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
_Of the Bridge near the Church of St._ Mamas; _of his_ Hippodrom; _of
the Brazen Lyon, and the Sepulchre of the Emperor_ Mauritius.
Not only some Historians, but also _Suidas_ the Grammarian, have
handed it down to us, that near the Church of St. _Mamas_, there stood
a Bridge, which had twelve Arches; for there was a great Floud of
Waters at that Place. There was also set up at the same Place a brazen
Dragon; because ’twas reported that a Serpent had some Time liv’d
there, which had deflour’d many Virgins. This Story was occasion’d by
the Name of a Man, who was call’d _Basiliscus_, one of _Numerianus
Cæsar_’s Life-Guard, who liv’d there, and built a Church, which _Zeno_
afterwards pull’d down. _Constantine_, call’d _Iconomachus_, because
he was a profess’d Enemy to Images, order’d one _Andreas_ a Statuary,
a Man of some Note in the _Blachernæ_, to be whipt to Death in the
_Hippodrom_ of St. _Mamas_. _Zonaras_ tells us, that _Mauritius_ the
Emperor was buried in the Church of St. _Mamas_, which was built
by _Pharasmenes_, an Eunuch, and Gentleman of the Bed-chamber to
_Justinian_. _Cedrinus_ writes, that the Church of St. _Mamas_ stood
near the Gate call’d _Xylocercon_. Others report, That _Crunna_, King
of the _Bulgarians_, surrounded _Constantinople_ with an Army from
the _Blachernæ_ to the _Porta Aurea_, and distrusting the Strength of
his Forces to take the Town, he hasten’d to this Church, set Fire to
a Palace that was near it, and that upon his Retreat, he carry’d off
a Brazen Lyon plac’d in the _Hippodrom_, a Bear, a Dragon, and some
curious Pieces of Marble. _Sozomen_ speaking of those Persons who were
banish’d on St. _Chrysostom_’s Account, says, that when they were got
without the Walls they met in a Place situate before the City, which
_Constantine_ order’d to be cleans’d, to be pal’d round, and made it
into a _Hippodrom_. This, I take it, was the Place which was afterwards
call’d the _Hippodrom_ of St. _Mamas_. _Zonaras_ adds upon this
Occasion, that _Leo_ the Emperor, scar’d by a Fire, which then rag’d
in the City, flew to the Church of St. _Mamas_, and continu’d there
for some Time. _Cedrinus_ mentions, that the Emperor diverted himself
with Horse-racing, near the Church of St. _Mamas_ the Martyr, situate
in the _Stenon_. ’Tis plain from the Authorities abovemention’d,
that this Church was seated in the _Blachernæ_, and that there was a
Bridge there, as is farther confirm’d by _Johannes Tzetzes_ in his
_Variâ Historiâ_, where he says, that the Sea extending itself from
the Streights of _Abydus_, to the Bridge of the _Blachernæ_, is call’d
the _Hellespont_. ’Tis also evident, that this Bridge stood, where
the Stone Piles of the old Bridge (when the Water is low, as ’tis in
Summer) are seen at present, and stand between the Suburbs call’d the
_Blachernæ_, and the Suburbs, which the _Turks_ call the _Aibasarium_.
This, I am confident, is the same Bridge which the ancient Treatise
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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