Читать книгу The Antiquities of Constantinople - Gilles Pierre - Страница 5

THE present Inhabitants of Constantinople tell you, that Old Byzantium stood within the Compass of the first Hill in the Imperial Precinct, where the Grand Seignor’s Seraglio now stands: but I am of Opinion, from what follows it will appear, that it was of a larger Extent. Our modern Writers describe its Situation thus; that it began at the Wall of the Citadel, stretched itself to the Tower of Eugenius, and that it rose gradually up to the Strategium, the Bagnio of Achilles, and the Urbicion. From thence it pass’d on to the Chalcopratia, and the Miliarium Aureum, where there was another Urbicion of the Byzantians: Thence it lengthen’d to the Pillars of Zonarius, from whence, after a gentle Descent, it winded round by the Manganæ and the Bagnio’s of Arcadius, up to the Acropolis. I am inclinable to credit all these Writers, excepting only Eustathius, who tells us, that the Athenians made use of Byzantium, a small City, to keep their Treasure in. But Zosimus, a more ancient Historian, describes Byzantium after this Manner: It was seated, says he, on a Hill, which took up part of the Isthmus, and was bounded by a Bay called Cheras, and the Propontis. At the End of the Portico’s built by Severus the Emperor, it had a Gate set up, upon his Reconciliation with the Inhabitants, for giving Protection to Niger his Enemy. The Wall of Byzantium extended itself from the Eastern Part of the City to the Temple of Venus, and the Sea over-against Chrysopolis: from the North it descended to the Dock, and so onward to the Sea, which faces the Black Sea, and through which you sail into it. This, says he, was the ancient Extent of the City; but Dionysius, a more ancient Writer than Zosimus, as appears by his Account, which was written before its Destruction by Severus, tells us, that Byzantium contain’d in Compass at least forty Furlongs, which is a much greater Extent than the preceding Writers reported it. Herodian informs us, that Byzantium, in the Time of Severus, was the greatest City in all Thrace.