Chap. IV.

Of the Senate-House; the Nympheum; the Statues of the Forum of Constantine; of the Philadelphium; the Musæum; the Labarum and Syparum; of the Death of Arius; of the Temples of Tellus, Ceres, Persephone; of Juno and Pluto.

THE Porphyry Pillar, and the Senate-House, is placed by the Author of the Ancient Description of the Wards, in the sixth Ward, and the Nympheum in the fifth; but he does not tell us, how near they stood to one another. That they stood at a very little Distance, is evident both from Zonaras and Cedrinus, who write, that the Fire which happen’d in the Reign of Leo, burnt down the Senate-House on the North Side of the Forum of Constantine, which was adorn’d with Statues of Brass and Porphyry Marble, in which was placed the Porta of Diana of the Ephesians, a Present of Trajan, taken from the Scythians, containing a Description of the Wars of the Giants, a Jupiter arm’d with Thunder, Neptune with his Trident, Apollo with his Darts and Quiver. In the lower Part of the Porta were figured the Giants attacking the Dragons, tossing large Clods of Earth, and looking in a fierce and a stern Manner. Hither it was that the principal Men of the City usually convened freely to debate of the important Affairs of the Government, whither also the Emperor himself came in Procession, when he receiv’d the Consular Robes. It was a very noble and magnificent Building. The same Authors mention another spacious Edifice situate against it, which was consumed by the same Fire, and was call’d the Nympheum, because the Marriage Rites were perform’d in this Place, as being capacious enough to hold the numerous Assemblies which attended those Solemnities. They add farther, that on the West Side of the same Forum was placed a Statue of Minerva of Lyndus. She had a Helmet on her Head, and a Shield in her Hand, on which was figured Medusa with Snakes and Adders entwin’d round her Neck; for in this Manner the ancient Statuaries usually carv’d Minerva. On the East Side of it was placed the Statue of an Amphitrite, one of the Syrens, having her Temples encircled with Crabs Claws. The unknown Author of the History of Constantinople says, that on the same Side of the Forum were placed the Statues of several Syrens, which were call’d by some Sea-Horses; three of which, he tells you, were remaining in his Time, at a Place in the Suburbs call’d St. Mamas. On the North Side of the Forum was erected upon a lofty Pillar a Figure of that Cross which Constantine saw in the Heavens. This is confirm’d by the Authority of most Historians, but principally by Eusebius, who although he is not express as to his setting it up in the Forum of Constantine, yet as his Authority is not to be disputed, when he asserts, that he set it up in Old Rome in the Heart of the City, ’tis reasonable to believe that he did so at Constantinople, since the same Writer assures us, that he set up a true Representation of the same Cross in all his finest buildings, and in the most remarkable Places of Constantinople. In Memory of which, as Sozomen writes, Constantine chang’d the most famous and most honourable War-like Standard among the Romans, which was always bore before their Princes, and to which the Soldiers were obliged by Law to pay divine Adoration, into the Ensign of the Cross, to bring them off from their heathenish Rites, and idolatrous Worship. Prudentius, upon this Occasion, has the following Lines:

Eusebius writes, that he saw the same Expression of the Christian Standard in his Time. There was, says he, a tall Spear which was transvers’d near the Top with a short piece of Wood, in the Figure of a Cross at the Top of which was a Crown made of precious Stones, and curiously wrought with Gold, in the Middle of which were embroider’d the two initial Letters of Jesus Christ, with the Greek Letter X, in the Form of a Cross. The Ensign or Standard was fix’d to the transverse Part of the Spear. From this Description of Eusebius, the Difference between what was then called the Labarum and Syparum seems to be this; that the Labarum signifies only a longer Piece of Wood transversed near the Top with a short Piece, and that the Syparum is the Veil, or Flag, which falls down from the transverse Part. The Religion of the old Romans was purely military, they worshipp’d their Standards, and swore by them; which Custom was abolish’d, upon the introducing the Christian Standard.

I hope the Reader will pardon me, if I here go a little out of my way, to vindicate the Story of Constantine’s seeing the Cross in the Heavens, from the Charge of Fiction and Imposture. There is scarce any Miracle, in my Opinion, which seems to be better attested than this, or which is capable of being confirm’d by more Eye-witnesses; for Eusebius, who lived in those Times, writes, that it was not only seen by Constantine himself, but also by his whole Army, and that too in the Middle of the Day; and adds, that the Truth of the Fact was not only believed by the Christians, but by those who were Enemies to the Cross of Christ. So prevalent was the Report of this Miracle, that the Inhabitants testify in the triumphal Arch, which they dedicated to Constantine, that he conquer’d Maxentius by the immediate Direction and Assistance of the Divinity, although but a little before many of them were of Maxentius’s Party, and Enemies to the Christian Name: So that they did not, in that triumphal Arch, made in Honour of Constantine, change the Form of the Cross into that of our Saviour’s, but order’d it to be figur’d with such Sculptures and Expressions, as were carv’d on the Arches of Trajan, Severus, and other Roman Emperors, as appears by some such Monuments of Antiquity as are at present to be seen at Rome. I cannot conclude with so much Certainty, that Nazarius was a Christian, because his Daughter Euphemia was such, as I can, from his panegyrical Address to Constantine. ’Tis the general Discourse among the Gauls, says he, that there was an Angelick Host seen in the Air, and that they were sent by God; and although Things of a celestial Nature are imperceptible by human Sight, because a simple and incompounded Substance is not properly the Object of our Senses; yet, as he proceeds, these your auxiliary Forces of Heaven, who are cloath’d with visible Appearances, attended upon you, as Witnesses of your great Merits, and then withdrew into their etherial Mansions. But of what Species of the Creation were these exalted Spirits? Of what Firmness and Vigour of Body; of what Largeness of Limbs? Their glittering Shields blaz’d in an awful Manner, and the Splendour of their celestial Armour was terrible: They march’d in such formidable Array, that they seem’d to wait on you as your Guards. This was the Language which was heard among them: We are flying to the Assistance of Constantine. Beings of a heavenly Nature may be allow’d to triumph, and there’s an Ambition which becomes them. This noble Army of Spirits who descended from above, were sent down by Omnipotence itself, and gloried that they fought for you. But I shall add nothing farther of our Author, and shall only observe, that some Historians take Notice, that this large Cross was plac’d upon a gilded Column in the Philadelphium, which was the Poets College, and, as the following Inscription shews, was built near the Porphyry Pillar.

Upon the Porphyry Pillar in the Philadelphium.

And another thus.

And again.

Julian, the Prefect of the City, set up a gilded Statue of Anastasius before the College of the Poets, on which was inscribed a Couple of elegant Verses; yet no Mention is made in them, in what Part of the City this College was built. When a Report was made to Manuel the Emperor, that from antient Times, on the West Side of the Forum of Constantine, there had stood in the Nich of the Wall two female Statues made of Brass, one a Roman, the other an Hungarian Woman; and that the Statue of the Roman Woman projected, by Reason of its Craziness, beyond its Base, and the Statue of the Hungarian Woman stood fixed in its Station; he sent some Workmen to erect the Roman, and demolish the Hungarian Statue, thinking by this Means, that the Affairs of New-Rome would take a new Turn of Prosperity and Success. In the same Forum, among other elegant Statues of famous Men, was the Statue of Longinus, who had been Prefect of the City, on which was cut the following Inscription, made by Arabius.

I shall take no Notice of the Statue of Themistius the Philosopher, plac’d near the Forum of Constantine, whom Valentinian had dignified with the Title of Prefect of the City, and to whom the Emperor Valens had done more Honour by his Writings, than any Statue or high Station whatsoever. Socrates gives us the following Account of the Death of Arius, the Ring-leader of the Sect of the Arians. Arius, says he, when he had made his Appearance before Constantine the Great, at his coming out of the Palace, attended by the Life-Guards, of which Eusebius was Commander, and passing thro’ the City, gaz’d at by Crowds of People; when he came near the Porphyry Pillar in the Forum of Constantine, and being informed upon Enquiry, where there was a Privy, he repairs thither under a strange Terror and Despondency of Mind, where being oppressed with an uncommon falling of the Bowels, his strait Gut fell from him, which was followed by a large Effusion of Blood, which brought away his small Guts, his Liver, and his Spleen, so that he died instantly. The same Author adds, that this Privy was standing in his Time. There is nothing however remaining at present in the Forum of Constantine, but the Porphyry Pillar, for the Ground of it is wholly rebuilt upon. Near the Pillar there stands a Caravansera, or a Place built for the Entertainment of Strangers; and near that, a Turkish Mosque, built by Hali Bassa, the Vestibule or Porch of which is large, made of Marble, and adorned with six shining Pillars, four of white, and two of Thebaick Marble; the Shafts of which measure at the bottom of them seven Foot and four Digits in Circumference. These, tho’ they are very tall Columns, have each of them, according to the Turkish Manner, two Bases; the lowermost of which was Marble, and the other Brass. This Way of Building they learned from the Greeks, who generally raised their Pedestals with a very high Cornice. Not far from this Mosque there stands a School, or College, inhabited by the Professors of the Mahometan Divinity. There’s a quadrangular Portico runs round it, which is supported with eighteen Pillars, Part of which consist of green, and Part of white Marble. A little below that of Ali-Bassa stands another Mosque. ’Tis seated on the highest Eminence of the second Valley, and has a Marble Vestibule, adorned with six Columns; two of which are made of Porphyry Marble variegated, two of white Marble with Sky coloured Streaks, and two of a dark green Marble stained with White. From some Things, which, as I remarked before, stood on the second Hill, you discover the Situation of Part of the third Ward, (in which was built the Tribunal of the Forum of Constantine) and almost all the fifth and sixth Ward. I would observe also in this Place, that Dionysius places the Temples of Tellus, Ceres, Proserpina, Juno and Pluto, partly on the Eminencies of the second Hill, and partly on the Plain on the Sea-Shore below it. He places the Temple of Tellus in particular beyond the Bay, without the Walls of Old Byzantium. He tells us, That this Temple is open at Top, to shew the Freedom of the Earth in her Productions, and that the Walls of it are built of a fine polished Stone. He adds farther, That above the Temple of Tellus, stood the Temples of Ceres and Proserpina, which were beautified with a large Collection of fine Paintings, the curious Reliques of preceding Times, and with Statues no Ways inferior to them, finished in the most elaborate Manner. The Temples of Juno and Pluto, he tells us, were situate where the Sea winds off from the Continent; and that nothing was remaining of them in his Time, but the Names of them only. He continues, That Cyrus in his Expedition against the Scythians, in Return of the Preparations made against him by the Byzantians, burnt down the Temple of Juno; and that Philip of Macedon, when he was carrying on the Siege of Byzantium, and wanted some Materials for that Purpose, demolished the Temple of Pluto; and that the Names of each of these Temples still continued: For the Temple of Pluto was called Acra Plutonis, as was the Temple of Juno called Acra Heræa; and lastly, that in these Temples, the Youth constantly at the Beginning and End of the Year, offered their Sacrifices. It will appear more probable, that these Acræ were seated on some Eminencies of the second Hill, rather than in the Plain below it, because there is not the least Appearance of either of them in that Place: So that when Dionysius records it, that these Acræ of Pluto and Juno, were situate very near the Sea-Shore, he must intend only that they were only the Points of some Dock, or Haven. If this be not his Meaning, the Acræ here mentioned ought to be interpreted the Sea-Shores; but I have enlarged more fully on this Matter in my Treatise of the Bosporus.