_The_ Sycene Ward.] This _Ward_ is a _Peninsula_ divided from _Constantinople_ by a small Bay of the City. ’Tis at present call’d _Galata_, or _Pera_. _Stephanus_ (_de Urbibus_) tells us, that _Sycæ_ is a small City over against New _Rome_, which in his Time was called _Justiniana_. But _Justinian_ himself, _Novel._ 59. _Cap._ 5. places it so far within the new Walls of the City, that, as he says, it ought to be looked upon as a Part of it. It was named by the _Greeks_ _Sycæna_, from the great Produce it bears of the best _Figs_, as is observed by _Cedrinus_ and _Dionysius_ a _Byzantian_. ’Tis not inhabited at present by the _Franks_, for so the _Greeks_ call the _Latines_. _Gyllius_ is of Opinion that it was called _Galata_, because _Brennus_, Captain General of the _Gauls_, whom the _Greeks_ call Γαλάται marched thither with his Army. It was also called _Pera_, that is, the _Ferry_, or _Peræa_, and stood on the other Side of the Water; as _Josephus_ relates, that _Judæa_ was on the other Side of _Jordan_; and as _Strabo_ mentions a Place, which he says was on the other Side of _Euphrates_. _Anastasius_ in his _Constitutions_ calls it _Sycæ_, or the _Ferry_ of _Sycæ_, where he commands the Dead to be bury’d without Fee, or Reward. ’Tis divided by a Hill that runs from North to South, and is bounded on each Side by two Vales, of a Mile in Length. Its Walls are four Thousand four Hundred Paces in Compass. Near to it, _Justinian_ in his 159ᵗʰ _Nov._ seems to fix the Suburbs called _Coparium_: And _Socrates_ in his 30ᵗʰ _Chap._ of his _Eccles. Hist._ tells us, that there’s a Place just against the City, which is called _Sycæ_. The Church of the _Novatians_ was translated hither in the Reign of _Constantine_. _It maintained an Intercourse with_ Constantinople, _by Boats and small Vessels_.] There were in the Bay here many Thousands of small Boats, far exceeding the Number of those which are at _Venice_ to carry Passengers from one Shore to the other, so that this _Peninsula_ might reasonably be looked upon as a Part of the City. ’Tis almost surrounded with Mountains, at the Foot of which, towards the Sea, it lies all upon a Level to the opposite Shore. It contained a Church, the _Forum_, and Theatre of _Honorius_, and many other Ornaments and Curiosities in common with other _Wards_. There stood here a magnificent Church dedicated to St. _Irene_, which was built by _Pertinax_, who had pass’d the Consular Dignity, and was then _Patriarch_ of _Constantinople_: And _Constantine_, when he had beautified the _Ward_ with many stately Buildings, enclosed it with a Wall, as ’tis recorded by _Cardinal Baronius_ in his _Annals_ of the Year 314. _The Dock._] There was also a Place in this _Ward_ where they built their Ships.