Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  [13] The two arms (pleurai) of this enclosure which lie along the transverse line are equal to each other, but the arm which extends toward the west, along the upright line, is enough longer than the other to make the form of the cross.a

  [14] τῆς δὲ ὀροφῆς τὰ μὲν τοῦ ἱερατείου καλουμένου καθύπερθεν τῷ τῆς Σοφίας ἱερῷ κατά γε τὰ μέσα ἐμφερῆ εἴργασται, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι ταῦτα ἐκείνων ἐλασσοῦσθαι μεγέθει συμβαίνει.

  [14] That portion of the roof which is above the sanctuary, as it is called, is built, in the centre at least, on a plan resembling that of the Church of Sophia, except that it is inferior to it in size.

  [15] αἵ τε γὰρ ἀψῖδες τέσσαρες οὖσαι κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν ᾐώρηνταί τε καὶ συνδέονται ἀλλήλαις τρόπον καὶ τὸ κυκλοτερὲς ὑπερανεστηκὸς κατὰ τὰς θυρίδας διῄρηται, τό τε σφαιροειδὲς ἐπικυρτούμενον ὕπερθεν μετεωρίζεσθαί που δοκεῖ καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ στερρᾶς τῆς οἰκοδομίας ἑστάναι, καίπερ ἀσφαλείας εὖ ἔχον.

  [15] The arches, four in number, rise aloft and are bound together in the same manner, and the circular drum (kykloteres) which stands upon them is pierced by the windows, and the dome (sphairoeides) which arches above this seems to float in the air and not to rest upon solid masonry, though actually it is well supported.

  [16] τὸ μὲν οὖν τῆς ὀροφῆς μέσον τῇδε πεποίηται· κατὰ δὲ τὰς πλευρὰς τέσσαρας οὔσας, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται, κατὰ ταὐτὰ τῷ μέσῳ τὸ μέγεθος εἴργασται, τούτου δὴ μόνου ἐνδέοντος, ὅτι δὴ τοῦ σφαιρικοῦ ἔνερθεν οὐ διῄρηται ἡ οἰκοδομία θυρίσιν.

  [16] Thus, then, was the central portion of the roof constructed. And the arms of the building, which are four, as I have said, were roofed on the same plan as the central portion, but this one feature is lacking: underneath the domes (sphairikon) the masonry is not pierced by windows.

  [17] ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτῷ τὸ ἁγίστευμα τοῦτο ἐξείργαστο, καταφανεῖς οἱ ἀπόστολοι πεποίηνται πᾶσιν ὡς γεγήθασί τε τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως τιμῇ καὶ κατακόρως ἐναβρύνονται.

  [17] And at the time when this shrine was completed by him, the Apostles made it manifest to all men how they delight in the honour shewn them by the Emperor and glory in it exceedingly.

  [18] σώματα γοῦν τῶν ἀποστόλων Ἀνδρέου τε καὶ Λουκᾶ καὶ Τιμοθέου ἄδηλά τε καὶ ὅλως κρυφαῖα τὰ πρότερα ὄντα τηνικάδε πᾶσιν ἔνδηλα γέγονεν, οὐκ ἁπαξιούντων, οἶμαι, τὴν βασιλέως πίστιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιχωρούντων αὐτῷ διαρρήδην ὁρῶντί τε αὐτοὺς καὶ προσιόντι καὶ ἁπτομένῳ τῆς ἐνθένδε ὠφελείας τε καὶ περὶ τὸν βίον ἀσφαλείας ἀπόνασθαι. ἐγνώσθη δὲ ὧδε.

  ] [18] At any rate the bodies of the Apostles Andrew and Luke and Timothy, which previously had been invisible and altogether concealed, became at that time visible to all men, signifying, I believe, that they did not reject the faith of the Emperor, but expressly permitted him to see them and approach them and touch them, that he might thereby enjoy their assistance and the safety of his life. This was made known in the following way.

  [19] Κωνστάντιος μὲν βασιλεὺς τοῦτον δὴ τὸν νεὼν ἔς τε τὴν τιμὴν καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐδείματο, τὰς θῆκας γενέσθαι αὑτῷ τε καὶ τοῖς ἐς τὸ ἔπειτα βασιλεύσουσιν ἐνταῦθα τάξας, οὐκ ἀνδράσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναιξὶν οὐδέν τι ἧσσον· ὅπερ καὶ διασώζεται ἐς τόνδε τὸν χρόνον· οὗ δὴ καὶ Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν νεκρὸν ἔθετο.

  [19] The Emperor Constantius had built this church in honour of the Apostles and in their name, decreeing that tombs for himself and for all future Emperors should be placed there, and not for the rulers alone, but for their consorts as well; and this custom is preserved to the present day. Here also he laid the body of his father Constantine.

  [20] ἀποστόλων δὲ σώματα ἐνταῦθα εἶναι ὡς ἥκιστά πη ἐπεσημήνατο, οὐδέ τις ἐνταῦθα ἐφαίνετο χῶρος σώμασιν ἁγίοις ἀνεῖσθαι δοκῶν.

  [20] But neither did he give any intimation whatever that the bodies of the Apostles were there, nor did any place appear there which seemed to be given over to the bodies of the holy men.

  [21] ἀλλὰ νῦν Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως ἀνοικοδομουμένου τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦτο, οἱ μὲν λιθουργοὶ τὸ ἔδαφος διώρυσσον ὅλον, τοῦ μή τι ἄκοσμον τῇδε λελεῖφθαι· θῆκας δὲ ξυλίνας ἐνταῦθά πη ἀπημελημένας τεθέανται τρεῖς, γράμμασιν ἐγκειμένοις σφίσι δηλούσας, ὡς Ἀνδρέου τε καὶ Λουκᾶ καὶ Τιμοθέου τῶν ἀποστόλων σώματα εἶεν·

  [21] But when the Emperor Justinian was rebuilding this shrine, the workmen dug up the whole soil so that nothing unseemly should be left there; and they saw three wooden coffins lying there neglected, which revealed by inscriptions upon them that they contained the bodies of the Apostles Andrew and Luke and Timothy.

  [22] ἅπερ ἀσμενέστατα βασιλεύς τε αὐτὸς καὶ Χριστιανοὶ ξύμπαντες εἶδον, πομπήν τε αὐτοῖς καὶ πανήγυριν ἐπιτετελεκότες, τῇ τε περὶ αὐτοὺς τιμῇ ἐξοσιωσάμενοι τὰ εἰωθότα καὶ περιστείλαντες τὰς θῆκας αὖθις τῇ γῇ ἔκρυψαν, οὐκ ἄσημον οὐδὲ ἀγείτονα λιπόντες τὸν χῶρον, ἀλλὰ σώμασιν ἀποστόλων ἀνειμένον καταστησάμενοι ξὺν εὐσεβείᾳ.

  [22] And the Emperor himself and all the Christians saw these with the greatest joy, and having arranged a procession in their honour and a festival, and having performed the customary holy rites over them and having put the coffins in order, they laid them once more in the ground, not leaving the place unmarked or solitary, but piously ordaining that it be dedicated to the bodies of the Apostles.

  [23] εὔδηλον δὲ ὡς ἀμειβόμενοι, ὅπερ μοι εἴρηται, οἱ ἀπόστολοι οἶδε τὴν ἐς αὐτοὺς βασιλέως τιμῆς πεφήνασι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τανῦν.

  [23] And it is plain, as I have said, that it was in requital for this honour which the Emperor shewed them, that these Apostles appeared to men on this occasion.

  [24] βασιλέως γὰρ εὐσεβοῦντος οὐδὲ ἀποφοιτᾷ τῶν ἀνθρωπείων τὰ θεῖα πραγμάτων ]ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιμίγνυσθαί τε καὶ ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν τῇ ἐς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὁμιλίᾳ φιλεῖ.

  [24] For when the Emperor is pious, divinity walks not afar from human affairs, but is wont to mingle with men and to take delight in associating with them.

  [25] Τίς δ᾽ ἂν τὸν Ἀκακίου σιωπῴη νεών; ὅνπερ καταπεπονηκότα περιελὼν ἐξ αὐτῶν θεμελίων ἀνέστησε, μέγεθος περιβεβλημένον θαυμάσιον ἡλίκον· ὃς κίοσι μὲν ἐπῆρται πανταχόθι
λευκοῖς ὑπεράγαν, λίθῳ δὲ τὰ ἐδάφη παραπλησίῳ ἠμφίεσται, ὧνπερ ἀπαστράπτει τοσοῦτον ἡ αἴγλη ὥστε καὶ δόξαν παρέχεσθαι ὅτι δὴ χιόσιν ὁ νεὼς ἅπας κατάρρυτός ἐστι.

  [25] Who could pass over in silence the Church of Acacius? This had fallen into ruin, and he took it down and rebuilt it from the foundations, so as to make it a building of marvellous size. It is carried on all sides on columns of astonishing whiteness, and the floor is covered with similar stone, from which such a brilliant light is reflected that it gives the impression that the whole church is coated with snow.

  [26] στοαὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ προβέβληνται δύο, περίστυλος μὲν ἁτέρα οὖσα, ἡ δὲ πρὸς ἀγορὰν νενευκυῖα.

  [26] And two stoas are thrown out in front of it, one of them making a court (peristylos), the other facing the market-place.

  [27] μικροῦ με τὸ μαρτύριον ἐκεῖνο παρῆλθεν εἰπεῖν, ὃ Πλάτωνι ἀνεῖται ἁγίῳ, ἱεροπρεπές τε ὡς ἀληθῶς ὂν καὶ σεμνὸν ἄγαν, οὐ πολλῷ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἄποθεν ἣ βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου ἐπώνυμός ἐστιν· ἔτι μέντοι καὶ τὸν Μωκίῳ μάρτυρι ἀνειμένον νεών, οὗπερ τὰ ἱερὰ πάντα μεγέθει ἐλάσσω.

  [27] I have almost omitted to mention that martyr’s shrine which is dedicated to St. Plato, a truly holy and much revered building, not far from the market-place which bears the name of the Emperor Constantine; also the church dedicated to the martyr Mocius, to which all other shrines yield in size.

  [28] πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὸ Θύρσου μάρτυρος ἕδος καὶ μὴν τὸ Θεοδώρου ἁγίου τέμενος πρὸ τῆς πόλεως κείμενον ἐν χώρῳ καλουμένῳ Ῥησίῳ, καὶ τό τε Θέκλης μάρτυρος ἱερόν, ὃ παρὰ τὸν τῆς πόλεως λιμένα ἐστὶν ὅνπερ ἐπώνυμον Ἰουλιανοῦ ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, καὶ τὸ Θεοδότης ἁγίας ἐν προαστείῳ καλουμένῳ Ἑβδόμῳ.

  [28] There is also the resting-place of the martyr Thyrsus, and likewise the precinct of St. Theodore, situated outside the city at a place called Rhesium, as well as the sanctuary of the martyr Thecla, which is hard by the harbour of the city which chances to bear the name of Julian, and that of St. Theodota in the suburb called Hebdomum.

  [29] ταῦτα γὰρ ἅπαντα ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος ἐπὶ τοῦ θείου Ἰουστίνου βασιλεύοντος ἐκ θεμελίων ἐδείματο, ἀπαγγέλλεσθαι μὲν οὐ ῥᾴδια λόγῳ, ]θαυμάζεσθαι δὲ ὄψει κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀμήχανα.

  [29] All these our present Emperor built from the foundations during the reign of his uncle Justinus, and they are not easy to describe in words, and one cannot admire them sufficiently when they are seen.

  [30] ἕλκει τὸν λόγον ἐς αὑτὸν ὁ Ἀγαθονίκου τοῦ ἁγίου νεὼς καὶ βιάζεται οὐδὲ φωνὴν ἔτι ἔχοντα οὐδὲ ὀνόματα ἐφαρμόσαι τοῖς πράγμασι. διόπερ ἡμῖν μὲν ἄχρι τοῦδε εἰπεῖν ἀποχρήσει· φράσαι δὲ αὐτοῦ τό τε κάλλος καὶ τὸ ἐς ἅπαντα μεγαλοπρεπὲς ἑτέροις ἀφίεμεν, οἷς ἂν ὁ λόγος ἀκμάζων τε καὶ οὔπω πεπονηκὼς παντάπασιν εἴη.

  [30] But the Church of St. Agathonicus now draws my narrative and constrains me, though I no longer have the voice or the words to do justice to it. So I must content myself with mention of this church, and leave it to others to describe its beauty and its magnificence in every detail — others whose power of utterance is fresh and not yet wholly spent.

  [5] [5] [1] Καὶ ἄλλα δὲ τεμένη ἐν τῷ καλουμένῳ Ἀνάπλῳ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀντιπέρας ἤπειρον εὗρεν οὐ πρέποντα τῶν τινι ἀνεῖσθαι ἁγίων, ἔτι μέντοι καὶ ἀμφὶ τὸν κόλπον, ὅνπερ Κέρας οἱ ἐπιχώριοι Κεροέσσῃ τῇ Βύζαντος μητρὶ τοῦ τῆς πόλεως οἰκιστοῦ ἐπωνύμως καλοῦσιν, ἐν τοῖς ἅπασιν ἐπιδέδεικται πολυτέλειαν ἐπιτηδείως βασιλεῖ ἔχουσαν, ἅπερ ἐγὼ αὐτίκα δηλώσω, ὑπειπὼν πρότερον ὅντινα διακοσμεῖ τρόπον ἡ θάλασσα τὸ Βυζάντιον.

  [1] There are other shrines also, both in the place called Anaplus and on the shore of the opposite continent, which he found in a condition unworthy to be dedicated to any of the saints, as well as along the inlet which the inhabitants call Ceras, after Ceroessa, the mother of Byzas, the founder of the city; and in all these he displayed a munificence altogether befitting an Emperor, as I shall presently shew, after first explaining how the sea adorns Byzantium.

  [2] Πρὸς τῇ ἄλλῃ εὐδαιμονίᾳ καὶ ἡ θάλασσα ἐν καλῷ τίθεται ἀμφ᾽ αὐτὸ μάλιστα, ἐγκολπουμένη τε καὶ εἰς πορθμοὺς ξυναγομένη καὶ χεομένη ἐς πέλαγος μέγα, ταύτῃ τε τὴν πόλιν εὐπρόσωπόν τε διαφερόντως ἐργαζομένη καὶ σκέπας λιμένων ἡσύχιον τοῖς ναυτιλλομένοις παρεχομένη, τά τε εἰς τὴν δίαιταν εὔπορον καὶ τὰ ἐς τὴν χρείαν εὐδαίμονα.

  [2] Besides the city’s other blessings the sea is set most beautifully all about it, forming curving bays, contracting into narrow straits, and spreading into a great open sea; and thus it makes the city exceptionally beautiful, and offers the quiet shelter of harbours to navigators, thereby abundantly providing the city with the necessities of life and making it rich in all useful things.

  [3] πελάγη γὰρ δύο ἀμφ᾽ αὐτὴν ὄντα, ὅ τε δὴ Αἰγαῖος καὶ ὁ Εὔξεινος καλούμενος Πόντος, ξυνιᾶσιν ἀλλήλοις ἐς τὰ πρὸς ἕω τῆς πόλεως καὶ ξυγκρουόμενα τῇ τοῦ ῥοθίου ἐπιμιξίᾳ, ταύτῃ τε τὴν ἤπειρον τῇ ἐσβολῇ βιαζόμενα, ]καλλωπίζουσι κύκλῳ τὴν πόλιν.

  [3] For in reality there are two seas embracing it, the Aegean on the one side and the sea called the Euxine on the other; these unite with each other to the east of the city, and rushing together as they mingle their waves, and pushing back the solid land by this invasion, they beautify the city as they surround it.

  [4] πορθμοὶ τοίνυν αὐτὴν περιβάλλουσι τρεῖς, ἀλλήλοις μὲν ἀπερηρεισμένοι, ἐς κάλλος δὲ αὐτῇ διατεταγμένοι καὶ χρείαν, περιπλεῖσθαι μὲν ἥδιστοι ἅπαντες, ἀποσκοπήσασθαι δὲ ποθεινοί, ἐνορμίσασθαι δὲ λίαν εὐλιμένες.

  [4] So it is encircled by three straits which open into one another, so disposed that they both adorn and serve the city, all of them most delightful for sailing, each a pleasurable sight for the eye, and very commodious for anchorage.

  [5] καὶ ὁ μὲν αὐτῶν μέσος ἐκ Πόντου προϊὼν τοῦ Εὐξείνου εὐθὺ τῆς πόλεως ὡς διακοσμήσων αὐτὴν ἵεται, ἐφ᾽ ἑκάτερα δὲ ἄμφω τὰ ἠπείρω διακεκλήρωται.

  [5] And the middle one of them, coming down from the Euxine Sea, flows straight toward the city, as though to beautify it, and on either side of it the two continents are placed.

  [6] ὧν δὴ ταῖς ὄχθαις πεπίεσται, ἐπιφρίττων τε καὶ γαυρουμ�
�νῳ ἐοικώς ὅτι δὴ ἐποχούμενος τῇ τε Ἀσίᾳ καὶ τῇ Εὐρώπῃ προσβαίνει τῇ πόλει.

  [6] And it is pressed in by their banks, so that it ripples and seems to plume itself because it approaches the city mounted upon both Asia and Europe.

  [7] δόξαις ἂν ποταμὸν τεθεᾶσθαι ἐπίπροσθεν προσηνεῖ τῷ ῥείθρῳ ἰόντα. ὁ δὲ δὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀριστερᾷ θλίβεται μὲν ἑκατέρωθεν ἐπὶ μακρότατον ταῖς ἀκταῖς, τά τε ἄλση καὶ λειμώνων κάλλη καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τῆς ἀντιπέρας ἠπείρου ἐνδεικνύμενος ὑποκείμενα τῇ τῆς πόλεως ὄψει.

  [7] One would imagine that he was looking upon a river moving toward him with gentle current. And the strait which lies on the left of this is confined by its shores on either side for a very great distance, displaying the woods and the lovely meadows and all the other details of the opposite shore which lie open to view from the city.

  [8] εὐρύνεται δὲ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἐξωθούμενος αὐτῆς πρὸς ἄνεμον νότον καὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν αὐτῆς ὡς πορρωτάτω ἀποκομίζων.

  [8] Then from that point it broadens as it is thrust away from the city toward the south, and carries the coast of Asia very far from the city.

  [9] ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς περιβάλλον διαμένει τὴν πόλιν τὸ ῥόθιον ἄχρι ἐς δύοντά που τὸν ἥλιον. ὁ δὲ δὴ τρίτος πορθμὸς τοῦ μὲν πρώτου ἐχόμενος ἐπὶ δεξιᾷ, ἐκ δὲ Σύκων τῶν καλουμένων ἀρχόμενος, ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διήκει τῆς πόλεως πρὸς βορρᾶν ἄνεμον, οὗ δὴ ἐς κόλπον τελευτῶν παύεται.

  [9] Yet the wash of the sea continues to envelop the city up to its western boundary. The third strait, which branches off from the first toward the right, commencing at Sycae, as it is called, extends for a very great distance along the side of the city which faces the north, and terminates in the bay which forms its end.