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 Golden_ Tetrapylum.] _Gyllius_ quotes an unknown Author who will
have this _Tetrapylum_ to have been a Quadrangle with _Portico’s_
round it, having Four Gates, and was formerly call’d _Quadrivium_. The
_Latines_ call it a _Stadium_. But there’s no such Place to be found
in the _Wards_ of the City, unless it be the _Stadium_ in the Fourth
_Ward_, which is omitted in the _Summary View_ of the City. _Cedrinus_,
in his Life of _Leo Magnus_, mentions this _Tetrapylum_. _Evagrius_
in the _twenty eighth Chapter_ of his _third Book_ tells us, that
it was built by the Senator _Mammianus_, in the Reign of _Zeno_. He
built, says he, two stately _Portico’s_ of exquisite Workmanship, and
beautify’d them with a neat glossy Marble. As to the _Tetrapylum_ built
by _Mammianus_, there are not, as _Gyllius_ tells us, the least Remains
of it. _Victor_ writes, that there was a _Pentapylum_ in the tenth
_Ward_ of _Rome_.
_The_ Augusteum.] This was the _Forum_ of _Augustus_.
_The Capitol._] At _Rome_, as _Victor_ writes, there were two; the old
and the new _Capitol_.
_The Mint, or Treasury._] There was no such Place at _Rome_.
_Three_ Gradus _by the Sea-Shore_.] There were no such _Stairs_ at
_Rome_, yet they had their _Lakes_, their _Naval Fights_, &c.
The City is reported to have had twenty three Gates. _Laonicus
Chalcondylus_, in his History of the _Ottomans_, tells us, that
_Constantinople_ contains in compass a hundred and eleven Furlongs,
which is more than thirteen _Italian_ Miles. ’Tis generally thought
to be eighteen Miles in Circumference. Besides the foremention’d
Curiosities, _Constantinople_ has been famous for the _Aqueduct_
of _Hadrian_, which furnish’d the Palace, the _Nymphea_, and the
_Bagnio’s_ with a Sufficiency of Waters, as _Theodosius_ mentions in a
Letter to _Cyrus_, _Prefect_ of the City. The _Bagnio’s_ of _Achilles_
are also mention’d by him, where he says, that these _Bagnio’s_ were
supply’d with Water convey’d into them from the said _Aqueduct_ by
leaden Pipes. _Cedrinus_ says, that these _Bagnio’s_ were built
near the _Strategium_, and took their Name from an Altar, which was
dedicated to _Ajax_ and _Achilles:_ And _Cassiodorus_ relates, that the
Fire, which happen’d in the Reign of _Constantine_ the _Great_, burnt
down the City, as far as the _Bagnio’s_ of _Achilles_.
_Some Account of the_ Suburbs _as they are mention’d in the_ Codes
_and_ Law-Books.
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