227:
20:
297:. The monument's façade hosted also two bronze hands set on spears. These were supposed to warn the wheat merchants against cheating using false measures: cheaters had their right hand cut off, as happened in the 5th century to two sailors accused of having swindled the Emperor while selling him cereals. The monument's location was not accidental: the square was not far from two
179:
coast of north central
Anatolia), either because someone from that city who had come to Constantinople for business was killed here, or because it was a place of execution for delinquents, and the Paphlagonians had a reputation for being criminals. According to the
186:, the square hosted two statues, respectively of a Paphlagonian and of a slave of him, both always covered with litter and excrement. Indeed the neighbourhood had a very bad reputation, and witnessed several executions. Here
275:, pr. "Modion"). This landmark, built in front of the house of a certain Krateros, had a central plan with columns bearing a vault topped by a pyramid. The building hosted a silver exemplar of the
136:
252:. Moreover, groups of turtles and birds, and 16 statues of drakes adorned the place. The square was delimited by a marble fence whose small columns were adorned with the
340:
lay under the monument's vault. Over the years the original meaning of the bronze hands was forgotten and the place was actually used to punish criminals, often through
510:
131:
and heading to the western part of the city. Because of that, the
Amastrianum should have lain in the valley of the Lycus creek, between the seventh and the third
143:. According to another source, the square lay in a plain zone on the southern slope of the fourth hill of Constantinople, more or less where the modern roads
886:
256:. The strange ornaments, together with its usage as execution place, spread among the populace the belief that the Amastrianum was inhabited by devils.
503:
496:
282:
277:
232:
752:
23:
Map of
Byzantine Constantinople. The Amastrianum is located near the middle section of the sea walls, northeast of the
240:
The forum is supposed to have had a rectangular plan. It was adorned with several pagan statues: among them, one of
905:
108:
610:
588:
260:
128:
57:
660:
263:(a Byzantine Guide of the city written in the 8th or 9th century), in the square lay also the edifice named
89:). Used also as place for public mutilations and executions, it disappeared completely after the end of the
727:
721:
717:
488:
211:
757:
650:
226:
167:, but from the context it is clear that it was a public square. Its name derived from the city of
854:
132:
48:
218:. During the Byzantine age, the Amastrianum was also the centre of the horse trade in the city.
686:
321:
864:
778:
731:
579:
207:
116:
869:
802:
746:
640:
554:
290:
199:
191:
8:
808:
788:
783:
701:
635:
564:
336:(r. 364–375), who introduced this standard to Constantinople. A statue of him carrying a
203:
236:
measure (4th century AD). The silver exemplar exposed at the
Amastrianum looked like it.
874:
834:
824:
773:
140:
859:
844:
793:
549:
182:
849:
839:
670:
645:
614:
294:
90:
202:(r. 867–886) burned the slaves responsible of having killed their master. In 932,
696:
665:
624:
569:
465:
741:
736:
520:
268:
82:
72:
40:
19:
899:
798:
629:
584:
559:
477:
333:
195:
164:
120:
103:
77:
829:
518:
691:
302:
187:
172:
124:
24:
594:
539:
484:(in French) (2 ed.). Paris: Institut français d'etudes byzantines.
341:
325:
176:
28:
655:
574:
253:
249:
215:
86:
115:
913–959), the square was located along the southern branch of the
298:
286:
151:
cross each other. Administratively, it was included in the ninth
619:
543:
245:
168:
347:
The square's proposed locations have not yet been excavated.
301:
complexes related to the public grain supply from Egypt, the
289:
trade. The exemplar on display was supposed to represent the
112:
62:
320:, 'warehouses of Theodosius', both placed near the
241:
101:
The precise location of the square is unknown: in the work
163:
No
Byzantine source defines directly the Amastrianum as a
127:, both stations of imperial processions coming from the
135:, at midway between the modern neighbourhoods of
897:
190:(r. 842–867) let burn the exhumed body of the
504:
315:
314:, 'Alexandrian warehouses' and the
309:
119:(the main street of the city), between the
887:Churches and Monasteries of Constantinople
519:Public spaces and structures of Byzantine
511:
497:
210:, who assumed the identity of the usurper
464:
225:
206:(r. 920–944) let burn at the stake here
71:by modern authors, was a public square (
18:
472:. Istanbul: Çituri Biraderler Basımevi.
439:
437:
435:
433:
379:
898:
414:
412:
410:
391:
389:
377:
375:
373:
371:
369:
367:
365:
363:
361:
359:
492:
476:
430:
446:
421:
407:
398:
386:
356:
13:
885:For churches and monasteries, see
753:Imperial Library of Constantinople
14:
917:
221:
109:Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus
16:Public square in Constantinople
692:Harbour of Julian/Kontoskalion
611:Great Palace of Constantinople
589:Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs
285:and was used above all in the
283:largest Roman dry measure unit
261:Parastaseis syntomoi chronikai
1:
661:Palace of the Porphyrogenitus
728:Hippodrome of Constantinople
722:University of Constantinople
718:Capitolium of Constantinople
332:had been erected by Emperor
63:
7:
758:Praetoria of Constantinople
96:
10:
922:
458:
158:
52:
883:
817:
766:
710:
679:
603:
527:
272:
482:Constantinople Byzantine
350:
196:Constantine V Kopronymos
855:Cistern of the Hebdomon
214:to lead a rebellion in
133:hills of Constantinople
906:Fora of Constantinople
687:Harbour of Eleutherios
470:The Tourists' Istanbul
316:
310:
248:and one of a sleeping
237:
76:
44:
32:
865:Cistern of Philoxenos
779:Column of Constantine
732:Obelisk of Theodosius
404:Mamboury (1953, p. 67
395:Mamboury (1953, p. 73
322:Harbour of Theodosius
293:for this unit in the
229:
208:Basil the Copper Hand
107:, written by Emperor
27:harbour and near the
22:
870:Cistern of Pulcheria
809:Column of Theodosius
803:Colossus of Barletta
747:Horses of Saint Mark
641:Palace of Blachernae
604:Palaces and mansions
555:Forum of Constantine
443:Janin (1964), p. 104
200:Basil the Macedonian
789:Column of Justinian
784:Column of the Goths
702:Prosphorion Harbour
636:Palace of Antiochos
565:Forum of Theodosius
452:Janin (1964), p. 55
427:Janin (1964), p. 95
418:Janin (1964), p. 68
383:Janin (1964), p. 69
204:Romanos I Lekapenos
171:(modern Amasra) in
149:Şehzadebaşı Caddesi
875:Theodosius Cistern
835:Baths of Zeuxippus
825:Aqueduct of Valens
774:Column of Arcadius
317:Horrea Theodosiana
311:Horrea Alexandrina
238:
212:Constantine Doukas
198:(r. 741–775), and
33:
893:
892:
860:Cistern of Mocius
845:Cistern of Aetius
794:Column of Marcian
651:Palace of Mangana
550:Forum of Arcadius
528:Roads and squares
308:. These were the
259:According to the
183:Patrologia Latina
175:(a region on the
81:) in the city of
69:Forum Amastrianum
61:
913:
850:Cistern of Aspar
840:Basilica Cistern
767:Column monuments
711:Public buildings
671:Prison of Anemas
646:Palace of Lausus
615:Boukoleon Palace
513:
506:
499:
490:
489:
485:
473:
466:Mamboury, Ernest
453:
450:
444:
441:
428:
425:
419:
416:
405:
402:
396:
393:
384:
381:
319:
313:
295:Byzantine Empire
274:
91:Byzantine Empire
66:
56:
54:
921:
920:
916:
915:
914:
912:
911:
910:
896:
895:
894:
889:
879:
813:
762:
706:
697:Neorion Harbour
675:
666:Placidia Palace
625:Chrysotriklinos
599:
570:Forum of the Ox
523:
517:
461:
456:
451:
447:
442:
431:
426:
422:
417:
408:
403:
399:
394:
387:
382:
357:
353:
224:
161:
145:Atatürk Caddesi
99:
67:), also called
17:
12:
11:
5:
919:
909:
908:
891:
890:
884:
881:
880:
878:
877:
872:
867:
862:
857:
852:
847:
842:
837:
832:
827:
821:
819:
815:
814:
812:
811:
806:
796:
791:
786:
781:
776:
770:
768:
764:
763:
761:
760:
755:
750:
744:
742:Walled Obelisk
739:
737:Serpent Column
734:
725:
714:
712:
708:
707:
705:
704:
699:
694:
689:
683:
681:
677:
676:
674:
673:
668:
663:
658:
653:
648:
643:
638:
633:
627:
622:
617:
607:
605:
601:
600:
598:
597:
592:
582:
577:
572:
567:
562:
557:
552:
547:
537:
531:
529:
525:
524:
521:Constantinople
516:
515:
508:
501:
493:
487:
486:
478:Janin, Raymond
474:
460:
457:
455:
454:
445:
429:
420:
406:
397:
385:
354:
352:
349:
223:
220:
160:
157:
98:
95:
83:Constantinople
64:ta Amastrianoú
53:τά Αμαστριανοῦ
49:Medieval Greek
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
918:
907:
904:
903:
901:
888:
882:
876:
873:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
858:
856:
853:
851:
848:
846:
843:
841:
838:
836:
833:
831:
828:
826:
823:
822:
820:
816:
810:
807:
804:
800:
799:Column of Leo
797:
795:
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
771:
769:
765:
759:
756:
754:
751:
748:
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
729:
726:
723:
719:
716:
715:
713:
709:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
684:
682:
678:
672:
669:
667:
664:
662:
659:
657:
654:
652:
649:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
634:
631:
630:Daphne Palace
628:
626:
623:
621:
618:
616:
612:
609:
608:
606:
602:
596:
593:
590:
586:
585:Philadelphion
583:
581:
578:
576:
573:
571:
568:
566:
563:
561:
558:
556:
553:
551:
548:
545:
541:
538:
536:
533:
532:
530:
526:
522:
514:
509:
507:
502:
500:
495:
494:
491:
483:
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
462:
449:
440:
438:
436:
434:
424:
415:
413:
411:
401:
392:
390:
380:
378:
376:
374:
372:
370:
368:
366:
364:
362:
360:
355:
348:
345:
343:
339:
335:
334:Valentinian I
331:
327:
323:
318:
312:
307:
306:
300:
296:
292:
288:
284:
280:
279:
270:
266:
262:
257:
255:
251:
247:
243:
235:
234:
228:
219:
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
184:
178:
174:
170:
166:
156:
155:of the city.
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
126:
122:
121:Philadelphion
118:
114:
110:
106:
105:
104:De Ceremoniis
94:
92:
88:
84:
80:
79:
74:
70:
65:
59:
50:
46:
42:
38:
30:
26:
21:
818:Water supply
560:Forum of Leo
534:
481:
469:
448:
423:
400:
346:
337:
329:
304:
276:
264:
258:
239:
231:
222:Architecture
181:
162:
152:
148:
144:
129:Great Palace
102:
100:
68:
36:
34:
535:Amastrianum
188:Michael III
173:Paphlagonia
137:Şehzadebaşı
125:Forum Bovis
45:Amastriánum
37:Amastrianum
25:Eleutherion
830:Ballıgerme
595:Strategion
540:Augustaion
342:mutilation
192:iconoclast
31:monastery.
580:Mese Odos
326:Propontis
230:A bronze
177:Black Sea
117:Mese odós
85:(today's
58:romanized
29:Myrelaion
900:Category
680:Harbours
656:Magnaura
575:Hebdomon
480:(1964).
468:(1953).
291:standard
254:crescent
250:Heracles
216:Bithynia
194:emperor
169:Amastris
123:and the
97:Location
87:Istanbul
459:Sources
324:on the
287:cereals
159:History
141:Aksaray
113:reigned
60::
620:Chalke
544:Milion
338:modius
330:Modius
328:. The
299:horrea
281:, the
278:modius
273:Μόδιον
265:Modius
246:Helios
233:Modius
351:Notes
305:nnona
269:Greek
165:forum
153:Regio
78:forum
73:Latin
41:Latin
242:Zeus
147:and
139:and
35:The
344:.
244:as
902::
432:^
409:^
388:^
358:^
271::
93:.
75::
55:,
51::
47:,
43::
805:)
801:(
749:)
730:(
724:)
720:(
632:)
613:(
591:)
587:(
546:)
542:(
512:e
505:t
498:v
303:a
267:(
111:(
39:(
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