens of the Hesperides—now Ben Ghazi. (Beechey, p. 314.) Bengazi may be considered as occupying the site of the Berenice of the Ptolemies and of the Hesperis of earlier times; but very few remains now appear above ground to interest the sculptor, the architect or the antiquary.—J. Pennell’s ‘Herodotus’ (4to., London, 1800), p. 154.

Of the ancient city very few remains are now visible. ‘At the back of the castle, some foundations may be seen cropping out, but the tomb of a saint prevents any excavations being made.’—Smith and Porcher’s ‘Discoveries at Cyrene’ (1864), p. 13.

‘Bengazi, the ancient Berenice, built by Ptolemy Philadelphus.

Nothing now remains but its port, which is certainly the best on the coast of Tripoli.’ ‘On the north there are still to be seen, beyond seamark, the foundations of several large buildings, of stones 8 or 10 feet long and 3 broad, which, by their own weight and being bound by strong cement, have preserved their places.’—Lieut.-Col. Playfair, ‘Travels in the Footsteps of Bruce’ (4to., London, 1877.)

[119] Ptolemaïs (Ptolemeta), now Dolmeita. V. Beechey, p. 376. He gives, at p. 338, etc., a plan of the city and environs, and also drawings of some of the ruins. The city was something less than a mile in length from north to south, and its breadth from east to west something more than three-quarters. Captain Beechey describes the remains of the walls to the city and harbour, of two theatres, an amphitheatre, and various buildings of more than ordinary consequence. ‘Some of the shafts of small columns are spiral and formed of coloured marbles, and may probably be attributed to the time of Justinian, when the city revived under his politic munificence.’

Lieut.-Col. Playfair, ‘Footsteps of Bruce’ (1877), pp. 288, 289, gives a good account also.

Smith and Porcher, pp. 64, 66, give drawings of ruins. ‘At a point nearly opposite the centre of the east wall, the ravine is spanned by the arch of a bridge still standing, which appears to have been built for an aqueduct which we could trace distinctly for some distance from the city. Within the walls the aqueduct led in the direction of enormous reservoirs near the centre of the city.’ Messrs. Smith and Porcher describe them as consisting of six chambers, each chamber too feet long and 20 broad, arched over. The repairs to the aqueduct and cisterns are ascribed by Procopius to Justinian. (L.)

[120] ‘Several of the buildings are partly standing, such as a lofty gateway, an amphitheatre, two theatres, a palace or large building, the inner court of which still retains its tesselated pavement.’—Eng. Cycl. s.v. ‘Cyrene.’ (S.)

[121] ‘The exact position of this S. Borium it is difficult to determine.’—Smith’s ‘Dictionary of Geography.’

[122] Augila (now Aujilah). ‘Its historical importance is considerable, and it is one of those few places whose name has not undergone change since Herodotus wrote.’—Rennell’s ‘Herodotus,’ pp. 568-613 (4to., 1800). (L.)

[123] Leptis Magna. ‘The city appears to have been comprehended within little more than a square half-mile of ground. The actual remains are still sufficient to be somewhat imposing; but they are for the most part so deeply buried under the sand which ten centuries of neglect have allowed to accumulate over them, that plans of them could not be obtained without very extensive excavations. The style of the buildings is universally Roman.’ The walls and fortifications, probably restored by Justinian, were finally demolished by the Saracens. From that time the city appears to have been wholly abandoned and its remains employed in the construction of Modern Tripoli.—‘North Coast of Africa,’ by Beechey (4to., London, 1828), pp. 52, 54.

Lieut.-Col. Playfair, p. 283, describes the remains thus: ‘Libidah, the ancient town of Leptis Magna, three days’ journey from Tripoli where there are a great extent of ruins, but all in bad taste—chiefly done in the lime of Aurelian—indeed very bad. It is said that in the time of Louis XIV. seven monstrous columns of granite or marble were carried from this place into France.’ Bruce also states that he saw several statues of good taste which had been deprived of their heads. (L.)

[124] Tacape. ‘Gabes: this was the Epichus of Sylax and the Tacape of other ancient geographers; where we have a heap of ruins with some beautiful granite pillars still standing. These are all square and about 12 feet long, and such as I have not met with in any other part of Africa.’—Shaw’s ‘Travels in Barbary,’ p. 113. (L.)

[125] Carthage. Shaw, p. 81, etc., of his ‘Travels in Barbary,’ describes the remains of Carthage existing in his time (circa 1750), in particular the great cistern (of which he gives a plan at p. 75), ‘which had very little suffered,’ and ‘the famous aqueduct, a great part whereof is still standing:’—‘We see—a long range of its arches, all of them intact, 70 feet high, supported by columns 16 feet square ... the channel being high and broad enough for an ordinary person to walk in.’

Bruce says, ‘We passed ancient Carthage, of which little remains but the cisterns, the aqueduct, and a magnificent flight of steps leading up to the Temple of Esculapius.’ He gives (p. 130) a drawing of the aqueduct, which Col. Playfair describes ‘as one of the greatest works the Romans ever executed in North Africa.’ ‘It was destroyed by the Vandals, restored by Belisarius, the general of Justinian. On the expulsion of the Byzantines it was once more cut off, restored by the Arabs, again destroyed by the Spaniards, and finally restored by the present Bey, Sidi Saduk, at a cost of 13,000,000 francs.’—Lieut.-Col. Playfair in ‘Footsteps of Bruce,’ p. 128.

[126] Baga. ‘The city of Beja or Bay-jah, which by the name and situation should be the Vacca of Sallust, the Oppidum Vagense of Pliny, the ΒΑΓΑ of Plutarch, and the Vaccensium ordo Splendissimus, as the title runs in an imperfect inscription.’ ‘Bay-jah keeps up the character that Sallust gives his Vacca of being a town of great trade.’ ‘The walls are raised out of the ancient materials.’—Shaw’s ‘Travels in Barbary,’ p. 92.

‘The ancient city was surrounded by a wall, flanked by square towers—no doubt this was originally constructed by the Byzantines—but were allowed by the Arabs to fall into decay. The only part in a relative state of preservation is the Kasba, a great part of which seems to me the original construction of Belisarius or Solomon.’ It contains ‘a large and lofty hall, about 15 paces long and 10 wide, with a vaulted roof supported on two square pillars.’—Lieut.-Col. Playfair, p. 234. (L.)

[127] Adrumetus. ‘Herkla—the Heraclea of the lower empire, the Justiniana of the middle, and the Adrumetum of the earlier ages.‘ ‘It appears to have been little more than a mile in circuit.’ ‘That part of the promontory which formed the port seems to have been walled in quite down to the seashore; but the rest of it, to a distance of a furlong from thence, does not discover the least traces of ruins.’—Shaw’s ‘Travels in Barbary,’ pp. 105, 106. (L.)

[128] Ca-poudia, the Caput Veda of Procopius, the Ammonis Promontorium of Strabo, and the Promontorium Brachodes of Ptolemy—a low narrow strip of land which stretches itself a great way into the sea. Upon the very point of it we have the ruins of the city that was built there by Justinian, where there is likewise a high round watch-tower.’—Shaw’s ‘Travels in Barbary,’ p. 111. (L.)

[129] ‘Of the Vandals chosen by Belisarius, the far greater part, in the honours of the Eastern service, forgot their country and religion. But a generous band of four hundred obliged the mariners, when they were within sight of the Isle of Lesbos, to alter their course: they touched at Peloponnesus, ran ashore on a desert coast of Africa, and boldly erected on mount Aurasius the standard of independence and revolt.’—Gibbon, ch. xliii. (S.)

Aurasius. The Auris Mountains. The inhabitants still retain some marked peculiarities which distinguish them from the surrounding people. (W.)

[130] Septem or Ceuta.