“And as an island rises amidst the swelling billows, bright with patterns of cornfields, and vineyards, and blossoming meadows, and wooded heights, while sailors, as they steer by it, are gladdened, and the troubles and anxieties of the sea are beguiled; so in the middle space of the boundless temple rises upright the tower-like ambo of stone, with its marble pastures like meadows, cunningly wrought with the beauty of the craftsman’s art. Yet though it stands in the middle, it is not quite cut off, like an island girdled by the sea, but is rather like some wave-washed land, extended by a narrow isthmus through the gray billows into the middle of the sea, and were it not for this binding chain, it would be cut off and seen as a true island; but though it projects into the ocean, it is still joined to the mainland coast by the isthmus, as by a cable.
“Such is the ambo; for a long path starts from the last step of its eastern flight, and stretches out until it comes to the space by the twin silver doors, even striking with its lengthy plinth the fence wall of the sacred rites; and the path is warded on both sides by walls. Now for these fence walls they have not placed lofty slabs, but they are as high up as the navel of a man standing by them; and here the priest, as he holds the golden gospel, passes along, and the surging crowd strive to touch the sacred book with their lips and hands, while moving waves of people break around.
“Thus is this path prolonged like an isthmus, wave-washed on either side, and it leads the priest as he descends from the distant ambo with its lofty cliffs, to the shrine of the holy table. And the whole path on both sides is fenced with the fresh green stone of Thessaly; and the abundant rich meadows of the stones bring the delight of beauty to the eyes. Now at both ends of each slab from Thessaly stand posts of equal height, not like a cylinder in form: one skilled in figures would say that the posts were not equal-sided, but have the shape of a lengthened cube. And the masons (laotoroi) have made the joints of the Molossian slabs, by wedging one stone into another; it is from the Phrygian land that the stone-cutter (laotupos) has had these posts quarried. And resting the wandering glance there one might see snake-like coils twining over the fair marble, winding in beauteous paths; there white and fiery red are set alongside of one another and a flesh colour between both, the lines bending in alternating coils, as they roll round in their courses. First on one side, then on another, are seen the forms of the moon and stars.
“And on the uppermost rim of the fence wall they have fitted another long stretching stone, quarried from the same foreland crag, so that the Thessalian slab is fixed below on the firm foundations of the plinth, and is bound above by another band of marble; and the edges of the Thessalian slabs are joined together as in a chain by the square columns, which are set upright and firm on the foundation.
“And as when one winds the gold twisted thread in and out over the many-coloured surface of a Tyrian robe, and adds a fitting pattern round the bottom edges, or in the fair centre of the robe, or about the sleeve-holes for the arms while the fresh green web of the cloak shines like a meadow in spring,—the glory of the golden warp adding beauty to beauty, and decking it as if with flowers; even so the cunning workman has cast on the fresh green stones of the sacred rock the glitter of golden rays, giving a brighter beauty to them.
“But at the eastern end of the passage, by the holy fence walls of the altar, they have cut off the isthmus, so as to form a speedier path for those who pass from side to side.
“Such works as these has our emperor, bestowing splendid gifts, built for God the King. For to the great bounties of his peaceful reign he has added this much-praised temple, so that with divine foresight he might prepare a gift for the Creator of the world, Christ, King of All. Be thou, O glory of the eternal Trinity, thrice favourable to this city of Rome, to our citizens, our emperor, and our much-loved temple.”
In following this description we see that it begins on the raised floor of the ambo which was rounded on two sides, the others being open to the steps at the east and west. The breast wall on each side was largely covered with applied silver wrought into patterns; and the rest, together with the parapet slabs to the steps, were inlaid in ivory, probably carved like the contemporary bishop’s throne at Ravenna. The body of the ambo inlaid thus with ivory and silver was upheld on eight columns, the underside of the floor stone being hollowed into a flat dome like the fluted soffite of the still older ambo at S. Apollinare at Ravenna. On either side, around the ambo, was a semicircle of large columns of rosy-veined Synnada marble on white bases with bronze annulets and gilt capitals; between the columns breast-high slabs of Hierapolis marble inclosed a space. The circle of columns stood on a raised step, and above they were bound together by a carved beam, the pattern being gilt with the interspaces painted in ultramarine. On this to east and west stood silver crosses; their upper limbs “bent like shepherds’ crooks” doubtless formed the ΧΡ monogram. Silver candelabra, cones of diminishing circles, stood round about on the top of the beam. From the eastern steps a passage way ran back to the step of the iconostasis, inclosed on both sides by marble slabs grooved into posts, bearing a top rail. This closure of Verde antique slabs was inlaid in white and red patterns and gold mosaic.
In this description two separate parts appear, the ambo proper reached by the narrow inclosed way and ascended by steps; and the space entered by two doors screened off about it by the circle of large columns and closure slabs, “where the priests continue their sacred song.” So in Constantine Porphyrogenitus’ Book of the Ceremonies[85] we read of the “psaltae” placed in the ambo singing, “Christ is risen.”