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XVII.

CHA P. age, been fuppofed to reflect a becoming majesty on the origin of great cities 25, the emperor was defirous of afcribing his refolution, not so much to the uncertain counfels of human policy, as to the infallible and eternal decrees of divine wifdom. In one of his laws he has been careful to inftruct pofterity, that, in obedience to the com mands of God, he laid the everlasting foundations of Conftantinople 26: and though he has not condefcended to relate in what manner the cœleftial infpiration was communicated to his mind, the defect of his modeft filence has been liberally fupplied by the ingenuity of fucceeding writers; who defcribe the nocturnal vision which appeared to the fancy of Conftantine, as he slept within the walls of Byzantium. The tutelar genius of the city, a venerable matron finking under the weight of years and infirmities, was fuddenly transformed into a blooming maid, whom his own hands. adorned with all the fymbols of Imperial greatnefs 27. The monarch awoke, interpreted the aufpicious omen, and obeyed, without hefitation, the will of heaven. The day which gave birth to a city or colony was celebrated by the Romans. with fuch ceremonies as had been ordained by a

25 Datur hæc venia antiquitati, ut mifcendo humana divinis, pri❤ mordia urbium auguftiora faciat. T. Liv. in proem,

26 He fays in one of his laws, pro commoditate Urbis quam æterno nomine, jubente Deo, donavimus. Cod. Theodof, 1. xiii. tit. v. leg. 7.

27 The Greeks, Theophanes, Cedrenus, and the Author of the Alexandrian Chronicle, confine themselves to vague and general expreffions. For a more particular account of the vifion, we are obliged to have recourse to fuch Latin writers as William of Malmsbury. See Ducange C, P. 1, i. p. 24, 25.

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XVII.

generous fuperftition 29; and though Conftantine CHA P.
might omit some rites which favoured too ftrongly
of their Pagan origin, yet he was anxious to
leave a deep impreffion of hope and respect on the
minds of the fpectators. On foot, with a lance
in his hand, the emperor himfelf led the folemn
proceffion; and directed the line, which was
traced as the boundary of the destined capital:
till the growing circumference was obferved with
astonishment by the affiftants, who, at length,
ventured to observe, that he had already exceeded
the most ample measure of a great city.
"I fhall
"fill advance," replied Conftantine," till HE,
"the invisible guide who marches before me,
"thinks proper to stop 29."
Without prefuming
to investigate the nature or motives of this extra-
ordinary conductor, we fhall content ourfelves
with the more humble task of defcribing the ex-
tent and limits of Conftantinople 30.

In the actual state of the city, the palace and Extent. gardens of the Seraglio occupy the eastern promontory, the firft of the feven hills, and cover

28 See Plutarch in Romul. tom. i. p. 49. edit. Bryan. Among other ceremonies, a large hole, which had been dug for that purpofe, was filled up with handfuls of earth, which each of the fettlers brought from the place of his birth, and thus adopted his new country.

29 Philoftorgius, 1. ii. c. 9. This incident, though borrowed from a fufpected writer, is characteristic and probable.

He

30 See in the Memoires de l'Academie, tom. xxxv. p. 747-758,
a differtation of M. d'Anville on the extent of Conftantinople.
takes the plan inferted in the Imperium Orientale of Banduri as the
most complete; but, by a series of very nice obfervations, he re
duces the extravagant proportion of the fcale, and instead of 9500,
determines the circumference of the city as confifting of about 7800
French toifes.

7

about

XVII.

CHA P. about one hundred and fifty acres of our own meafure. The feat of Turkifh jealoufy and defpotifm is erected on the foundations of a Grecian republic; but it may be fuppofed that the Byzantins were tempted by the conveniency of the harbour to extend their habitations on that fide beyond the modern limits of the Seraglio. The new walls of Conftantine ftretched from the port to the Propontis acrofs the enlarged breadth of the triangle, at the diftance of fifteen ftadia from the ancient fortification; and with the city of Byzantium they inclofed five of the feven hills, which, to the eyes of those who approach Conftantinople, appear to rise above each other in beautiful order 31. About a century after the death of the founder, the new building, extending on one fide up the harbour, and on the other along the Propontis, already covered the narrow ridge of the fixth, and the broad fummit of the feventh hill. The neceflity of protecting those fuburbs from the inceffant inroads of the Barbarians, engaged the younger Theodofius to furround his capital with an adequate and permanent inclofure of walls 32. From the eastern promontory to the golden gate, the extreme length of

31 Codinus Antiquitat. Conf. p. 12. He affigns the church of St. Anthony as the boundary on the fide of the harbour. It is mentioned in Ducange, l. iv. c. 6.; but I have tried, without fuccefs, to difcover the exact place where it was fituated.

32 The new wall of Theodofius was conftructed in the year 413. In 447 it was thrown down by an earthquake, and rebuilt in three months by the diligence of the præfect Cyrus. The fuburb of the Blacherne was first taken into the city in the reign of Heraclius. Ducange Conft. l. i. c. 10, 11.

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XVII.

Conftantinople was about three Roman miles 33; CHA P. the circumference meafured between ten and eleven; and the furface might be computed as equal to about two thousand English acres. It is impoffible to juftify the vain and credulous exaggerations of modern travellers, who have fome times stretched the limits of Conftantinople over the adjacent villages of the European, and even of the Afiatic coaft 34. But the fuburbs of Pera and Galata, though fituate beyond the harbour, may deferve to be confidered as a part of the city 35; and this addition may perhaps authorise the measure of a Byzantine hiftorian, who affigns fixteen Greek (about fourteen Roman) miles for the circumference of his native city 36. Such an extent may seem not unworthy of an Imperial re

33 The measurement is expreffed in the Notitia by 14,075 feet. It is reafonable to fuppofe that thefe were Greek feet; the propor tion of which has been ingeniously determined by M. d'Anville He compares the 180 feet with the 78 Hashemite cubits, which in different writers are affigned for the height of St. Sophia. of thefe cubits was equal to 27 French inches.

Each

34 The accurate Thevenot (1. i. c. 15.) walked in one hour and three quarters round two of the fides of the triangle, from the Kiosk of the Seraglio to the seven towers. D'Anville examines with care, and receives with confidence, this decifive teftimony, which gives a circumference of ten or twelve miles. The extravagant compu tation of Tournefort (Lettre XI.) of thirty-four or thirty miles, without including Scutari, is a ftrange departure from his usual character.

35 The sycæ, or fig-trees, formed the thirteenth region, and were very much embellished by Juftinian. It has fince borne the names of Pera and Galata. The etymology of the former is obvious; that of the latter is unknown. See Ducange Conft. 1. i. c. 22. and Gyllius de Byzant. l. iv. c. 10.

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36 One hundred and eleven stadia, which may be translated into modern Greek miles each of seven stadia, or 660, fometimes only Goo French toifes. See d'Anville Mesures Itineraires, p. 53.

VOL. III.

C

fidence.

CHAP. fidence. Yet Conftantinople must yield to Babylon XVII. and Thebes ", to ancient Rome, to London, and even to Paris 38.

Progrefs

of the work.

37

The master of the Roman world, who aspired to erect an eternal monument of the glories of his reign, could employ in the prosecution of that great work the wealth, the labour, and all that yet remained of the genius of obedient millions. Some estimate may be formed of the expence bestowed with Imperial liberality on the foundation of Conftantinople, by the allowance of about two millions five hundred thousand pounds for the conftruction of the walls, the porticoes, and the aqueducts 39. The forefts that overfhadowed the fhores of the Euxine, and the celebrated quarries of white marble in the little island of Proconnefus, fupplied an inexhaustible stock of materials, ready to be conveyed, by the convenience of a fhort water-carriage, to the harbour of Byzantium 40 A multitude of labourers and artificers

37 When the ancient texts, which defcribe the fize of Babylon and Thebes, are settled, the exaggerations reduced, and the meafures afcertained, we find that thofe famous cities filled the great but not incredible circumference of about twenty-five or thirty miles. Compare d'Anville Mem. de l'Academie, tom. xxviii. p. 235, with his Defeription d' l'Egypte, p.201, 202.

38 If we divide Conftantinople and Paris into equal squares of 50 French toifes, the former contains 850, and the latter 1160 of those divifions.

39 Six hundred centenaries, or fixty thousand pounds weight of gold. This fum is taken from Codinus Antiquit. Conft. p. 11.; but unless that contemptible author had derived his information from fome purer fources, he would probably have been unac quainted with fo obfolete a mode of reckoning.

49 For the forefts of the Black Sea, confult Tournefort, Lettre XVI. for the marble quarries of Proconnesus, see Strabo, 1. xiii.

P. 588.

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