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BUILDING OF BOUMELIA-HISSAK 215 proposed to build his fortress belonged to him, and professed to think it strange that the emperor should wish to place any difficulties in the way of the execution of so necessary a project. If indeed, he significantly added, the emperor was not peaceably disposed, that would be a different matter. 1 When the messengers reported their interview, the emperor's first idea was to fight, and he was only prevented by the entreaties of the clergy and people from sending a detachment of his troops to destroy the builders and their work. Some indeed of the inhabitants were in favour of such action, but the emperor 2 had to come to the miserable conclusion that it was impossible to prevent the young sultan from carrying out his project except by war in the open country, and that for such war he was not prepared. When the spring of 1452 was further advanced the Selects a sultan himself took the lead in the execution of his project. Eoumeiia- He assembled thirty well-armed triremes and a large number Hlssar - of transports and sent them from Gallipoli to the Bosporus. At the same time he himself marched at the head of a large army towards its European shore. On his arrival he selected, with the aid of his engineers, the most advantageous position for his proposed fortifications. This was found immediately opposite Anatolia Hissar. 3 Once the plan had been decided upon, every available Building man seems to have been set at work to aid in its speedy execution. Mahomet himself superintended the construction of the new fortification and pushed on the works with the energy that characterised all his military undertakings. At the beginning of the operations Constantine with the 1 Crit. viii. The account given by Dueas represents the reply of the sultan as much more brutal. He dismissed the ambassadors with the remark that he would not have the question reopened ; he was within his rights, and if they returned he would have them flayed alive. 2 Phrantzes, p. 233 ; Ducas, xxxiv. ; Crit. is. 3 Critobulus gives the width at seven stadia. It is really half a nautical mile. Probably it is unwise to suppose that Critobulus had any means of measuring it with any degree of accuracy, or the distance given by him would be very valuable as indicating what contemporary writers meant by a stadium. It is important, however, in reference to other statements of distance given by Crito- bulus which will be noted later.