The Antiquities of Constantinople: With a Description of Its Situation, the Conveniencies of Its Port, Its Publick Buildings, the Statuary, Sculpture, Architecture, and Other Curiosities of That CityGilles, Pierre
History
The Antiquities of Constantinople: With a Description of Its Situation, the Conveniencies of Its Port, Its Publick Buildings, the Statuary, Sculpture, Architecture, and Other Curiosities of That City
Gilles, Pierre
Istanbul (Turkey) -- Antiquities; Istanbul (Turkey) -- Description and travel; Turkey -- Antiquities
the_ Achillean _Bagnio’s, contrived by your Wisdom, and purchased by
your Munificence, be under the same Regulation and Management, as has
been appointed by_ Theodosius _and_ Valentinian _in the like Case; and
that the said Pipes shall only supply such_ Bagnio’s _and_ Nymphæa, _as
your Excellency shall think fit, allowing at the same time full Power,
Licence and Authority to the Apparitors of your Excellency, to enter
without Fear or Molestation, such Houses and_ Bagnio’s _in the Suburbs,
as they shall judge convenient, to enquire into all Evasions of this
Order, and to prevent the Stoppage of the Water to the Detriment
of the publick_. The Law by which _Constantine_ the _Great_ enacts,
that _Constantinople_ shall be call’d _New Rome_, is inscrib’d upon a
publick Pillar, near his own _Equestrian_ Statue in the _Strategium_.
I find in the _Ancient Description of the Wards_, that there were
three _Fora’s_ in the City, which took their Name from _Theodosius_.
One was in the fifth _Ward_, and stood, as I just observ’d, in the
_Strategium_; another stood in the sixth Ward, and a third in the
twelfth. The two last of them were Markets for Provision, the first
was the _Forum Prætorianum_, a Court of publick Justice, where the
_Prætors_ presided, and this I gather from the _Treatise_ just
mention’d, and which was call’d, both by the _Latins_ and _Greeks_,
_Prætorium_. I am not certain, though it seems very probable to me,
that this great _Prætorium_ was beautifully finish’d at the Expence
and Care of the Emperor _Justin_ and _Domninus_, as will appear from
the following Verses of _Paulus Silentiarius_. I shall subjoin them in
order to prove, that the Word _Prætorium_ was used by the _Greeks_, as
were also very many other _Latin_ Words.
Some Verses of _Paulus Silentiarius_, upon beautifying the great
_Prætorium_.
_When great_ Justinus _had reform’d the World,
This noble Structure consecrate to_ Themis
_He then repair’d with fresh Increase of Beauty;
And yet some share of Praise to thee is due_,
Domninus, _skilful Architect, whose Head
Long labour’d nightly in the great Design_.
CHAP. II.
_Of the sixth Ward, and the remaining ancient Buildings of the second
Hill._
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