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E04339: Procopius of Caesarea, in his On Buildings, reports that the emperor-to-be Justinian (r. 527-565), during the reign of his uncle Justin I (r. 518-527) built, or rebuilt several shrines and churches devoted to martyrs and saints in the city and suburbs of Constantinople. He lists a shrine of *Platon (martyr of Ancyra, S00650), the church of *Mokios (martyr of Byzantion, S01265), the resting-place of *Thyrsos (martyr of Bithynia, S00612), a temenos of *Theodore (soldier and martyr of Amaseia and Euchaita, S00480), a sanctuary of *Thekla (follower of the Apostle Paul, S00092), and one of *Theodote (martyr of Nicaea, S00257). Written in Greek at Constantinople, in the 550s.
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posted on 2017-11-08, 00:00 authored by juliaProcopius, On Buildings, 1.4.27-29
μικροῦ με τὸ μαρτύριον ἐκεῖνο παρῆλθεν εἰπεῖν, ὃ Πλάτωνι ἀνεῖται ἁγίῳ, ἱεροπρεπές τε ὡς ἀληθῶς ὂν καὶ σεμνὸν ἄγαν, οὐ πολλῷ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἄποθεν ἣ βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου ἐπώνυμός ἐστιν· ἔτι μέντοι καὶ τὸν Μωκίῳ μάρτυρι ἀνειμένον νεών, οὗπερ τὰ ἱερὰ πάντα μεγέθει ἐλάσσω. πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὸ Θύρσου μάρτυρος ἕδος καὶ μὴν τὸ Θεοδώρου ἁγίου τέμενος πρὸ τῆς πόλεως κείμενον ἐν χώρῳ καλουμένῳ Ῥησίῳ, καὶ τό τε Θέκλης μάρτυρος ἱερόν, ὃ παρὰ τὸν τῆς πόλεως λιμένα ἐστὶν ὅνπερ ἐπώνυμον Ἰουλιανοῦ ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, καὶ τὸ Θεοδότης ἁγίας ἐν προαστείῳ καλουμένῳ Ἑβδόμῳ. ταῦτα γὰρ ἅπαντα ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος ἐπὶ τοῦ θείου Ἰουστίνου βασιλεύοντος ἐκ θεμελίων ἐδείματο, ἀπαγγέλλεσθαι μὲν οὐ ῥᾴδια λόγῳ, θαυμάζεσθαι δὲ ὄψει κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀμήχανα.
'I have almost omitted to mention that martyr's shrine (martyrion) which is dedicated to St. Platon, a truly holy and much revered building, not far from the market-place which bears the name of the Emperor Constantine; also the church (neōs) dedicated to the martyr Mokios, to which all other shrines yield in size. In addition to this, the resting-place (hedos) of the martyr Thyrsos, and likewise the precinct (temenos) of St. Theodore, situated outside the city at a place called Rhesion, as well as the sanctuary (hieron) of the martyr Thekla, which is by the harbour of the city which chances to bear the name of Julian, and that of St. Theodota in the suburb called Hebdomon. All these our present Emperor built from the foundations during the reign of his uncle Justin. To describe them by word is not easy, and there is no way of admiring them by sight as they deserve.'
Text: Haury 1913. Translation: Dewing 1940, modified.
μικροῦ με τὸ μαρτύριον ἐκεῖνο παρῆλθεν εἰπεῖν, ὃ Πλάτωνι ἀνεῖται ἁγίῳ, ἱεροπρεπές τε ὡς ἀληθῶς ὂν καὶ σεμνὸν ἄγαν, οὐ πολλῷ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἄποθεν ἣ βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου ἐπώνυμός ἐστιν· ἔτι μέντοι καὶ τὸν Μωκίῳ μάρτυρι ἀνειμένον νεών, οὗπερ τὰ ἱερὰ πάντα μεγέθει ἐλάσσω. πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὸ Θύρσου μάρτυρος ἕδος καὶ μὴν τὸ Θεοδώρου ἁγίου τέμενος πρὸ τῆς πόλεως κείμενον ἐν χώρῳ καλουμένῳ Ῥησίῳ, καὶ τό τε Θέκλης μάρτυρος ἱερόν, ὃ παρὰ τὸν τῆς πόλεως λιμένα ἐστὶν ὅνπερ ἐπώνυμον Ἰουλιανοῦ ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, καὶ τὸ Θεοδότης ἁγίας ἐν προαστείῳ καλουμένῳ Ἑβδόμῳ. ταῦτα γὰρ ἅπαντα ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος ἐπὶ τοῦ θείου Ἰουστίνου βασιλεύοντος ἐκ θεμελίων ἐδείματο, ἀπαγγέλλεσθαι μὲν οὐ ῥᾴδια λόγῳ, θαυμάζεσθαι δὲ ὄψει κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀμήχανα.
'I have almost omitted to mention that martyr's shrine (martyrion) which is dedicated to St. Platon, a truly holy and much revered building, not far from the market-place which bears the name of the Emperor Constantine; also the church (neōs) dedicated to the martyr Mokios, to which all other shrines yield in size. In addition to this, the resting-place (hedos) of the martyr Thyrsos, and likewise the precinct (temenos) of St. Theodore, situated outside the city at a place called Rhesion, as well as the sanctuary (hieron) of the martyr Thekla, which is by the harbour of the city which chances to bear the name of Julian, and that of St. Theodota in the suburb called Hebdomon. All these our present Emperor built from the foundations during the reign of his uncle Justin. To describe them by word is not easy, and there is no way of admiring them by sight as they deserve.'
Text: Haury 1913. Translation: Dewing 1940, modified.
History
Evidence ID
E04339Saint Name
Platōn, martyr of Ankyra (Galatia, central Asia Minor), ob. c.303-305 : S00650 Mokios, martyr of Byzantion : S01265 Thyrsos, martyr of Nikomedia (Asia Minor), ob. 3rd c.? : S00612 Theodore, soldier and martyr of Amaseia and Euchaita : S00480 ThekSaint Name in Source
Πλάτων Μώκιος Θύρσος Θεόδωρος Θέκλα ΘεοδότηRelated Saint Records
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Mokios_martyr_of_Byzantion/13732585
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Platon_martyr_of_Ankyra_central_Asia_Minor_/13730830
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Thyrsos_and_companions_martyrs_of_Bithynia/13730743
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Theodote_and_her_three_sons_martyrs_of_Nicaea/13729816
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Thekla_follower_of_the_Apostle_Paul/13729357
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Theodore_soldier_and_martyr_of_Amaseia_and_Euchaita/13730413
Type of Evidence
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)Language
- Greek