Architecture, Byzantine; Byzantine Empire; Istanbul (Turkey) -- Description and travel; Justinian I, Emperor of the East, 483?-565
XI. Beyond Chersonesus is the city of Ænus,[86] which takes its name
from that of its founder; for Æneas was, according to tradition, the
son of Anchises. The wall of this place was easy of capture from its
lowness, since it did not reach to the necessary height, while it lay
completely exposed in the neighbourhood of the sea, where it was washed
by the waves. However, the Emperor Justinian raised its walls to such
a height that not only they could not be taken, but could not even be
assaulted; and, by bringing them down to the seashore and strengthening
them in every quarter, rendered Ænus altogether impregnable. Thus he
provided for the safety of the city; but the country remained exposed
to the incursions of the barbarians, because the (mountains of) Rhodope
had been from ancient times deficient in fortifications. In the
interior was a village named Bellurus, in wealth and population equal
to a city, but always exposed to the plundering attacks of barbarians,
on account of its being defenceless, as was also a large extent of
country round about it: this place our Emperor made into a city,
fortified, and rendered worthy of himself; moreover he also restored
with great care all the fortifications which were wanting or had become
ruinous in the other cities in the Rhodope Mountains. Among these were
Trajanopolis and Maximianopolis, whose walls he rebuilt where they were
defective. These were his works in this quarter.
In this country Anastasiopolis was already furnished with walls,
but, though lying near the sea, had an undefended sea-beach, so that
it often happened that the barbarian Huns seized the vessels which
lay there helpless, and extended their ravages to the neighbouring
islands. The Emperor Justinian enclosed the whole sea-beach with a
fortification, and thus provided for the safety both of the ships and
of the islanders. He also constructed a very lofty aqueduct leading
to the city from the mountains in the neighbourhood. There is in
Rhodope an ancient city named Toperus, which is almost surrounded by
a river, and lies at the foot of a lofty hill, from which it had not
long before been captured by the barbarian Sclavonians; but Justinian
raised its wall to so great a height that it rises above this hill
as much as it formerly fell short of it. He built a vaulted portico
along the wall, so that the garrison could defend the city in safety
against besiegers, and formed each of its towers into a strong castle.
He also strengthened it by enclosing the part between the river and
the city-wall by a cross-wall. These were the works of the Emperor
Justinian in this quarter.
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