Byzantine Constantinople, the walls of the city and adjoining historical sites — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Byzantine Constantinople, the walls of the city and adjoining historical sites
John Stuart Mill · en
The case seems otherwise as regards the northern end of the line, for
the Petrion, mentioned in the _Paschal Chronicle_, was, strictly
speaking, the district in which the Greek Patriarchate is now situated,
the name of the district being still retained by the gate (Petri
Kapoussi) at the eastern end of the enclosure around the Patriarchal
Church and residence. But this would bring the northern end of the land
wall considerably more to the west than the point where we have reason
to believe the Church of St. Antony was found. It would also make the
city broader than the _Notitia_ allows. The discrepancy can, however, be
easily removed. For, while the Petrion was pre-eminently the district
above indicated, the designation was applied also to territory much
further to the east. The Church of St. Laurentius, for example, near
which St. Antony’s stood, is at one time described as standing in the
Plateia,[100] the plain to the east of Petri Kapoussi, while at another
time it is spoken of as in the Petrion.[101] Hence the statement of the
_Paschal Chronicle_ does not conflict with what other authorities affirm
respecting the point at which the Constantinian land fortifications
reached the Golden Horn.
(_k_) Finally, from the Church of St. Antony the wall proceeded along
the shore of the Golden Horn to the head of the promontory, thus
completing the circuit of the fortifications.
It should, however, be noted that this work of surrounding the city with
bulwarks was not executed entirely in the reign of Constantine. A
portion of the undertaking—probably the walls defending the shores of
the city—was left for his son and successor Constantius to
complete.[102]
The following gates, mentioned in Byzantine history, were found, there
is reason to believe, in the Constantinian circuit:—
Porta Polyandriou (Πόρτα Πολυανδρίου,[103] the Gate of the Cemetery)
stood in the portion of the wall near the Church of the Holy Apostles.
It is true that this was one of the names of the Gate of Adrianople in
the later Theodosian Walls, but if the name was derived from the
Imperial Cemetery beside the Church of the Holy Apostles, there is much
probability in Dr. Mordtmann’s opinion that the designation belonged
originally to the corresponding gate in the Constantinian
fortifications, which stood closer to the cemetery.[104]