8. THE FOUNDING OF CONSTANTINOPLE

After his defeat of Licinius in 324 Constantine decided to found a new capital for the emperor. This was not unusual, since many emperors had founded or re-founded cities, and the empire had several capitals in the third and fourth centuries. Thus, Constantine did not "move the capital from Rome to Constantinople," but the new city soon became the primary capital of the empire and the real heart of Byzantine civilization. It soon outstripped every other city in beauty and prosperity and by the fifth century its fortune had become identified with that of the empire as a whole.

A. The Founding of the City

1. The decision was made after Constantine fought Licinius in the area and saw the strategic advantage of Byzantium.

2. Constantine considered other possibilities such as Sirmium and Troy.

3. Ultimately Constantine selected the ancient site of Byzantium (Byzantion).

a. The city was located on a peninsula on the European side of the Bosphoros (modern Istanbul in European Turkey).

b. It was ideally situated between the eastern and northern military frontiers.

c. It was to become an important center of trade, located as it was on major north-south and east-west trade routes.

d. Constantine certainly did not set out to "replace" Rome as the capital of the empire: in the fourth century there already were several other capitals and Constantine simply wished to honor his military victory in a typically imperial fashion.

4. The dedication of the city took place in 330.

a. Constantine himself apparently laid out the general plan of the city and ordered the construction to take place remarkably quickly, within about five years.

b. In general, the city was patterned after Rome and its official title was "New Rome;" there were seven churches, and a great palace, which later became the central part of the Great Palace.

c. On 11 May 330 a great ceremony was held to dedicate the city.

5. The overall form of the city: the Golden Horn was on the north, the Sea of Marmora on the South, and the Bosphoros to the east.

a. Walls protected the city from attack along the west; sea walls were incorporated only later.

b. Great avenues ran from the gates in the wall eastward toward the center of the city; many of these streets were colonnaded and lined with impressive public monuments; the most splendid of these was the Mese, or the "Middle Street."

c. The palace complex lay near the site of the ancient acropolis at the far east end of the city.

6. The development of the Capital (for pictures of Constantinople, click here).

a. By the middle of the fourth century Constantinople had become the legal equal of Rome and it had most of the same institutions, including a Senate.

b. The importance of the city was enhanced by the emperors from 395 to 611, few of whom left the city for extended periods.

c. Monuments of classical art were brought to the city to decorate it.

d. The construction of the Theodosian Walls in 413 was an important milestone in the development of the city; the enlarged the area of the city and enclosed it in triple, almost-impregnable fortifications.

e. Before long Constantinople came to be known simply as "The City."