IT was impossible for me to discover from the Ancient Description of the Wards, that the fifth Ward stood on the North Side of the second Hill, and in a Plain at the Bottom of it, and that it descended jointly with the fourth Ward from the Ridge of the Promontory to the Bay call’d Ceras, although the Author takes Notice that a great part of it fell down in winding Descents into the Bosom of a Plain. For this Description of it is no less agreeable to other Wards. Nor could I find out its Situation from any Buildings remaining in it, or from the Information of the most ancient Inhabitants. All the Light I could get was from the Situation of the Phosphorian or, as some call it, the Bosphorian Port, and the Stairs of Chalcedon, which do not take that Name, because they are built in the Eastern Part of the City facing Chalcedon, for they stand full North; and so it is call’d the Bosphorian Port, not from the Sea of Bosporus, but from a depraved Custom of the People, who pronounce it so; whereas, according to the Authorities of Stephanus and Eustathius, they ought to call it the Phosphorian Port. For these Writers assert, that it took its Name from hence; viz. that when Philip of Macedon besieged Byzantium, and his Soldiers were digging a Passage under Ground into the Town, the Moon, which is call’d Phosphora, shone out in its full Brightness, and discover’d the Stratagem; so that the Byzantians, the Siege being raised, call’d it the Phosphorium. But as they give some Reason why it may be thought the same Haven, though under different Names, yet are they silent as to its Situation, whether it stood on the Eastern, Northern, or Southern Side of the City; though it is reasonable to believe, if we consider the Situation of the Stairs of Chalcedon, which the Ancient Description of the Wards places in the same Ward with the Bosphorian Haven, that it stood on the South Side of the City, and not on the East Side, although it directly faces Chalcedon. For the Force and Rapidity of the Bosporus makes it very difficult to sail from Chalcedon to the Eastern and Southern Parts of Constantinople; but ’tis an easy Passage to those who sail between that and Chalcedon, to go in or out of Port on the North Side of the City. It is observable farther, that the Ancient Description of the Wards mentions no Stairs which lie over-against Chalcedon; or if the Author had taken Notice of any, he had placed them in the first or second Wards, opposite to Chalcedon, or in the third Ward, which stands Southward, where the Neorium or the new Dock stood, as I observ’d before. But it would be of little Significancy to enlarge on this Matter, since I shall be very particular in naming and producing such Authorities, as will make it evident, that the Bosphorian Port, and the Stairs of Chalcedon were not only situate on the North Side of the City, but shall mention the very Place where they stood. The first Historian I shall quote is Dionysius, a Native of the City, who places, just without the Walls of Old Byzantium, the Temple of Tellus upon the Bay of the Bosporus, and a little below it the Temple of Ceres and Proserpina, whom he does not call Proserpina, but only κόρη the Virgin; yet by the Situation of the Place we may easily understand that Virgin to be Hecate, whose Tripos Cedrinus mentions to have been in the Strategium, where, or at least not far from it, as appears from the same Author, stood the Temple of Proserpina: But Evagrius is more clear upon this Occasion, who tells us, that in the Reign of Leo there happen’d a great Fire on the North Side of the City, where the Dock stood, which consumed all before it, from the Bosphorian Haven, to the old Temple of Apollo; on the South Side, from the Port of Julian to the Temple of Concord, in the Middle of the City, from the Forum of Constantine, to the Taurus; and Zonaras adds, that the same Fire destroy’d all the Buildings between the North and the South Sea. Cedrinus reports, that the same Fire began at the Dock, and burnt down all before it, as far as the Church of St. John; from whence I observe, that the Bosphorian Port and the Dock were near to one another, although the Author of the Description of the Wards, places the former in the fifth, and the latter in the sixth Ward. For since both these Wards join’d together, and descended from the Ridge of the Promontory down to the Sea, it is not possible that they should stand at any great Distance from one another. Zosimus, an ancient Historian, points out the very Place where the Dock was built in his Description of Old Byzantium. He tells us, that ’twas situate upon a Hill, which made part of the Isthmus, which was enclosed by the Propontis, and the Bay call’d Ceras; and adds, that the Wall of Byzantium stretch’d it self over a Hill, from the Western Side of the City to the Temple of Venus, and the Sea facing Chrysopolis; and that it descended on the North Side of the City to the Neorion, or New Haven, which I take to stand near the Gate which the Greeks call Ὡραῖα, and since by a Corruption of Language Porta Neoria, or at least not far from it. There is at present between the Seas and the Porta Neoria, a broad Space of Land, a Market of Merchandize and Sea Goods, which the Turks call Siphont, or Tsiphont, because the Jews inhabit it. It adjoins to the Stairs or Landing-place of Chalcedon, from whence they daily sail to Scutarieum, or Scutaricum, anciently call’d Chrysopolis, a Mart-Town, and a Port of Chalcedon. Near the Stairs of Chalcedon is the Ferry, whence you cross the Water to Galata. It was formerly called the Sycæne Ferry, and is placed in the Description of the Wards, near the Bosphorian Haven, or Dock. But the Situation of these Places seems to be somewhat chang’d, by reason of some Granaries built there, (which are removed farther into the City) or for the greater Enlargement of the Precinct of the Seraglio, or because they are fallen to Decay, and filled up with Earth. For at that Time, when Philip of Macedon undermin’d the Town, ’tis very probable that there was no Port built in that Place, which by the Byzantians was afterwards call’d the Phosphorion. There was no building a Haven there, because of the Rising of the Springs, but the Bosphorian Haven was built afterwards in another Place. And this is no more than what is said of the Dock, or the Neorium, which they tell you was enclosed by Constans, and was made a Market of Merchandize, and other naval Affairs. This Market was afterwards kept near the Port of Julian. Some Historians write, that Leontius the Emperor, who reign’d after Justin, order’d the Dock to be cleansed. Others write, that there was erected, at the Neorium, the Figure of a large Ox in Brass, which much resembled the Brazen Bull. This Figure was set up in the eleventh Ward, which, as some modern Writers would persuade you, bellow’d once a Year, which portended great Mischief and Detriment to the City. But this I look upon to be a Fable taken out of Callimachus and Pindar, who tell you, that upon the Mountain of Artabyris in Rhodes, there are brazen Bulls that used to bellow upon any Calamity impending the City. There is nothing remaining of this Haven, where the Dock was at present. I gather from the Situation of the Bosphorian Port, and the Stairs of Chalcedon, that the fifth Ward stood on the Side of the second Hill, and in a Plain below it; where were also the Bagnio’s of Honorius, the Prytaneum, the Bagnio’s of Eudoxia, the Granaries of Valentinian and Constantius, the Thebean Obelisk, the Bosphorian Port, the Stairs of Chalcedon, the Cistern of Theodosius, and the Strategium, in which was the Forum of Theodosius. Justinian in his Constitutions takes Notice of the Bagnio of Achilles in a Letter, thus: Our Imperial Will and Pleasure is, that the leaden Pipes, conducting the Water to the Achillean Bagnio’s, contrived by your Wisdom, and purchased by your Munificence, be under the same Regulation and Management, as has been appointed by Theodosius and Valentinian in the like Case; and that the said Pipes shall only supply such Bagnio’s and Nymphæa, as your Excellency shall think fit, allowing at the same time full Power, Licence and Authority to the Apparitors of your Excellency, to enter without Fear or Molestation, such Houses and Bagnio’s in the Suburbs, as they shall judge convenient, to enquire into all Evasions of this Order, and to prevent the Stoppage of the Water to the Detriment of the publick. The Law by which Constantine the Great enacts, that Constantinople shall be call’d New Rome, is inscrib’d upon a publick Pillar, near his own Equestrian Statue in the Strategium. I find in the Ancient Description of the Wards, that there were three Fora’s in the City, which took their Name from Theodosius. One was in the fifth Ward, and stood, as I just observ’d, in the Strategium; another stood in the sixth Ward, and a third in the twelfth. The two last of them were Markets for Provision, the first was the Forum Prætorianum, a Court of publick Justice, where the Prætors presided, and this I gather from the Treatise just mention’d, and which was call’d, both by the Latins and Greeks, Prætorium. I am not certain, though it seems very probable to me, that this great Prætorium was beautifully finish’d at the Expence and Care of the Emperor Justin and Domninus, as will appear from the following Verses of Paulus Silentiarius. I shall subjoin them in order to prove, that the Word Prætorium was used by the Greeks, as were also very many other Latin Words.
Some Verses of Paulus Silentiarius, upon beautifying the great Prætorium.
When great Justinus had reform’d the World,
This noble Structure consecrate to Themis
He then repair’d with fresh Increase of Beauty;
And yet some share of Praise to thee is due,
Domninus, skilful Architect, whose Head
Long labour’d nightly in the great Design.