Byzantine Churches in Constantinople: Their History and Architecture

by Alexander Van Millingen; Walter S. George; Arthur E. Henderson; Ramsay Traquair

On the southern wall:
8.	A portion of the figure of an armed angel. AboveNo. 8 and at the side of the window:
9.	Two men carrying a bier or platform. In front ofthem a third person giving directions.
10.	In the arched recess: full-length figures ofAndronicus II. and his family. In the soffit of the arch, the headof Christ in a medallion, with rays issuing from behind theaureola.
11.	and 12. In the spandrils above the recess: twoheads in medallions.
13.	In the dome vault: the Last Judgment. Christ injudgment fills the centre; behind Him are the twenty-four eldersseated on a long throne; farther back is gathered the heavenlyhost.

[PLATE XCII.]

Archivolt on the South Wall of the Parecclesion, with the Epitaph in honour of Tornikes

To face page 330.

On the southern wall:
14.	On the north-eastern pendentive: the Virgin andChild in a Paradise, with trees on a white background.
15.	On the south-eastern pendentive: the Mouth ofHell.
16.	On the south pilaster of the dome: an armedangel.
17.	Above that angel, on the arch: a man bearing theSeven-Branched Candlestick, and beside him another man bearing withboth hands some object above his head, perhaps the Table of ShewBread.
18.	On the northern pilaster: a warrior.
19.	In the centre of the arch: the Head of Christ ina medallion. The Western Bay.
20.	At the south-western corner where the wall ismuch damaged, a saint.
21.	Above No. 20, to the west of the window: Christappearing to His disciples.
22.	To the east of the window, an indistinct scene,perhaps the Entombment.
23.	At the north-western corner: S. Samona.
24.	A saint, not named.
25.	Over the door two saints, one of whom holds across.
26.	The northern archway: In the centre is the doorto the narrow passage between the parecclesion and the church. Tothe left, Jacob's Ladder; to the right, Moses at the Burning Bush.In the bush is a medallion of the Virgin and Child, and from thebush an angel addresses Moses, who holds his veil in his hand.
27,	28, 29, 30. In the pendentives of thedome: the Four Evangelists sitting at desks.
31.	The dome is divided into twelve segments byribs, and is pierced by twelve windows. Above each window is anangel holding a spear, and below him is the legend 'Holy.' In thecrown are the Virgin and Child in a medallion.
32.	A saint holding a small cross; below, in thesouth wall, the archivolt with the epitaph to Tornikes aboveit.
33.	A warrior saint with his sword and shield.
34.	Above Nos. 32 and 33 on the arch, a figure, cladin a white mantle and blue robe with a scroll in his hand, pointsto an angel, who holds his drawn sword in the right hand and thescabbard in the left hand, and seems to be attacking severalpersons in the right-hand corner. Behind him is a walled andfortified city, probably Jericho.
35.	On the north wall: S. Eutadius.
36.	The Adoration by the magi.
37,	38. On the west wall: thefigures of two saints, not named.

Epitaph in honour of Tornikes:—

ὅσους ἂν ἁθροίζοι τις ἐνθάδε κρότους νεκροὺς ὁ ταφεὶς ἐξελέγξει Τορνίκης, ὁ τρὶς ἀριστεὺς ἢ κονσταῦλος μέγας, ὥσπερ μίμους, βέλτιστε, πιθήκους λέων. 5ὅς, βασιλικῶν ἀποτεχθεὶς αἱμάτων, παρέσχεν αὐτοῖς προσφυῆ καὶ τὸν τρόπον. ποῖον γὰρ οὐκ ἦν ἀρετῆς εἶδος φέρων, ὡς ὁ πρέπων ἕκαστον ἐζήτει χρόνος; βουληφόρος δ' οὖν, καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἡλικίας 10καὶ δημαγωγός, καὶ κριτὴς ἦν ἀγχίνους. καὶ πρὸς μὲν ἐχθροὺς τακτικὴν ἔπνει φλόγα, κεραυνὸς ὢν ἄφυκτος αὐτοῖς ἀθρόοις, τῇ δὲ στρατιᾷ πατρικῶς ἐπεστάτει, φρουρῶν τὰ κοινά, μὴ κλαπῇ τὸ συμφέρον. 15 κήδους δὲ τυχὼν εὐγενοῦς καὶ κοσμίου καὶ βασιλικὸν προσλαβὼν αὖθις γένος καὶ λαμπρὸν ὑπόδειγμα παρεὶς τὸν βίον, κεῖται μοναστὴς εὐτελὴς ἐν ὀστέοις. ἥλιε καὶ γῆ καὶ τελευταῖοι κρότοι. 20 πενθεῖ δὲ μικροῦ πᾶν τὸ Ῥωμαίων γένος, ὅσον περ αὐτὸν ἀγνοοῦν οὐ τυγχάνει. ἀλλ' ὦ μόνε, ζῶν καὶ μεθιστῶν τὰς φύσεις, εἴ πού τι καὶ πέπραχεν αὐτῷ μὴ πρέπον λύσιν παρασχὼν τὴν Ἐδὲν κλῆρον δίδου.

In line 7 the inscription reads φcρωN instead of φέρων; in line 23 IIρcποN for πρέπον.

Good Friend! However many dead applauses (celebrities) One may collect here, The entombed Tornikes, who was thrice a foremost man or Grand Constable, Will put them to shame as a lion will put to shame mimicking apes. He who was by birth of royal blood, Presented also a manner of life conformed to that descent. For what form of virtue did he not possess Such as the fitting occasion demanded each? Therefore he was a councillor before the usual age, And a popular leader and an acute judge, And upon enemies he breathed a strategic flame (such as military rules required), And was an irresistible thunderbolt upon their serried ranks. He presided over the army like a father, Guarding the commonweal lest any advantage to it should be stolen. Contracting a highly-born and seemly marriage connection, And securing thus again royal affinity, [551] And leaving his life as a splendid example, He lies a poor monk among bones! O sun, O earth, O final applauses! Well-nigh the whole Roman race laments him, As much of it as is not ignorant of him. But O only living One and transformer of natures, If perchance he did aught that was not fitting for him, Granting him pardon, give him Eden as his inheritance. [554]