Not the bright Sun, which gilds the Eastern Sky,
With greater Lustre shines, than Theodosius.
See how he sits aloft in radiant Arms,
And with mild Aspect views his loving People!
The fiery Steed, pleas’d with the Royal Burthen,
In warlike Posture seems to move, and live.
Suidas proceeds farther, and tells us, that the Statues of Sophia, the Consort of Justin the Thracian, of his Daughter Arabia, and his Niece Helena; as also the Equestrian Statues of Arcadius and Theodosius his Son, were placed in the Miliarium, near the Statue of Theodosius the Great. Cedrinus writes, that there stood two Statues above the Nich of the Miliarium, one of Constantine the Great, the other of his Mother Helena, with a Cross between them: Behind them was placed the Statue of Trajan on Horse-back, and that near him was placed the Statue of Ælius Hadrianus. Suidas adds, that the Cross which was placed between Constantine and Helena, had this Inscription; una sancta, & duo celeres Cursores. From whence it is evident, that the Forum, the Miliarium, and the Basilica stood so near together, that they are not only placed by different Authors in different Places, but sometimes by one and the same Historian. The same Writer says, that there was also in the Miliarium a great Piece of Antiquity, which was a Chariot drawn by four Fallow Horses, supported by two square Pillars, in the Place where Constantine was received by his Army with joyful Congratulations, after he had conquered Azotium; but originally, because Byzas, the Founder of Byzantium, had there been highly applauded by the People. The Chariot of the Sun was carried into the Hippodrom, in which was seated a small Statue, made by the Order of Constantine. This Statue was the Fortune of the City, which on great Festivals, and the Day of the Celebration of the Foundation of the City, was set up with a Cross on her Head, in the Senate-House. Julian the Apostate demolished it in the same Place, where Arius died in a miserable Manner, which was at a small Distance from the Senate-House. In the same Place, the pious Emperor Theodosius had ordered the Statues of Arius, Macedonius, Sabellius, and Eunomius, which were cut in Marble, to be placed in a sitting Posture on the Ground, to be polluted with the Excrements, and receive the Curses of the People, in Token of their flagrant Perfidiousness. Other Historians say, that the Statue of the Fortune of the City was brought from Rome by Constantine the Great, and placed in a Nich in the Palace. Zosimus writes, that Constantine placed the Fortune of Rome, on the Side of one of the four Portico’s that surrounded the great Forum. ’Tis very probable, that the People of Constantinople celebrated a Festival in Honour of her, as was customary at Old Rome, both by Natives and Foreigners, the same Day, in which the Palilia, (the Festivals of Pales) were celebrated. Socrates tells us, that Julian, when he was publickly sacrificing to the Fortune of Constantinople, in the Basilica, where her Statue was set up; Mares, the Bishop of Chalcedon, being led thither by the Hand, for he was blind with Age, sharply reprimanded him, and called him an Apostate from the Christian Religion. Julian in Return, called him a blind old Fellow, adding sarcastically this Question; Is your God, the Galilean, able to cure you? For thus, by Way of Contempt, he used to call our Saviour. Upon which the good old Bishop replied, I thank my God, who has taken my Sight from me, so that I cannot behold the Man who is fallen into so great an Apostacy; upon which Julian was silent. Zonaras, and some Historians who lived before him, have recorded, That in the Time of Anastasius, the Statue of Fortune, made in Brass, stood with one Foot in a brazen Ship, and was placed in some Part of the City; but that when this Ship began to decay with Age, or some Parts of it were stolen, or shattered by Treachery, it happened, that no Ships of Burthen came into the Port of Constantinople, but that upon their Arrival near the City, a Storm prevented their coming into Harbour; and if their Cargo was taken aboard the Long-boats, and brought into the City, they tell you it was soon consumed, by Reason of the Scarcity, which then prevailed. Upon this, the Curatores of the City were obliged to enquire into the Reason of it. When the Magistrates of the City, upon Information, began to suspect the Cause, they found, upon Enquiry, the Fragments of the Ship, which were fitted to their proper Places, when on a sudden, Navigation was open and free, and the Sea was constantly full of Vessels sailing into the Port. And that they might fully discover the real Cause of this Calamity, they repeated the Experiment, by stripping the Ship again of some Pieces of it, and the Ships coming into Harbour, were prevented as before; so they repaired the brazen Vessel she stood in, and took a particular Care of it. Eunapius, who wrote the History of the Lives of the Philosophers and wise Men, says, that in the Reign of Constantine, the Inhabitants attributed this Difficulty of coming into Harbour to another Cause. There was no entring the Port at Constantinople, says he, unless the Wind stood full South. When this had frequently happened, the People, oppressed with Famine, assembled in the Theatre, enraged at Constantine. The Chief of the Courtiers having conceived a Resentment against Sopatrus the Philosopher, brought him before the Emperor, and impeached him in the following Manner: This Sopatrus, Sir, who is so high in your Favour, has by his excessive Wisdom chained up the Winds, for which you so far admire him, as to admit him too near your Imperial Person. Constantine, believing the Allegations, ordered him to be beheaded.
Chap. XXIV.
Of the Temple of Neptune, of the Church of St. Mina, (or Menna) of the Stadia, and the Stairs of Timasius.
I Cannot omit taking Notice of the Church of St. Mina, because it shews in what Part of the City the fourth Ward stood, which contained the Basilica, the Augusteum, and the Church of St. Mina. The History of an unknown Author reports, that Byzas formerly built a Temple to Neptune, near the Acropolis, by the Sea, where, he says, that in his Time stood the Church of St. Mina the Martyr; though he seems to contradict himself, where he says, that the Church of St. Mina was formerly the Temple of Jupiter, and that the Roof of it, which was arched with Marble, was supported with two large Pillars. So that I can conclude nothing from the Uncertainty of this Writer, but that it seems more probable to me, that the Church of St. Mina stood in those Parts of the Acropolis, in which formerly stood the Temple of Neptune, as appears from Dionysius an antient Writer of Byzantium, who says, that a little above the Promontory of the Bosporus, was erected an Altar to Minerva Egressoria, and the Temple of Neptune; and that below the Temple of Neptune were the Stadia, and the Gymnasia, where they diverted themselves with martial Sports and Exercises, as I have shewn more at large in my Treatise of the Bosporus. I am confirmed in this Opinion from the Information of some of the Inhabitants now living, who told me, that within the Imperial Precinct, formerly called the Acropolis, stood the Church of St. Mina. The Antient Description of the Wards of the City tells us, that the Church of St. Mina stood in the same Ward with the Stadia, and the Stairs of Timasius. Procopius writes, That at the Place called the Stadium, near the Sea, where they exercised themselves in martial Sports, the Emperor Justinian, and his Empress Theodora, built some large Inns for the Entertainment of Strangers.