Constantinople (New City)
FOUNDATION BY CONSTANTINE (284 - 337 CE)
Constantinople was a huge city founded by Emperor Constantine ||, he created the Nova Roma by renewing the ancient roman rules and laws. Inside this city many Churches and structure were built to enforce the city's economy, but the weather didn't help at all, in several seasons invasion was a big problem.
Emperor Diocletian believed that the empire was too big for only one person, so he decided to divide it into a tetrarchy (parts of four) with an emperor Augustus and a co-emperor Julius Caesar in the west Diocletian would rule the east. Constantine took the power in the west when his father died. When he defetaed Maxentius for power he became the only emperor of the west in 312 CE. When Emperor Lucinius had the power in the east in 313 CE, Constantine challenged Lucinius and defeated him at the battle of Chrysopolis, reuniting the whole empire.
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Constantine understood that the Old Rome's city was declining; its economy was insatiable for everyone, and the only source of income was completely destroyed. Even though Nicomedia had everything he could want for a capital (a palace and a basilica) he wanted something new. Constantine thought of building his capital on the site of ancient Troy, but it was lacking in defense. He decided the best location to build his new city was in old Byzantium, making it a New Rome (Nova Roma) with several advantages. Like it was closer to the geographic center of the Empire, almost entirely covered by water, and it could be easily defended.
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It is believed it was inspired by the Christian God, yet it remained classical in every sense. It was built on seven hills, divided into fourteen districts and a whole body of water in its surroundings. The city was centered on two populated streets that intersected near the baths of Zeuxippus and the Testratoon. The intersection of the two streets was marked by an arch, the Tetraphylon. At the North of the arch, the old basilica was built, which Constantine changed into a square court. The square court was surrounded by a library, two shrines and several porticos. To the South of the arch it was located the new imperial palace with the Chalke Gate (a massive entrance). "At the sides markets, stock exchanges, and court of law took place. The old circus was transformed into a victory monument as a sign of the construction of the New Rome," (www.ancient.eu)
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One of Constantine’s concerns was to provide enough water for the whole city. While Old Rome didn’t have that problem, New Rome had periods of drought in the summer and early autumn and rain in the winter. Although it was a challenge from the weather, there was always the option of invasion. When there were droughts, sufficient aqueducts, tunnels and conduits to brought water into the city but the problem of storage still existed. To solve the problem the Binbirderek Cistern was constructed in 330 CE.
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Special Thanks to:
www.roman-empire.net
www.images.google.com
www.ancient.eu
www.newadvent.org
www.sephardicstudies.org
For the information and images!
www.roman-empire.net
www.images.google.com
www.ancient.eu
www.newadvent.org
www.sephardicstudies.org
For the information and images!