Chap. XX.
Of the Imperial Library, and Portico; as also of the Imperial Cistern.
THE Imperial Palace, says Zonaras, stood near the Basilica, hard by the Brasiers Shops. The Basilica was furnished with many Volumes, both of human and divine Learning. It was anciently the Mansion House of some Person of distinguished Knowledge, whom they called the President or Master. He had under him twelve Assistants, excellently well skilled in the Art of Reasoning, who were maintained at the publick Charge. They had each of them several Pupils under them, who were instructed in the Methods of Argumentation, and were had in such high Estimation, that upon all important Affairs of State, the Emperors summoned them to Council. In the Reign of Basilicus, there happened at Constantinople a great Fire, which begun at, and consumed the Brasiers Shops, with all the adjacent Buildings, burnt down whole Streets; and among other fine Edifices, destroyed the famous Basilica, which contained a Library of six hundred thousand Volumes. Among other Curiosities of this Place, was the Gut of a Dragon, a hundred and twenty Foot long, on which were inscribed in Golden Characters the Iliads and Odysses of Homer. Malchus, a learned Byzantian, wrote the History of Constantinople, which he brought down from the Reign of Constantine, to the Time of Anastasius the Emperor, in which he very passionately laments the burning of the publick Library, and the Statues of the Forum Augusteum. Cedrinus speaking of the same Library, gives the same Account of it with Zonaras, almost word for word, and adds, That this Library contain’d the Histories of the Atchievements of the greatest Heroes, in the several Ages of the World. Many Years after this Basilica was burn’d down, the Emperor Leo Conon, the Students vigorously opposing his Heresy, order’d the Palace to be fired, and burnt them, and the Library; which was afterwards rebuilt, and furnished with a most curious Collection of the best Authors. The Basilicæ at Old Rome, were the Places where they used to plead, to hold their Councils and Senates, and to carry on the Business of Merchandize and Commerce: At Constantinople they were used as Libraries and Schools of Learning, as appears by what I have already observ’d, as also from the following Inscription.
Upon the publick School in Byzantium.
This Place was built for all th’ unletter’d Youth
Whose Genius leads ’em to the Roman Law.
In Pleading skill’d, and fraught with Eloquence,
They leave these Walls, and plead their Countrey’s Cause.
Modern Writers tell us, that the Place where the Library stood was of an Octogonal Figure, where there were arch’d Portico’s, and a large Room, where the head Master used to converse with his Assistants. Cedrinus affirms, that the great Church, the Hospital of Sampson, the Gate-house of the Basilica, the Augusteum, the Chalca, the two long Portico’s, as far as the Forum of Constantine, the Octogon, and the Bagnio’s of Zeuxippus, were destroy’d by a Fire, which happen’d in the Reign of Justinian. I would observe from this Passage, that there must of Necessity be two Octogons near one another. For if the Octogon, as Cedrinus reports, had been the same with that where the Library stood, he would not have omitted to take Notice that the Library was burnt down also in the Reign of Justinian. It is my Opinion, that the Place where the Library stood, was of a quadrangular Figure, and seems to be the same Building which Procopius says was encompassed with Pillars erected in a square Manner. Zonaras mentions nothing of the Form of the Basilica, which contain’d the Library, but only says, that it adjoin’d to the Chalcopratia, or Braziers Shops. Cedrinus calls the Basilica, Cisterna, which some Writers erroneously tell us, was built by Constantine the Great. I am confirm’d in this Opinion from Procopius, who says, that near the Imperial Portico, where the Lawyers used to plead, there was a spacious Building of a great Length and Breadth, encompassed with Pillars in a quadrangular Manner, situate on a rocky Ground, which was built by Justinian to a great Height, for preserving the Water in Summer, which was brought into it by subterraneous Pipes, and in the Winter from the Aqueducts, for the Use of the Poor. Menander, surnam’d the Protector, says of himself, that it was once against his Inclinations to enter into the Litigations of the Law in the Imperial Portico, and by the Force of Pleading, to attempt to reconcile the Jarrings and Contentions of Men. Agathius plays handsomly upon one Uranius a Native of Syria, who set up for a Physician, although he was entirely ignorant of the Aristotelian Discipline. This Fellow was blustering, noisy, an impudent Pretender to infallible Cures, and very talkative, among other Places, in the Imperial Portico; and speaking of himself, he tells us, that he has often from Morning to Night read over many Law Books, and Discourses of Trade and Commerce in the Imperial Portico’s. From these Passages it is observable, that the Imperial Portico, and the Imperial Cistern, stood in the same Place. The Imperial Portico is not to be seen, though the Cistern is still remaining. Through the Carelesness and Contempt of every thing that is curious in the Inhabitants, it was never discover’d, but by me, who was a Stranger among them, after a long and diligent Search after it. The whole Ground was built upon, which made it less suspected there was a Cistern there. The People had not the least Suspicion of it, although they daily drew their Water out of the Wells which were sunk into it. I went by Chance into a House, where there was a Descent into it, and went aboard a little Skiff. The Master of the House, after having lighted some Torches, rowing me here and there across, through the Pillars, which lay very deep in Water, I made a Discovery of it. He was very intent upon catching his Fish, with which the Cistern abounds, and spear’d some of them by the Light of the Torches. There is also a small Light which descends from the Mouth of the Well, and reflects upon the Water, where the Fish usually come for Air. This Cistern is three hundred and thirty six Foot long, a hundred and eighty two Foot broad, and two hundred and twenty four Roman Paces in Compass. The Roof, and Arches, and Sides, are all Brick-work, and cover’d with Terrass, which is not the least impair’d by Time. The Roof is supported with three hundred and thirty six Marble Pillars. The Space of Intercolumniation is twelve Foot. Each Pillar is above forty Foot nine Inches high. They stand lengthways in twelve Ranges, broad-ways in twenty eight. The Capitals of them are partly finish’d after the Corinthian Model, and part of them not finish’d. Over the Abacus of every Pillar is placed a large Stone, which seems to be another Abacus, and supports four Arches. There are abundance of Wells which fall into the Cistern. I have seen, when it was filling in the Winter-time, a large Stream of Water falling from a great Pipe with a mighty Noise, till the Pillars, up to the Middle of the Capitals, have been cover’d with Water. This Cistern stands Westward of the Church of St. Sophia, at the Distance of eighty Roman Paces from it.