Chap. VII.
Of the eighth Ward, and the Hind-part of the third Hill.
I Cannot find by the Ancient Description of the Wards, that the eighth Ward was situate on the South Side of the third Hill, though it says, that the eighth Ward, on the Side of the Taurus, is not bounded by the Sea, and may be look’d upon to be rather a narrow than a broad Piece of Ground, though this Defect is sufficiently amended by its great Length. For by this Description of it, I am left altogether in Suspence, whether it lye North or South. But I discover the Situation of the eighth Ward from hence, that the Author of the Description tells us, that it contained part of the Forum of Constantine, and a Portico on the left Side of it, as far as the Taurus, and that the seventh Ward stretch’d itself from the right Hand of the Pillar of Constantine, to the Forum of Theodosius. I observe from these Authorities, that part of the Promontory, which reaches from Sea to Sea, situate between the Porphyry Pillar and the Taurus, was divided into the North and South Side, and that the Portico’s on the right and left extending themselves from the Pillar of Constantine to the Taurus, parted the seventh and eighth Ward, the former of which contain’d the right Hand Portico’s, and the latter, the left. There’s nothing to be seen of these Portico’s at present, but only the broad Way which runs from the Church of St. Sophia to the Land-Wall. This Ward contains also the Capitol, and the Basilica of Theodosius both of which, ’tis very probable, stood near the Pillar and Forum of Theodosius. It is no less evident from Zonaras and Cedrinus, that the Fire in Leo’s Time consumed the Senate-House, built for the Dispatch of publick Business by the great Council of the Empire, and for the Conveniency of the Emperor, when Consul, to preside over them. This Senate-House, as the same Authors add, had twelve Pillars curiously variegated, made of Trojan Marble, which were twenty five Foot high, the Roof of it being supported with four Arches. This House, according to these Writers, was about two hundred and forty Foot long, and a hundred and fifty Foot broad. I am inclin’d to believe, from what I have mention’d upon this Occasion, that it was either the Capitol, or the Basilica of Theodosius. For it is plain from modern Historians, that these two Structures, by whomsoever they were rebuilt after the Fire, lost their Names, and they tell us, that in the Taurus there was a Palace, and a Place for the Entertainment of Strangers. And these Authorities are strengthen’d by some ancient People of Constantinople, who attest, that in their Remembrance, near the Mint-House, where they now coin their Money, there stood a spacious Palace, inhabited, as some say, by Mahomet who took the City, before he built the great enclosed Palace which stands upon the first Hill, and that some of the Sultans have since beautified their Palaces out of the Ruins of the former. The Place of Entertainment, or rather the Church, which stood to the South-west of the Taurus, I saw entirely demolish’d, and the Pillars of it carried off, to build a Caravansera, which the Emperor Solyman erected in Memory of his Son, whom he dearly lov’d. I leave it to the Greek Priests to make the Enquiry, whether this was not the same with the Church of St. Paul, which stood in the seventh Ward, though I could never yet meet with one of them, who could give me Insight into this Matter.
Chap. VIII.
Of the ninth Ward; of the Temple of Concord; of the Granaries of Alexandria and Theodosius; of the Baths of Anastasia, of the House of Craterus; of the Modius, and the Temple of the Sun and Moon.
THAT the ninth Ward was situate behind the third Hill, partly on the Clifts which lye under the Ridge of it, and partly on those which lye at the Bottom of it, and partly on the Shore of the Propontis, extending itself as far as the Gardens call’d Blanchæ; I am convinced, among other Authorities, principally by the Author of the Description, &c. who says, that the ninth Ward is all a Declivity, and bounded by the Sea, as also from the Account he gives of the eighth Ward, which as it is not terminated on the Side of the Taurus, by any Part of the Sea, I have Reason to believe, took up the Plain on the Top of the third Hill, but not the Descents below it, and that the ninth Ward lies partly under the eighth, on that Side of it, which extends from the Taurus Southward towards the Sea of the Propontis, and was partly situate also on the two Declivities; one of which descends from the Taurus to South, South-west, the other from the Houses of the Janizaries to the South. You may also discover by the Situation of the Temple of Concord, where the ninth Ward stood, which though it be not expressly declared by the Author of the Description; yet Reason, and the Authority of other Writers, will lead us into that Discovery. For Evagrius, describing the Fire which happen’d in Leo’s Time, says, that it raged in a frightful Manner on the North Side of the City, from the Bosphorian Haven to the old Temple of Apollo; on the South, from the Port of Julian, to the Houses seated at a small Distance from the Temple of Concord; and in the Middle Part of the City, from the Forum of Constantine to the Taurus; and farther, that it extended itself in Length to the Distance of five Furlongs. From hence it is discoverable, that the Fire destroy’d all that Part of the ninth Ward, through which you may draw a strait Line from the Taurus to the Propontis. And this would evidently appear to any one, who would walk the five Furlongs from the Forum of Constantine to the Forum of Taurus, and there fix a Mark, and should afterwards walk Westward from the Port of Julian, through the Plain on the Sea Shore, to the Distance of five Furlongs more, and should there fix another Mark, and should compare that Mark with another fix’d at the Taurus, he would vary very little as to the Situation of the Temple of Concord. But that, and the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle are now entirely in Ruins. If we consider the Rules generally observed in Architecture, ’tis reasonable to believe, that the Granaries of Theodosius stood near the Port of Theodosius, which was situate in the Gardens now call’d Blanchæ. There was no Port either in the eighth or ninth Ward, but in that Part of the twelfth Ward which adjoins to the ninth, is the Port of Theodosius, of which I shall speak more largely hereafter. Above the Blanchæ to the North, there stands a Temple upon an Eminence, call’d Myreleos; in the Inside of which was a Cistern, the Roof of which is supported with about sixty Marble Pillars. In the Place of this Cistern there was formerly a Granary, which Suidas, though very improperly, calls Horeium. The Statue of Maimus, says he, who march’d his Army against the Scythians, stood in the Horeium, (which was before the House of Craterus, now of Myreleus) near the Modius, and the Brazen Hands. This Modius, or Bushel, was a settled Measure, or Standard, according to which they bought and sold their Corn. The Emperor Valentinian made a Law, that twelve Bushels should be sold at such a Sum; a certain Sea-faring Man, acting in Violation of this Law, forfeited his right Hand. This, they tell you, was the Reason why Valentinian order’d two brazen Hands to be set up in a Nich of some Place in the Amastrianum, and the brazen Bushel to be placed between them. Others say, that Valentinian commanded, that this Bushel should not be sold by the Strike, but in full Measure; and that a certain Offender lost both his Hands, for not observing this Order. Cedrinus writes, that some Places here were call’d the Amastrianum, from a sorry abandon’d Fellow, a Native of Amastrum, who laying under the deepest Scandal for cursing the Paphlagonians, and to escape the Punishment of Homicide, fled for Shelter to Constantinople. The same Author writes, that in the same Place there was a very large Temple of the Sun and Moon, where were carved, at the Charge of Phidalia, the Sun riding in a white Chariot, and the Moon as his Spouse sitting by him. Below these Figures, near the Ground, was cut a powerful Prince, prescribing the Rules of Obedience to his People. Near his Throne was carv’d a Jupiter, in a recumbent Posture, which was the Work of Phidias. If the House before mention’d was the House of the learned Craterus a Sophist, there was erected his Suggestum, or Desk, which has been celebrated in Verse by Julian the Ægyptian. Besides the Curiosities, the ninth Ward also contain’d the famous Baths of Anastasia, which took their Name, as Marcellinus says, from Anastasia the Sister of Constantine. Sozomen writes, that Marcian the Grammarian was Tutor to the two Daughters of the Emperor Valens, Anastasia and Carosia; and that the Baths which went by their Names, were standing in Constantinople in his Time.