Constantinople: The Story of the Old Capital of the EmpireHutton, William Holden
History
Constantinople: The Story of the Old Capital of the Empire
Hutton, William Holden
Istanbul (Turkey)
All these identifications are difficult; and it is also difficult to
feel sure that a more satisfactory solution of the many problems which
arise would not be to consider that the tower of Isaac Angelus is the
comparatively small one that still bears his inscription, and that
the two others, and northern tower, combine to form the "prison of
Anemas."
Within these towers was certainly the Palace of Blachernae, and the
chambers now so grim and foul, that may sometimes be inspected, are
very likely the prisons built by Alexius Comnenus and connected with
his palace.
Beyond these towers a new series of walls begins. These are "in two
parallel lines, connected by transverse walls, so as to form a citadel
beside the Golden Horn. The inner wall belongs to the reign of
Heraclius; the outer is an erection of Leo V. the Armenian." A
splendid view of these magnificent walls, and of the Golden Horn
below, is obtained from the hill westwards, on which the Crusaders
encamped in 1203. The wall of Heraclius, with its three hexagonal
towers, was built to protect the suburb of Blachernae after the attack
of the Avars in 627: that of Leo was built in 813 when the city was in
danger from the Bulgarians. A citadel was formed between the two
walls, within which was the chapel and sacred well of S. Nicholas. The
gate is the gate of Blachernae, and beyond it is a tower with an
inscription stating that it was reconstructed by "Romanus, the
Christ-loving sovereign." From this point a wall led to the
water's-edge, and in it was the Wooden Gate (Ξυλόπορτα, see
above, p. 273).
We have thus completed the circuit of the most interesting mediæval
defences in Europe. At every point they have memories that go back to
great historic days, memories of treachery as well as heroism, but
above all of a long and gallant defence of all that made the
civilization of Europe enduring and worthy to endure.
To-day as one goes along the great triumphal way, still retaining
fragments at least of its solid pavement that was laid by Justinian,
the way along which countless armies of emperors and of invaders have
passed on their march of triumph or retreat, we are reminded of the
past not only by shattered walls, and by the goats that feed and
scramble where once the soldiers of the empire kept watch, but by the
immemorial cemetery, with its groups of cypress, which stands beside
us as we walk.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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