Lecture 5: Review Slides Constantinople

Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey,

4th-6th centuries (ca. 300-600CE

Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey,

4th-6th centuries (ca. 300-600CE)

Plan of Constantinople in the Byzantine period. Note geography, location of Mese, the two sets of walls (Constantinian and Theodosian; earlier Severan walls not shown), and the series of imperial fora strung along Mese

View of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople, 413, built by Emperor Theodosius II;

Constantinople, plan showing three sets of walls, the Mese and

location of imperial fora.

The Mese was lined by colonnades as in other Roman cities and served

as a backdrop of important imperial processions (ceremonial entries,

coronations, etc.), as represented in the Trier Ivory on the next slide. The

successive imperial fora were stretched out along the Mese.

Rome, plan of Forum Romanum and adjacent Imperial Fora

(not required to identify on a test, but you should be able to

explain how Constantinople’s fora were different from Rome)

Trier Ivory, 4th cent., showing imperial procession in

Constantinople, with emperor shown at left. Note how the street

is lined by colonnades, an urban element that linked the city to

other Roman colonial cities

Digital reconstruction of Milion, a four-pier arch (tetrapylon) at

the eastern end of the Mese inscribed with the distances to

major cities of the Roman empire. Replicated a similar mile-

marker in Rome.

Constantinople, Forum of Constantine, ca. 328; historic photo

digital reconstruction view of forum of Constantine. Located just outside the Severan walls, a hinge between the

old and new city.

Round or elliptical in shape and surrounded by colonnades as in other Roman colonial

cities (e.g. Pompeii or Jerash, Jordan). Triumphal arches marked access points to Mese.

A porphyry honorific column originally surmounted by a statue of Constantine as Apollo

the sun god, inspired by similar monuments in Rome (e.g. Column of Trajan) and Roman

cities.

Constantinople, schematic plan of Great Palace of

the Byzantine emperors, ca. 340-1200.

Chalké Gate is located next to Augusteion (formerly

the Tetrastoon). Daphné was the residential wing

built by Constantine, built next to the Hippodrome,

or racetrack.

Hippodrome was begun by Septimius Severus and

the first structure completed by Constantine after

the city’s founding. Note the Kathisma (imperial

viewing box) connected to the palace.

The imperial church of Hagia Sophia was placed

north of the Augusteion. Constantine’s city put the

major religious building, imperial palace, and center

of urban ritual and entertainment in proximity to

one another.

Constantinople, reconstruction view of Great Palace of the Byzantine emperors and Hippodrome, ca. 340-1200. The palace

connected to the Hippodrome, replicating the configuration of the Palatine Hill (location of imperial palaces) and Circus Maximus in

Rome itself. The spina of the Hippodrome was marked by columns and obelisks (trophies of war), and other monuments celebrating

imperial power.

Christianizing the Imperial Capital

Constantine’s churches (both rebuilt by EmperorvJustinian)

Hagia Sophia

Church of the Holy Apostles

Church of the Holy Apostles (Apostoleion)

Left, medieval manuscrip

below, digital reconstruction of church of holy aspotles

Founded by Constantine, rebuilt by Justinian, 6th cent., now

destroyed. Martyrium type with quincunx plan (cross with

five domes). Original location of mausoleum of Constantine

under the main dome. Located on an important hill near the

Constantinian Walls.