Page:Destruction of the Greek Empire.djvu/285

MAHOMET'S GUNS 245 represents Mahomet as stating after his guns had done their work that he had opened a way into the city at three places, and this declaration affords a safe guide to the general disposition of the cannon. These were, first, between the present Tekfour Serai and the Adrianople Gate ; second, opposite or near the Pempton or Gate of the Assault (usually spoken of by contemporaries as the Eomanus Gate 1 ) in the Lycus valley, and the last near the Third Military Gate between the Pege or Silivria Gate, and the Khegium Gate, now called Mevlevihana Capou. Here were the three principal stations of Mahomet's cannon. At these three places the ruined condition of the wall bears testimony to the vigorous attack of cannon. At them and nowhere else is it possible to pass over the foss, the breastwork and Outer Wall, and to see that the Inner Wall has been so broken down that a passage into the city was possible. 2 Three cannon are especially remembered on account of their great size. According to Leonard, the largest — that, namely, cast by Urban, which threw a ball of twelve hundred pounds weight — was first placed at Caligaria 8 which then, as now, was ' protected neither by a foss nor by a front wall.' It was destroyed either by the besieged or through an accident by which Urban was killed, after it had done considerable damage to the walls. 4 It was, however, recast and trans- ferred to the Lycus valley, where it demolished the Bacta- tinean tower. 5 The statement of Chalcondylas is that of these three large guns one was stationed opposite the Imperial Palace, probably at Caligaria, the second opposite the Eomanus Gate, where the sultan had fixed his camp, and the third between them. 6 The largest and most powerful gun remained during the siege at the Mesoteichion, in front of the imperial tent. 7 1 See Note in Appendix claiming that during the siege the Pempton was usually called the Gate of St. Eomanus. 2 Pusculus also gives these three places, but with the difference that he mistakes the Second Military Gate for the Third. 3 Barb. p. 21. 4 Phr. 242-47. 5 Dolfin, p. 994. 6 irap* r& irXdyia. 7 See Prof. Van Millingen, 85-92. Barbaro states that the cannon were stationed at four places : opposite the Pege Gate, by which he means the Third