Chap. XXV.
Of the Lausus, and its Statues; namely, a Venus of Cnidos, a Juno of Samos, a Minerva of Lindia, a winged Cupid, a Jupiter Olympius, a Saturn, Unicorns, Tygers, Vultures, Beasts that are half Camels, and half Panthers; of the Cistern of the Hospital called Philoxenos, and the Chrysotriclinium.
THE Lausus is a Place celebrated in the Writings of many Historians, some of whom write, that it was the House of Lausus a Patrician, who bore many Offices in the Reign of Arcadius, the Son of Theodosius the Great, and that he adorned his House with many famous Monuments of Antiquity. There is a Book still extant, under the Title of Lausaicus, which was wrote by Heraclidas, Bishop of Cappadocia, and inscribed to Lausus. In what Part of the City this Place was, no Authors mention; but ’tis very probable that it was between the Palace, and the Forum of Constantine, from the Authorities both of Zonaras, and Cedrinus; who having described the Ruines of the Fire, which happened in the Reign of Leo, both on the North, and South Side of the City tell us, that in the Middle of the City, it burnt from the Lausus, to the Street called Taurus. And Evagrius, speaking of the same Fire, says, that it destroyed all the Buildings from the Forum of Constantine to the Taurus. The Reader may observe from hence, that the Lausus was not far from the Forum of Constantine. Cedrinus also in his Description of that Fire which happened in the Reign of Basiliscus, makes it plain, that it stood Eastward, between the Palace, and the Forum of Constantine. This Fire, says he, consumed the Chalcopratia, the most beautiful Part of the City, the Basilica, with its eminent Library, and all the surprizing Ornaments of the Lausus, to the Forum of Constantine. There was in the Lausus, continues our Historian, an infinite Number of Statues, the most remarkable of which was, the Statue of Minerva of Lindia, which was four Cubits long, and made of an Emerald Stone. ’Twas cut by Scyllis and Dipœnus, two eminent Statuaries, and presented by Sesostris King of Egypt, to Cleobulus King of Lindia, a Prince of incomparable Wisdom. From hence it is probable the Place is called Laousos; for Minerva sometimes goes under the Name of Laossos. Theophrastus writes, that the Egyptian Commentators mention, that the King of Babylon made a Present to their King of an Emerald, which was four Cubits long, and three in Breadth. If Sesostris, Scyllis, and Dipœnus were living at the same Time, Pliny should rather have called it the Emerald of Minerva. But these were no less antient, than eminent Statuaries, born in the Island of Crete, when under the Government of the Medes, before Cyrus was King of Persia, that is, about the fifteenth Olympiad. They carved the Statues of Apollo, Diana, Hercules, as also of Minerva, which was blasted with Lightning. Pliny takes Notice, that Ambracia, Argos, and Cleone were full of Statues made by Dipœnus, tho’ he says nothing of the Statue of Minerva of Lindia. Cedrinus adds, that there was placed in the Lausus, the Statue of Venus of Cnidos, which was looked upon every where as a celebrated Piece of Sculpture. It was finished by Praxiteles, is made of white Marble, and appears in a naked Posture. There is also a Juno of Samos, the Workmanship of Lysippus and Bupalus, and a winged Cupid, with his Quiver. This Statue was brought from Myndus. There was also a Jupiter riding upon an Elephant, which was carved by Phidias, and placed in his Temple by Pericles. There was also another Statue made by Lysippus, which was bald behind, tho’ not before, which was taken for the Statue of Saturn. There were also erected here many Statues of Unicorns, Tygers, Beasts that were half Camels, and half Panthers; others that were half Bulls, and half Harts, besides several Statues of Vultures. The unknown Author of the History of Constantinople says, That in his Time there were standing in the Lausus some Eagles that were cut in Stone. I am induced to think, that there were some Figures of Birds standing there at that Time, but believe them to be the Vultures mentioned by Cedrinus. This Author tells us, that there stood in the Lausus several fine Buildings, some Hospitals, a Place for the Entertainment of Strangers, which had very good Spring-water, and was call’d Philoxenon. Some Writers affirm, that the Philoxenon was a Cistern, built by one of that Name. I look upon it to be the same Cistern, which was situate between the Triclinium and the Lausiacum, and was filled up by the Order of Heraclius. Menander, surnamed the Protector, tells us, That Philip of Macedon cleansed most of the Cisterns of the City, which Heraclius commanded to be replenished with Earth. If that Prince gave Orders for the cleansing of that Cistern, among others, ’tis the same which lies under Ground, on the North Side of Abraham the Basha’s House, between the Lausiacum, and the Triclinium; whose Roof is supported with four Hundred and twenty four marble Pillars, two hundred and twelve supporting the same Number of Pillars above them. I measured one of them, for they all seem to be of a Bigness, and I found it to be six Foot and nine Inches in Circumference. There is another Cistern on the West Side of the same House, whose Arches are supported with thirty two Corinthian Pillars, standing in four Ranges, each Range consisting of eight Pillars, whose Shafts are nine Foot in Compass. As to the Triclinium, between which and the Lausus was built the Philoxenon; I suppose it to be the same which Justinian the Third built near the Palace, and called it after his own Name, the Triclinium of Justinian. ’Tis reported by Cedrinus, that this Triclinium was finely beautified by the Emperor Tiberius. The Western Gate of this Triclinium is taken Notice of by Leo the Fifth, when he foretold that the Head of the Man which should be cut off in the Hippodrom for his Tyranny, should be brought before him through the Western Gate of the Triclinium. Frequent Mention is made of this Chrysotriclinium by Historians, who wrote just before the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, and all the Inhabitants both knew the Name, and the Place where it stood. But the People are since fallen into such an Aversion to Learning, and a Disrelish of what is ingenious and Polite, that they rather chuse to embrace a voluntary Ignorance, and treat every Thing that is curious with Indignity and Contempt.
The End of the Second Book.
