"New Rome" traces its origins
After the third century AD, the Antony dynasty ''
The Five Wise Emperors
''The Golden Age is coming to an end;''
Peace in Rome
'' was replaced by 'The Crisis of the Third Century'' In 327 AD, Constantine I ascended the throne, and after defeating the warlords led by Maximian, he decided to leave the previous emperors and no longer stay in the city of Rome, which had been engulfed several times in battle. He chose the new capital in an ancient Greek city that had been destroyed by Emperor Severus
Byzantium
on the ruins. The Emperor by ''
Christian Dreams
''The capital of the next thousand years, different from the Romans''
New Rome
''It's fixed here.
With the collapse of the empire in the western part, the center of gravity of the Mediterranean Empire shifted from the Apennine Peninsula to Greece, from devastated Western Europe, which collapsed agriculture, armaments, and trade, to the eastern region, which was rich in economy, prosperous trade, and culture and education. The western part of the Empire, which lacked geographical barriers and strategic support points, was attacked and infiltrated by the Goths, Vandals, Huns, and Lombards
disintegrate
and
Barbaric
。
The wars since the crisis of the third century have greatly hit the road network and the Mediterranean trade system in the western part of the empire, and the feudalization of the manorial economy and the integration of the Germans have corroded the former centralized imperial system. The enormous pressure of the barbarians moving south exacerbated the centrifugal tension in the Gaul and Iberian provinces, and the Apennine Mountains, which run north and south, were not conducive to military defense. The Roman city of Tiber on the plains of the Tiber is easy to attack and difficult to defend. The unfavorable strategic posture coupled with the increasingly fierce northern offensive made the disintegration of the old empire inevitable. The late Western Emperors had to live in the swampy Ravenna to survive the court, which increasingly needed the support of the Goths.
opposite
Asia Minor
、
Syria
and
Egypt
Rich agriculture feeds the eastern part of the empire,
Greece
The developed marine economy and cultural traditions nourish the place. More importantly, the new capital of Constantinople is located
Asia Minor and Europa
The junction of the borders will trade the entire Mediterranean
Hold them all together
。 Surrounded by the sea on three sides and surrounded by city walls, the new capital
Solidify the golden soup
。 The rest of the empire provided for Constantinople, which in turn served as an unshakable strategic fulcrum, protecting the entire Eastern Empire. Constantinople was not only the center of Eurasian trade, but also the ruling brain, military stronghold and spiritual symbol of the empire. Perhaps no capital has ever had such an insurmountable symbolism as Constantinople.
All aggression against the Empire could never defeat it strategically if it failed to take Constantinople.
''New Rome'' restoration map
The "New Rome" process
The new capital identified by the emperor was built on the site of the old Byzantine city, located on the southern shore of the Bosphorus, looking east to Asia Minor and the Sea of Marmara to the south, locking the Bosphorus and Dardanelles on the east and west flanks. This 'New Rome' is not only home to the seven hills of Rome, the Tiber River and the Senate, but also to the Grand Palais, hagia Sophia and the Grand Colosseum, which are unprecedented in grandeur. On any level, The 'Nowa Roma' is far larger than the old capital on the Tiber River. On 11 May 330 AD, the Emperor himself presided over the inauguration of the grand new capital, and the avid citizens, in praise of the exploits of the builders, gave the "New Rome" the name of the Emperor, "Constantinopolis". The bronze statue of Constantine I towers in the middle of the new capital, overlooking the magnificent city he built with his own hands. Over the next few centuries, successors continued to build, making her even more ornate. Protected by the thick walls of Theodosius, this great city sprinkles its splendor far into the Sea of Marmara.
New Rome, for the next thousand years, became the greatest city in Europe
Constantine I dedicated the New Rome to God
As a pair of ''
The Eternal City
The successor of Rome, the new Roman city also had seven hills, and the small river That runs through the city from north to south, the River Lix, was also attached to the Tiber River. Most notably, Constantine I and his successors Theodosius I, Heraclius, and Justinian I built magnificent complexes in the southern part of the city. Theodosius I built the Theodosius Wall that surrounded the city's perimeter, which separated the city from the outer land, and its double-layered walls and moats kept waves of invaders in vain for the next thousand years.
"New Rome" construction
Of the 9 main gates of Constantinople, the most famous is ''
Golden Gate
'', this is the passageway for the emperor to travel, triumph and hold large ceremonies. The Golden Gate consists of triple arches decorated with white marble and towers on both sides. The statue and cross of Theodosius I were once placed on it, but were destroyed by an earthquake in 740 AD. Pass through the Golden Gate and walk along the avenue to the Plaza de arcadius. Like old Rome, squares brought the city together. On the square of Arcadius sits the meritorious column of Emperor Arcadius, and people can
Scandent
The 233 steps in the pillars lead to the top, overlooking the whole of Constantinople, the Bosphorus, and Asia Minor. After The Place of Arcadius is the Bull Square and the largest square, Theodosy Square. Theodosius Square was the main business district of the city, where goods from the entire Mediterranean world and the Far East were traded during the time of the Empire' existence; until the Turkish Grand Bazaar replaced it. Leaving Theodosy Square to continue deeper, is the political and commercial center of the empire, The Place of Constantine. You have gradually approached the heart of this great empire. In front of the Senate of Constantinople is the tall Column of Constantine in the center of the square. At the top of the column stands a golden ball in hand, to
Apollo
The image overlooks a bronze statue of Constantine the Great throughout the city.
Model of Plaza Augustus
The last square in the capital is the Augustus Square paved with black marble. As the name suggests, you have come to the heart of the Roman Empire. This is the end of Meyer Avenue, the main thoroughfare into the city, and the end of the Imperial Highway System, which stands the sign of the Imperial Highway Zero Kilometer. The Magner Palace on the east side of the square is home to the University of Constantinople, one of the world's first university institutions, where the academic, speculative and jurisprudential traditions of ancient Greece and Rome were continued throughout the Middle Ages.
Hagia Sophia today
To the north of the square is the famous Hagia Sophia. The church underwent three constructions, with its final unveiling by Justinian I in 537 AD. He built a Byzantine building with a huge dome with a maximum diameter of 31.24 meters and a height of 55.6 meters. Hagia Sophia has up to 107 columns and ornate inlays throughout the interior walls. In prokobi's words: ''
It towers into the clouds. Rising from the city, looking down on the surroundings; it is a thing in the city, but with a supernatural beauty
。 Until the fall of the city in 1453, she was the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the spiritual symbol of the entire Orthodox world.
Circuses and hippodromes of Constantinople
On the southwest side of the square is the Hippodrome of Constantinople, which was built in imitation of the Roman Colosseum. The arena is 450 meters long and 150 meters wide and can accommodate up to 100,000 spectators. At the eastern end of the U-shaped circuit, a special Emperor's Stand was set up, with a secret passage connecting to the Imperial Palace. The emperor often came to watch the game and listened to the voices of the citizens. Over time, the spectators of racing competitions are divided into politicized audience groups such as "Blue Party" and "Green Party". The social problems of the empire were often conveyed to the emperor here, and even triggered the famous "" of justinian's time.
Nika riots
''。 On the north side of the track stands bronze gilded horses, and the inside of the track is full of statues, but the only ones that have survived to this day are the Obelisk of Thutmose III taken by Emperor Theodosius from the Temple of Luxor in Egypt in 390 AD, the Obelisk of Constantine, which now contains only brick cores, and the Platyan altar from the Temple of Delphi in Greece. The altar is supported by an 8-meter-tall bronze snake, topped by a golden bowl supported by three snake heads. Today it is called '' because only the lower half of it remains.
Snake pillar
''。
The Great Palace of Theocra
On the east side of the Arena, south of Plaza Augustus, opposite the Hagia Sophia is the heart of the empire, the Grand Palace of Theo clara. Located on the commanding heights of the city, the Grand Palace has a total area of more than 19,000 square meters, housing more than 20,000 royal families, guards, palace women and eunuchs, and is the most splendid palace around the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages. The Laurel Palace, the Golden Feast Hall, the Church of Our Lady of the Lighthouse and the New Church are lavishly decorated, and the buildings full of classical atmosphere make up the Grand Palace, and the walls of the ancient Byzantine City become her outer walls. The Grand Palace was not only the residence of the emperor, but also the center of the imperial government. From here
Decree
The situation in the Mediterranean world is not affected at all times.
The Grand Palace of Constantinople at its height
At its peak, the city of Constantinople had 2 theaters, 4 Basilicas, 8 luxurious public baths, 153 private baths, 52 colonnades along the street, 5 granaries, 8 elevated aqueducts, 14 churches, 14 palaces and 4388 noble residences. Like the city of Rome, emperors such as Constantine I and Valens built magnificent elevated canals and huge reservoirs to supply water. Constantine I built an underground reservoir between the Colosseum and the Place constantine, also known as the Underground Palace due to its grand and deep colonnade design and famous Medusa colonnade. The public baths, represented by the Baths of Zeusipus, still repeat the grandeur of the Baths of Diocletian in the Roman city. Just as the architect Mimar Sinan established the Shreem Sultan Public Baths on his site a thousand years later, the Bathing Culture of the Romans was passed on by later Turks to produce the Turkish Bath today.
On 30 April 1453, Mehmed II invaded Constantinople and the Roman Empire was finally destroyed
"New Rome" Fanghua
If Constantinople had survived, its beauty would still be amazing. There is no doubt that Constantinople surpassed the old Rome under the name of ''New Rome''. She became the greatest city of the Mediterranean century in the Middle Ages, called ''Queen of Ten Thousand Cities'' in Eastern Roman literature, ''Rome of Constantine' in Western Europe, ''Great City'' by the Vikings, and ''Tsargle'' by the Slavs', ''City of God''. It can be said that Constantinople is a masterpiece of urban construction in the classical era, and its spiritual temperament is always worth learning!