Of the Buildings of Justinian

by Procopius

VI. In Byzacium is a city by the sea side, named Adrumetus,[127] which in ancient times was great and populous, so that it had the name and repute of being the chief city in this country, because it was the first in size and in prosperity. The Vandals demolished the walls of this city, that the Romans might not be able, to hold it against them, so that it was exposed to the attacks of the Moors, who ravage that country; however, the Libyan inhabitants provided for their own safety as far as they were able, by piling up the ruins of their walls and joining their houses to one another, by which means they were able to offer a precarious resistance to their assailants. Their safety, however, hung by a thread, and was very uncertain, as they were at war with the Moors and neglected by the Vandals. When, however, the Emperor Justinian, in the course of the war, became master of Libya, he built a wall of considerable size round this city, established in it a sufficient garrison of soldiers, and enabled the inhabitants to be confident of safety and to disregard all their foes. For this reason they call it Justiniana to the present day, thus repaying their debt of gratitude to the Emperor, and showing their loyalty towards him by the adoption of his name, for they had no other means of repaying the kindness of the Emperor, as he wished for no other return than this. On the shore of Byzacium there is another place named Caputvada[128] by its inhabitants. It was at this place that the Emperor’s army first landed when it proceeded against Gelimer and the Vandals. Here, also, that marvellous and ineffable gift was bestowed by God upon the Emperor, which I have described in my ‘History of the Wars.’ The country being altogether waterless, the Roman army suffered greatly from thirst, whereupon the earth, which formerly had always been dry, sent forth a fountain at the place where the soldiers had formed their camp. For when they dug, the water burst forth, and the land, divesting itself of its natural barrenness, changed its nature and became moist with sweet water. Here, therefore, they encamped and passed the night, and marching forth in battle array the next day, to cut the matter short, gained possession of Libya. The Emperor Justinian therefore, in order to erect a perpetual memorial of this gift of God, who when He pleases can make the most difficult things easy, at once determined to form this place into a city, with a strong wall, and adorned with everything else worthy of a city. The Emperor’s wish was fulfilled. The wall and city were built, and the fortunes of this open field were suddenly altered. The rustics, throwing away the plough, dwell as citizens, and no longer live a country, but a town life; for they meet together there daily, deliberate upon their own affairs, buy and sell in the market with one another, and perform all the other functions which distinguish the inhabitants of a city.

These were his works on the seashore of Byzacium. In the interior, on the frontier which borders on the barbarian Moors, very strong fortresses are built to hold them in check, in consequence of which they are no longer able to overrun the empire, for he enclosed each of the cities upon that frontier, which are named Mamma, Telepta, and Cululius, with very strong walls, built a fort which the inhabitants name Aumetera, and established in them trustworthy garrisons of soldiers.

VII. In the same manner he ensured the safety of the country of Numidia by fortifications and garrisons of soldiers. I shall now enumerate each of these in detail. There is a mountain in Numidia called Aurasius,[129] the like of which does not exist anywhere else in the world. In the first place, it is lofty and precipitous, and extends for a distance of about three days’ journey; it is also inaccessible, all the ascents to it being barred by precipices. When, however, one has reached the top, the ground is a rich soil, smooth, and with easy roads, fair pastures, parks planted with trees and all kinds of herbs. Fountains spring out from the crags; there are quiet pools, rushing rivers with masses of broken water, and, what is strangest of all, the crops and fruit-trees on this mountain produce twice as much as any other part of Libya. Such is the mountain of Aurasium, which was originally held by the Vandals, whom the Moors dispossessed, and dwelt there until the Emperor Justinian drove them out and annexed it to the Roman Empire. To prevent the barbarians returning thither and doing mischief, he fortified the cities in the neighbourhood of this mountain, which he found deserted and without walls; and having, besides them, built two forts, and established there a sufficient garrison of soldiers, he left the barbarians of that country no hope of making a successful attack upon Aurasius. He also built impregnable fortifications in the remainder of Numidia. These were his works in this country.

There is a city in the island of Sardo, which is now called Sardinia, which the Romans call the Fort of Trajan; this Justinian enclosed with a wall, which it did not formerly possess.

Near Gades, by one of the pillars of Hercules, on the right hand, on the shore of Libya, was once a fort named Septon,[130] which had been built by the Romans in ancient times, but had been neglected by the Vandals and had perished through age. This place our Emperor Justinian made strong by a wall and a garrison. In it also he built a noble church dedicated to the Virgin, thus dedicating to her the beginning of the empire, and rendering this fort impregnable to all mankind in that quarter.

So much for this. No one can any longer doubt, but it is now clear to all mankind that the Emperor Justinian strengthened the empire, not only with fortifications, but also with garrisons, from the eastern frontier to the setting sun, which are the limits of the Roman dominion. Such of the buildings of Justinian as I have been able to discover, either by having seen them myself, or by hearing them described by those who have seen them, I have as far as I am able described in this work; but I am well aware that I have omitted to speak of many others, which have either escaped my notice by their great number or remain altogether unknown to me; so that anyone who turns his attention to searching them all out and describing them in a book will have the advantage of having performed a useful work, and will gain for himself the reputation of a man of taste.

APPENDIX I.

Procopius’s description of Justinian’s work at Constantinople is so full and detailed that it would appear to be complete. But it omits one church built by the Emperor, viz., that of the Saviour, to which was attached the Monastery of the Chora, now known as the Mosque Kahireh, or Kahriyeh.

The history of this church is thus given in Ducange:

‘Chora seu Χώρα monasterium ita appellatum, condiderat Justinianus et cum præ vetustate concidisset aliud a fundamentis extruxit Alexii Imperatoris socrus Andronici Ducæ conjux.