Constantinople. The City of the Sultans ... Illustrated

Front matter

General I7iew, looking to Ihe Bosphorus from Stamboul. CONSTANTINOPLE XEbe Cits of tbe Sultans BY CLARA ERSKINE CLEMENT AUTHOR OF "NAPLES, THE CITY OF PARTHENOPE," "THE QUEEN OF THE ADRIATIC," " HANDBOOK OF LEGENDARY AND MYTHOLOGICAL ART," ETC. Illustrated BOSTON ESTES AND LAURIAT PUBLISHERS FRANK T. SABIN, BOOK AND PRINT3ELLER, AND EXPORT AGENT, 118, SHAFTESBURV AVENUE, Copyright, 1895, BV ESTES AND LAURIAT. AU rights reserved. (Uittbrrsitg Press: John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U.S.A. CONTENTS. Chapter Paoe I. Introductory 3 II. Constantinople and Constantine the Great. 324-337 10 III. Valens, Theodosius the Great, Arcadius, and Theodosius II. 364-527 26 IV. Justinian, Heraclius, Constantine IV., Leo the Iconoclast, and the Isaurian Dynasty. 527-867 39 V. Macedonian and Comnenan Dynasties — Decadence of Constantinople. 867-1203 .... 56 VI.

The Latin Conquest, Last Emperors of Constantinople, and its Subjection by* the Ottoman Turks. 1204-1453 73 VII. Mohammed II., Bayezid II., Selim I., and Suleiman the Magnificent. 1453-1566 97 VIII. Selim II. to Abdul Mejid — Three Centuries of Decline. 1566-1861 123 IX. Sultans Abdul Aziz, Murad V., and Abdul Hamid II. 1861-1895 148 X. The Castle of the Seven Towers — The Old Seraglio and Other Palaces 171 XI. S. Sophia and the Ahmedyeh 197 XII. Antiquities of Constantinople CONTENTS. Cbaptib Paoe XIII. Shops and Bazaars 236 XIV. The Valley of the Sweet Waters. — Habits and Customs of Turkish Ladies 246 XV. Cemeteries and Funeral Customs 256 XVI. Birth, Circumcision, and Marriage Ceremonies 265 XVII. Superstitions, Dervishes, Ramadan, and Fatalism 280 XVIII. Education in Constantinople 294 Index LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page General View, looking to the Bosphorus from Stamboul Frontispiece Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent 12 Burnt Column of Constantine 19 Serpentine Column in the Hippodrome 55 General View in Stamboul 66 View within St. Sophia 97 The Bridge, from Stamboul 107 Tombs of Sultan Suleiman and Sultana Roxalana .... 121 Tombs of Mahmoud II. and Abdul Aziz 140 Dolmabatchke Palace and Mosque of Sultan Abdul Medjid 155 Yildiz Kiosk, with Mosque and Pavilion 165 Seraglio Point and Palace 176 Interior of Mosque of St. Sophia 198 The Mosque of Sultan Ahmed 214 Street Scene 236 Sweet Waters on Friday Afternoon 246 A Turkish Lady 254 The Tower of Galata 258 Turkish Ladies in Carriage 275 Castle of Roumelia, built by Mohammed II $art f itgt. CONSTANTINOPLE BEFORE THE CONQUEST OF THE OTTOMAN TURKS. Behold Constantinople ! sublime, superb Constantinople, glory to creation and man ! I had never dreamed of such beauty ! Edmondo de Amicis. CONSTANTINOPLE.

Chapter I. Introductory

THE history of no city exceeds that of Constantinople in dramatic interest, and no other can boast of so commanding a position, or one so well suited to the splendid capital of a proud and powerful empire. As Byzantium, — its name through more than nine centuries, — it was one of the most remote Greek colonies, surrounded by a barbarous country, and but narrowly separated from a sea dangerous to mariners, and fatal to those who fell into the hands of the inhabitants of its coasts, — a sea which was both a dread and a temptation to Greek and Roman seamen. When Greek colonists first established themselves on the borders of the Propontis, — now Marmora, — this dreaded sea was called the " Axine," or "Inhospitable;" and its associations with the perilous voyage of the Argonautic fleet, with Jason, Medea, and the Golden Fleece, inspired a terror of it which yielded but slowly before the experiences of those who ventured upon its waters and returned in safety.

But at length it so far vindicated itself as to be rechristened ; and the "Euxine," or "Hospitable," lost its deadly terrors, while retaining enough of its peculiar characteristics to justify the words of Lord Byron, so frequently recalled CONSTANTINOPLE. by those who experience the discomforts of its chopping currents. 1 Then, as now, the waters of this sea flowed rapidly through the narrow Bosphorus, and rushing on through the Sea of Marmora, the Dardanelles, and the Ægean Sea, were mingled with those of the greater Mediterranean. The steep and wooded banks of the Bosphorus, from the Cyanean rocks which guarded the entrance to the Euxine, even to the port of Byzantium itself, were studded with temples and altars, where prayers and sacrifices were offered to the gods, in the hope of securing their pro tection from the dangers of these untoward waters.

Along the sixteen winding miles of these lonely straits, tradition has located the scenes once haunted by the mythical beings who can no longer be discerned, and the present castles of Europe and Asia stand upon the founda tions of the temples of Serapis and Jupiter Urius, at the narrowest part of the channel, where Darius connected the continents by a bridge of boats, about 500 B. c. The wonderful beauty of the site of Byzantium was fully equalled, perhaps even surpassed, by its political and commercial advantages. Easily defended on its land borders, its position on the sea afforded the assurance of vast wealth and prosperity. The duties levied on corn ships brought a large revenue to the Byzantines, and the fisheries were a prolific source of wealth; for the fish, which, coming from the Euxine, filled the waters of the Bosphorus, inclined to the European shore, and furnished a living to a multitude of fishermen, as well as food to rich and poor alike.

The splendid harbour, almost tideless, and so deep that merchandise could be landed without small boats, was called the Golden Horn, at a very early date. Gibbon 1 " There 'a not a sea the passenger e'er pukes in Turns up more dangerous breakers than the Euxine." INTRODUCTORY. 5 says that the largest vessels may rest their prows against the houses while their sterns are floating in the water. The word " golden " was scarcely adequate to indicate the endless tide of riches which, flowing from the distant countries of the world, were gathered in the capacious Byzantine port, the peculiar position of which afforded security to enormous merchant fleets. About one hundred and twenty miles to the southwest, the Hellespont, or Straits of the Dardanelles, separated the Sea of Marmora from the Ægean, and formed the southern gate to Byzantium, as the Bosphorus made the northern.

By means of enormous chains, these avenues were easily closed to enemies or opened to friends ; and so advantageous was the position of this capital, that when both these gates were shut, every necessity and many luxuries were produced within the enclosure, in a supply so generous as to satisfy its vast population. The neighbouring country, which still, even under the taxes and oppression of the present rule, is rich in the plentiful harvests of its vineyards and gardens, afforded in the ancient days many table luxuries, and even wines so exquisite as to be world-famous, — wines of which Ulysses spoke with rapture. In short, Byzantium, on her seven hills, overlooking the coasts of Europe and Asia, with a temperate climate, a productive soil, and vast commercial resources, was a city to be envied and coveted by all the rulers of the earth.

Little is known of its earliest history, but in the fifth century b. c. it was a powerful city, to which many neighbouring peoples were subject. Continued peace and prosperity, however, were not to be enjoyed in those days of endless warfare ; and Byzantium was, during the succeeding centuries, the scene of sieges, conflagrations, and all the horrors of a barbarous age. Persians, Macedo- CONSTANTINOPLE. nians, Athenians, Thracians, Gauls, and Romans contended for its possession ; and even when no pronounced war was in progress, this capital suffered severely from the depre dations of the surrounding barbarians. Its crops were stolen on the eve of the harvest, and all possible injuries and insults to its people and their rulers were perpetrated again and again. Byzantium was necessarily more or less involved in the great Roman wars which preceded the Christian era; and in 148 b. c. she became an ally of Rome, as a confederate state, retaining its liberty.

The history of Rome, and especially some speeches of its greatest generals and orators, prove that Byzantium was faithful to this alliance, and under these conditions enjoyed great prosperity. At this time it was especially rich in works of art, and in spite of the sieges and attacks it had sustained, had shown a marvellous power of recuperation, and had succeeded in religiously guarding its statues and other artistic treasures from injury. It was attractive to all travellers, and retained the characteristics of a Greek city, affording great advantages to the student of archæology, while its luxurious life was fascinating to the mere pleasure-seeker. In 70 a. d. Byzantium was a Roman province ; but this change had made no essential difference in its condition, and little is known of it until more than a century later, when Septimius Severus was contending with Pescennius Niger for his position as Roman emperor in the East.

Byzantium declared herself in favor of the Syrian general, and doubtless had the ambition to become the capital of a vast Eastern Empire. Its fortifications were famous throughout the world. All the scientific means of defence then known were at its command. Its engines were said to be sufficient to lift ships from the water; and its soldiers may well have been inspired with INTRODUCTORY. undoubting courage by the presence of their engineer, Priscus, who proved himself so great a master of his pro fession as to command the respect of Severus, into whose service he later entered. Great as was the reliance to be placed on their splendid fortifications and engineering skill, the Byzantines had a second invaluable support in their numerous vessels, manned by skilful, brave, and loyal seamen. Their large ships, with dangerous beaks, were greatly dreaded by the navies of other countries, especially when in their own waters, where their pilots knew every advan tage that could be taken, and where the narrow straits, through which an enemy must pass, were easily guarded against fleets that would be difficult to overcome when in more open seas.

They also had divers so skilful that they even attached ropes to the Roman vessels under water, and hauled them into the Byzantine harbor as prizes of war. The siege was sustained three years, which proves that however pleasure-loving the Byzantines were in times of peace, their courage and loyalty were marvellous when their city was in danger. Their vessels were repaired with timbers from their houses, and the women gave their hair to be worked into ropes. Stones wrenched from splendid edifices, and statues of bronze, were hurled from the walls on the heads of the besiegers. So great were the stores within the capital at the beginning of the siege that no need of food was felt for a long time ; but when it came, there were no possible means of relief. Severus had conquered the neighbouring tribes, and could easily feed his troops.

If he could overcome the Byzantines on the sea, their city would be his, and without it he could not establish his power in the East. At length, after enduring the sufferings of famine to such an extent that the weaker became food for the strong, CONSTANTINOPLE. a company of Byzantines took advantage of a frightful storm to take to their vessels, hoping, in the terrible con dition of the sea, to be able to pass the Roman galleys. But they miscalculated their chances, and in the over crowded condition of their boats were at an immense dis advantage. The Romans attacked them furiously, and instead of fighting a fair battle, they simply pushed the Byzantines into the sea to drown. Many of the horrors of this engagement were witnessed from the walls of the city. The people beheld the corpses of their friends and neighbours floating back to their home ; and the failure of this bold attempt to escape from the famine within, and the enemy without their walls, proved to the survivors that the time for surrender had come.

Severus proved a cruel conqueror, and permitted the common people alone to live. The soldiers and the higher classes were put to death. The wealth of Byzantium was confiscated ; the city and the territory it controlled were given to the city of Perinthus. In the destruction of the walls, the Romans displayed a foolish love of revenge and great lack of wisdom; for not only was this the sever est trial to the Byzantines, but it permitted the Asiatic barbarians to rush in and plunder, where the magnificent fortifications had before rendered their attacks fruitless. The struggles of Byzantium during a long period after this conquest by Severus, A. D. 196, are too involved for description here. They make a harrowing story of the alternate successes and cruelties of the Romans and bar barians. Although the walls were rebuilt, there were times when the Byzantines trembled lest they should become the slaves of the Goths, and they willingly aided the Emperor Claudius II. in his great battle at Naissus, a. D. 269.

Not until a. d. 324, when Constantine, the sole ruler of the Roman Empire, besieged the city, was INTRODUCTORY. there a strong and enduring government at Byzantium. It was then made the capital of the civilized world, and the chief seat of the Christian religion, which was henceforth to be the cult of the multitudes subject to Rome. The name of the capital was changed to Constantinople; and the portion of its history which belongs to that of the Christian world now began.

Chapter II. Constantinople And Constantine The Great

324-337. 0 city of the world is entered by so ideal a portal as i that through which one reaches Constantinople from the Mediterranean. Traversing the Ægean Sea, and passing through the Hellespont into the Sea of Marmora, this glorious capital at length is seen rising from the waters, — ail entrancing vision, with its rich colouring, its seven hills crowned with glistening minarets and domes, its cypresses, firs, and pines, uniting with its shattered walls and buttresses to present a panorama which is unequalled in beauty and interest. Constantinople sits "at the meeting of two seas and two continents, like a diamond between sapphires and emeralds."1 From its heights one looks upon the storied shores that almost meet at its feet, and wonders that the air is not filled with the ghosts of heroes who here achieved the fame of which poets in all time delight to sing.

Coming hither, we have passed the plains of Troy, and sailed above the watery grave of that fair Theban maid whose enduring memorial is in the name these straits still bear; and Abydos recalls that other youth, struggling " on Hclle's wave When Love, who sent, forgot to save The young, the beautiful, the brave." 1 Von Hammer. CONSTANTINOPLE AND CONSTANTINE THE GREAT. The Mysian Olympus, "parliamental seat of heavenly powers," still towers aloft, wearing its veil of clouds as if in mourning for the millions that have died within its sight; while the numberless exquisite islands scattered over these historic seas are all associated with the classic past, and so recall its history, its legends, and its poetry that for the time we quite forget that we are at the end of the nineteenth century, and almost look for the fleet of the Argonauts to sail along beside us.

Gray walls, in triple ranks, come into view. Among their stones are there not relics of the walls of Constan tine and Theodosius ? Their towers and battlements are draped with vines and overgrown by friendly shrubs, which partly hide the ghastly rents made by enemies and widened by Time, and their luxurious growth con tributes the single element of life and beauty in this scene of desolation. Approaching the Castle of the Seven Towers, we have Stamboul on our left ; the city of Constantine, stretching four miles along the Sea of Marmora, and rising to the crest of its lofty hills on the west, where hundreds of minarets, domes, and towers vie with each other in lift ing themselves to the blue heavens above. It is our first sight of a part of that whole which, by common consent, is granted to be the most beautiful spot in the world, — a sight which makes an epoch in one's existence, and affords a standard for natural beauty that must ever remain unchanged.

The eye follows the line of quaint old structures close to the sea until, rouuding Seraglio Point, the entrance to the Bosphorus spreads out before us, and the Golden Horn discloses a surprising vista. It is full of life. Hundreds of caiques flit like insects here and there, — out and in among the huge war-ships which carry the red flag with the crescent; darting swiftly between the freight and CONSTANTINOPLE. passenger steamers of all nations, the corn ships of Russia, the picturesque feluccas of the Greek, and scores of curiously rigged boats, for which I know no names. On each side rises a city, — Stamboul to the south, Ga lata to the north, with Pera still higher as its background. On the one hand, above the forest of masts, sails, and flags, rise mosques and towers, pinnacles and minarets, with plume-like trees and shrubs thrusting themselves out in every possible space; while on the other, Galata and Tophane extend along the shore, with the bustle of com merce and trade pervading the very air; above these is Pera, with its mansions, gardens, cemeteries, and cypress groves; and still beyond are the suburban villas and gardens which overlook the Bosphorus.

Upon the heights of Stamboul stand gigantic mosques, with their ivory-like minarets, which catch the colours from the setting sun, and glow with gold and scarlet, in vivid contrast to the groves of cypress-trees which are frequently in long processional lines from the summits to the feet of these broad hills. Saint Sophia, with four white minarets, and her famous dome above her white and rose-coloured walls ; Sultan Ahmed, from which rise six lance-like towers; the ten-domed Soliman the Great; Mohammed II., built above the ruins of the church of the Holy Apostles, the burial-place of the Christian Emperors; the mosque of Selim; the Seraglio of Tekyr, and above all, the Tower of the Seraskiarate, — are the more promi nent features of Stamboul. Surrounding these is a multitude of smaller mosques, tombs, seraglios, kiosks, and edifices of many kinds, in a variety of colours ; and every where, from the heights to the sea, where a space ex ists, some growing vine or shrub or tree pushes itself out, and by its beauty and vigorous growth conceals the glaring defects which would otherwise mar this fascinating panorama.

Mosque of Suleiman Ibe Magnificent. On the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus, Scutari and Kadi-Kioi are seen, with their thousands of gayly tinted houses amidst the most verdant gardens; and these are overtopped by scores of mosques of dazzling whiteness, while the cypress groves of the extensive Turkish and British cemeteries afford a rich contrast to the white barracks, the gay villages, and the domes and minarets which climb the mountain at the back, and are doubled in the blue waters of the straits. The Bosphorus winds northward to the Black Sea between rows of palaces, cafes, gardens, and villages. Nature has here showered her beauties in a profusion that cannot be surpassed. The exquisitely softened azure sky is reflected in the clearest and bluest of seas. The beautiful contour of the shores; the grace with which the Golden Horn curves into the Sweet Waters; the broad sweep of the Bosphorus; the Sea of Marmora, with the bold, rocky islands on its bosom; the gently receding heights beyond Scutari ; and the grand Olympus, which at times reveals its blushing snows beneath the rising sun, — unite to make a picture unrivalled in its loveliness.

Each time that I have visited these scenes, the Bosphorus has cast a spell on me. Its varying aspects beneath the brilliancy of a sunny morning, or the softer illumination of a moonlit night, impart to it a beauty and witchery that cannot be described. Its keynote is curiously sad, with a sadness that is a pleasure, — a strange, weird sen sation, of which one does not seek to know the cause, lest understanding it should do its matter-of-fact work and dispel the charm. In it are mingled, together with other emotions, an unalloyed delight in the exquisite scene, and a keen regret that the heroism, romance, and poetry that have existed here are now found but in the printed page; a blending of sorrow and disgust at the present degradation and decay, with the hope that these must CONSTANTINOPLE pass away, and civilization and art resume their sway in this " land of the cedar and vine Where the flowers ever blossom, the beams ever 6hine ; Where the light wings of Zephyr, oppressed with perfume, Wax faint in the gardens of Gul in her bloom ; Where the citron and olive are fairest of fruit, And the voice of the nightingale never is mute ; Where the tints of the earth and the hues of the sky, In colour though varied, in beauty may vie, And the purple of ocean is deepest in dye ; Where the virgins are soft as the roses they twine, And all save the spirit of man is divine." x Two characteristics of Constantinople are most impressive to the stranger, and doubtless have an unconscious effect, even when no longer novel.

The first is the feel ing that the sea is everywhere. It borders Stamboul on two sides, and separates it from Galata and Pera, which it again parts from Scutari ; and yet these three essentially make one city, — Constantinople. The second is the shrill call to prayer by the muezzin, which peals out five times each day from the galleries of the minarets, piercing the busy hum of the crowd below, and making itself heard above all else. It is a most impressive thought that from every Mohammedan minaret in Asia, Africa, and Europe, at these stated hours, this cry goes forth. The muezzin steps out upon the terrace, and after a moment of silence covers his ears with his hands, raises his eyes to the sky above him, and slowly chants his call, which may be thus translated: "God is great ! There is but one God !

Mahomet is the prophet of God! Come to prayer! Come and be saved! God is great! God is one alone! Come to prayer!" This is repeated to each point of the compass ; and as the voice dies away from one minaret, others are heard, who have 1 Lord Byron. not yet completed the call, and one by one, gradually, these voices of the air are stilled. Thus the name of " Allah " rings ever in one's ears, and the Mohammedan god cannot be forgotten, as the Christian Deity too often is. It is a matter for congratulation to Europeans that their quarter is in Pera, with its commonplace aspect, since here they have the exquisite view of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus, the bridge, the Tower of Galata, and the heights of Stamboul ever spread out before them. But when the remembrance of the great events that have here had place rushes over one, he longs to get away from this uninspiring Pera, and from the hum and stir of that busiest of marts, Stamboul, into some stilly spot where the atmosphere of Byzantium faintly lingers, and the present poison in the air has not utterly dispelled the spirit of the old, old days, — a spot to which the ghosts of those who here lived from the fourth to the fifteenth century might willingly come to recall the scenes in which as men they acted their parts.

Perhaps no more difficult task could be presented to the imagination than that of reconstructing Byzantium as it existed at the height of its glory, before the Latin conquest. For while we have a vast store of material with which to build our imaginary city, and voluminous word pictures of its appearance and its life, they present a world so different from any that we know, and above all, so unlike the Istamboul of the Turk, that the attempt is most unpromising. No single spot in this great city is so associated with its entire history as is Seraglio Point. Here for cen turies has been a palace, the home of its rulers, beside the Temple of the Divine Wisdom, Saint Sophia, in which so many of the wonderful pageants, tragedies, and come dies (!) of Constantinople have had place. This promontory is not surpassed in beauty by any spot on the entire coast CONSTANTINOPLE. of Europe.

It was the Acropolis of Byzantium, and the centre of the commerce of its time; while from it the great highways of Eastern Europe took their course, distribut ing the treasures of all lands, brought hither on the seas which mingle their waters at its feet. We shall not here recount its earliest history, and the events with which the names of Pausanias, Cimon, Alcibiades, Lysander, Thrasybulus, Epaminondas, Philip, and many others are associated. We will but note that while the latter general was besieging Byzantium, and on a murky night was about to seize the town, a dazzling light, appearing in the heavens, revealed their danger to its inhabitants. The miracle was doubly commemorated, — by a statue to torch-bearing Hecate, and by the crescent found on ancient Byzantine coins, which is to this day the device of Constantinople, and of its Mohammedan conquerors, wherever their symbol is seen.

As we have said, the story of Byzantium is one of con stant warfare ; and yet, so prosperous were its people that in its rare seasons of peace the life of its higher classes was most luxurious. Its baths and other public buildings were magnificent, and its Hippodrome was surrounded by beautiful porticoes and various edifices, in which the people passed their days, eating and drinking, and fitting themselves to become the prey of a vigorous and ambitious soldier, like Constantine the Great. Remembering the great strategic and commercial advan tages of this site, we at once perceive the reasons that led Constantine to found his Eastern seat of empire here ; for before his time the riches of North and South — the timber and grains from the Euxine, the gems of Ceylon, the treasures of India, and the maize of Egypt — all met in the capacious port of Byzantium by a system of commercial circulation, as naturally as the blood of the human system passes through the heart.

Constantine desired to be regarded as the founder rather than the conqueror of the city, and, following the example of other founders, he declared himself directed by a heavenly vision which revealed to him the will of God, which he promptly and gladly fulfilled. Although some customary Pagan rites were omitted, the emperor made the ceremony of the founding of the city sufficiently impressive. He is said to have borne a golden image of the goddess of Fortune in his hand, when, with uplifted lance, and followed by a solemn procession, he walked over the boundaries of his New Rome. When the astonishing circumference which he thus indicated was remarked, he replied, " I shall still advance until He, the invisible guide who marches before me, thinks it proper to stop. " Thus the new city was much larger than the old, and included five of the Seven Hills, which seem a part of an harmonious whole, and were all taken into the limits of the capital a little more than a century after the death of Constantine; and in the time of Justinian, at the end of the seventh century, the circumference of the city was about fourteen Roman miles.

The vast numbers of men employed to carry out the designs of the emperor, and the marvellous sums expended on his projects, are almost beyond comprehension. That his work was well done may be seen by the existing remnants of his walls between the Seven Towers and the Golden Horn. Near at hand were the splendid forests of the Euxine and the rich quarries of Proconnesus. The famous cities of Greece and Asia were robbed of their treasures to satisfy the greed of Constantine. The works of the immortal Greeks, of Phidias and Lysippus, were torn from the places for which they were designed; and neither the national pride of the Greeks in the trophies of their victories, nor their profound veneration for the CONSTANTINOPLE. statues of their deities, sages, and heroes, deterred the proud Roman from adding them to the splendours of the city which he had called by his own name.

The historian Cedrenus called attention to the fact that the souls (spirit) of the men whose statues were thus transplanted were utterly wanting in their new surroundings. On the second hill, where during the siege the tent of Constantine had been placed, the chief Forum was con structed, in the form of an enormous ellipse, which may still be traced. On opposite sides were entrances beneath triumphal arches, and it was enclosed by porticoes, filled with statues of gods and heroes, carved in marbles and moulded in brass. The number of these statues was constantly increased until, in the twelfth century, Nicetas assures us that they were more numerous than the inhabi tants of the modern city. In the centre stood a magnificent column, the remnant of which is now known as the "burnt pillar." It was originally composed of ten pieces of porphyry, bound together by bands of copper.

Each block of porphyry was ten feet high and eleven feet in diameter, and the column thus composed was mounted on a pedestal of white marble, twenty feet high, beneath which it was said that the Palladium was buried. On the top of this column was a colossal bronze statue of Apollo, believed to have been the work of Phidias. The god, crowned with glittering rays, held a globe in one hand and a sceptre in the other. This statue was called by the name of the emperor; but Von Hammer speaks of the shamelessness of Constantine, and says that he placed his own statue on the column, with the symbols of both Apollo and Christ, substituting the nails of the cross for the rays of the sun. Julian and Theodosius, following the example of Constantine, each placed his statue on this famous column. In 1012 the statue was injured by an earthquake, and fell in the Burnt Column of Constantine. reign of Alexius Comnenus, when it was replaced by the cross.