E05099: Procopius of Caesarea, in his On Buildings, reports that the emperor Justinian (r. 527-565) renovated a great number of monasteries in the region of Jerusalem (and elsewhere in the East), many of them dedicated to saints. Written in Greek at Constantinople, in the 550s.

Procopius, On Buildings, 5.9

Procopius lists monasteries that the emperor Justinian renovated in Palestine and the rest of the East.

Μοναστήρια μὲν οὖν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἀνενεώσατο τάδε.
1 τὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Θαλελαίου.
2 τὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Γρηγορίου.
3 τὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Παντελεήμονος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου.
4 Ξένωνα ἐν Ἰεριχῷ.
5 ἐκκλησίαν τῆς θεοτόκου ἐν Ἰεριχῷ.
6 τὸ τῶν Ἰβήρων ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις.
7 τὸ τῶν Λαζῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἱεροσολύμων.
8 τὸ τῆς ἁγίας Μαρίας ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῶν Ἐλαιῶν.
9 τὸ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ἁγίου Ἐλισσαίου ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις.
10 τὸ Σιλέθεως.
11 τὸ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ῥωμανοῦ.
12 ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τὸ τεῖχος ἀνενέωσε.
13 τὸ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἰωάννου ἐν Βηθλεέμ.
14 Φρέατα δὲ ἢ δεξαμενὰς ᾠκοδομήσατο οὕτως·
15 εἰς τὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Σαμουὴλ φρέαρ καὶ τεῖχος.
16 εἰς τὸ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ζαχαρίου φρέαρ.
17 εἰς τὸ Σωσάννης φρέαρ.
18 εἰς τὸ Ἀφελίου φρέαρ.
19 εἰς τὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰωάννου ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ φρέαρ.
20 εἰς τὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Σεργίου ἐν ὄρει καλουμένῳ Κισσερῶν φρέαρ.
21 τὸ τεῖχος Τιβεριάδος.
22 τὸ ἐν Βόστρᾳ πτωχεῖον.

23 Φοινίκης·
τὸν οἶκον τῆς θεοτόκου ἐν Πορφυρεῶνι.
24 μοναστήριον τοῦ ἁγίου Φωκᾶ ἐν ὄρει.
25 τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἁγίου Σεργίου ἐν Πτολεμαΐδι.
26 ἐν Δαμασκῷ οἶκον τοῦ ἁγίου Λεοντίου.
27 ἀπὸ Ἀπάμειαν πτωχεῖον τοῦ ἁγίου Ῥωμανοῦ ἀνενεώσατο.
28 τεῖχος τοῦ μακαρίου Μάρωνος.
29 ὑπὸ Θεούπολιν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν Δάφνης ἀνενέωσεν.
30 ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ τὸν ἁγίου Ἰωάννου ἀνενέωσε.

31 Μεσοποταμίας·
μοναστήριον τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰωάννου ἀνενέωσε.
32 μοναστήρια Δέλφραξις, Ζηβίνου, Θεοδότου, Ἰωάννου. Σαρμαθῆς, Κυρήνου, Βεγαδαίου.
33 μοναστήριον εἰς τὸ Ἀπάδνας ἐν Ἰσαυρίᾳ.
34 πόλεως Κουρίκου λουτρὸν καὶ πτωχεῖον ἀνενέωσε.
35 τὸ πτωχεῖον τοῦ ἁγίου Κόνωνος.
36 τὸν ἀγωγὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνενέωσεν ἐν Κύπρῳ.
37 οἶκον τοῦ ἁγίου Κοσμᾶ καὶ Δαμιανοῦ ἐν Παμφυλίᾳ.
38 πτωχεῖον τοῦ ἁγίου Μιχαὴλ ἐν Ἐμπορίῳ ἐπίκλην ἐπινείου πόλεως Πέργης τῆς Παμφυλίας.


'These, then, were the monasteries (monasteria) restored in Jerusalem:

that of Saint *Thalelaios; [presumably either the monk of Syria, S00375, or the martyr of Aigai in Cilicia, S01137]

that of Saint *Gregorios; [identity uncertain]

that of Saint *Panteleemon in the desert of Jordan; [presumably the martyr of Nicomedia, S00596]

a hospice (xenon) in Jericho;

a church (ekklesia) of the Theotokos in Jericho; [*Mary the mother of Christ, S00033]

the [monastery] of the Iberians in Jerusalem;

that of the Lazi in the desert of Jerusalem;

that of Saint *Mary on the Mount of Olives; [S00033]

that of the Spring of Saint *Elissaeos in Jerusalem; [presumably Elisha, the Old Testament prophet, S00239]

that of Siletheos;

that of abba Romanos;

at Bethlehem he restored the wall;

that of abba Johannes in Bethlehem.


He also built wells or cisterns as follows:

at the [monastery] of Saint *Samuel, a well and a wall; [presumably the Old Testament prophet, S01429]

at that of abba Zacharias, a well;

at that of Susanna, a well;

at that of Aphelios, a well;

at that of Saint *John on the Jordan, a well; [the Baptist, S00020]

at that of Saint *Sergios on the mountain called Kisseron, a well; [presumably the soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023]

the wall of Tiberias;

the poorhouse in Bostra.


In Phoenicia:

the house (oikos) of the Theotokos in Porphyreôn; [*Mary the mother of Christ, S00033]

the monastery of Saint *Phokas on the Mount; [presumably the martyr of Antioch, S00413]

the house (oikos) of Saint *Sergios in Ptolemaïs; [presumably the soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023]

in Damascus, the house of Saint *Leontios; [presumably the martyr of Tripolis, S00216]

near Apamea, he restored the poor-house (ptocheion) of Saint *Romanos; [presumably the martyr of Antioch, S00120]

the wall 'of the blessed *Maron (tou makariou Maronos); [perhaps the early 5th c. monk of Syria, S00365]

near Theopolis [= Antioch], he restored the church of Daphne;

in Laodicea, he restored the (monastery) of Saint *John. [presumably either the Baptist, S00020, or the Apostle and Evangelist, S00042 ]


In Mesopotamia he restored a monastery of Saint *John; [probably the Baptist, $00020]

the monasteries of Delphrachis, Zebinos, Theodotos, Johannes, Sarmathê, Kyrenos, Begadaios;

a monastery of Apadnas in Isauria;

at the city of Corycus, he restored a bath and a poorhouse, the poorhouse (ptocheion) of Saint *Konon; [probably the martyr of Isauria, S00430]

He renewed the aqueduct of the same [Saint *Konon] in Cyprus;

The house (oikos) of Saints *Kosmas and Damianos in Pamphylia; [brothers, physicians and martyrs of Syria, S00385]

The poorhouse (ptocheion) of Saint *Michael in the Emporium, as it is called, of the harbour-city of Perge in Pamphylia.' [the Archangel, S00181]


Text: Haury 1913. Translation: J. Doroszewska.