Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/209

THE CONDITION OF CONSTANTINOPLE IN 1200. 191 — adjoined the Great Church and tlic palace, and was sur- rounded by a double colonnade. Opposite the church, and upon a pedestal of bronze resting on seven arches, rose an equestrian bronze statue of the Emperor Justinian, of colos- sal size; his right hand extended threateningly to the East, while in his left lie held an orb, as S3^mbol of universal doniin- The hippo- ^<^"- Near at hand, to the south, was the imperial drome. hippodromc, the structural portion of which has almost entirely disappeared, but of which there are still suffi- cient remains to enable us to see that it was nine hundred feet Ions: and half that width. Its rows of seats in white marble, and probably after the beautiful model of those found in the theatre of Bacchus at Athens, have long since disap- peared. The materials of which the poition set apart for the spectators was formed have been taken away to be used in the construction of neighboring mosques and buildings. In 1201, however, the hippodrome was probably but little changed from what it had been for several centuries. Commenced by Severus, successive emperors had added to it and adorned it. There were then in it the famous bronze horses which now adorn the Church of St. Mark in Venice, an obelisk of Egyp- tian syenite still standing in the centre, and which we learn from an inscription upon the base had been set up again by the Emperor Theodosius after it had lain a considerable time on the ground. Near to this obelisk stood a pyramid, which marked the goal of the chariot races. Probably on the other side of the obelisk stood the famous column of the Three Serpents,^ a monument which had been an ancient relic when it was brought to Constantinople. It dated back to the time of the Persian invasion of Greece, and had served at Delphi to support the golden tripod which the Greeks found in the enemy's camp after the battle of Plataea, and which they had dedicated to Apollo. Seen in position at Delphi by Ilerodo- ' The column still exists, but the heads have disappeared. Various untrustworthy reports are given as to their disappearance. One of them remained i)i situ until 1G21. A portion of one has recently been recov- ered, and is in the Imperial Museum at Stamboul.