DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24719#0098
PAGAN TEMPLES CONVERTED INTO CHURCHES.
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worship and the extinction of idolatry. He had the doors of some of the temples removed,
and others he caused to be unroofed, so that, being exposed to the weather, they soon fell
into ruin.
All this was not effected without clamour. Still, we do not find that there was any open
resistance on the part of the pagans until later, in the time of Theodosius. Eusebius did not
allow the zeal of Constantine to abate. “ You suppose,” said he,1 * “ that the Gentiles dare
say, lie is dead; He is not risen. I pay no attention to what they say, but to what they
suffer. If in effect their temples are still erect, He is not risen; if their idols are not melted
behind the cross, He who says that their idols do not live, is not risen.”
In effect, the statues of bronze or marble were transported to Constantinople, to be
exposed to the ridicule of the mob. During this time the churches increased their wealth at
the expense of declining paganism. Protenduntur autem ecclesice bona et quotidie crescunt?
The agents of the emperor went into the provinces furnished with secret orders, but without
military support, and required the pagan priests to render up the most precious objects that
belonged to the temples; for at this period it was still the custom to preserve in the ojris-
thodomos all the splendid offerings which were made by towns and private persons. The
treasure, accumulated during centuries, went to increase the imperial store, and contributed,
to a certain extent, towards the enormous outlay required for the erection of the new
capital.
It is impossible to estimate the amount collected in this manner from the pagan
treasuries. It was by means of this fecund mine of wealth that Constantine was enabled to
afford his court and army high emolument, even although the cost of public works, under-
taken in every direction, absorbed immense sums. The statues of bronze of Apollo Smintheus3
and of the Muses, were taken to Constantinople for the gratification of the people. But all
statues of gold and silver, and the offerings in the form of vases, bucklers, and tripods of gold
enriched with stones, were melted down to be coined into money.
When we consider that every town in Asia Minor had many temples containing similar
treasures, without counting the great places of pilgrimage which for many ages had escaped
the rapacity of conquerors, we may well be astonished at the mass of riches which were
swallowed up in the construction of the edifices of Constantinople. All these treasures were
expended in the course of two years.
Every temple had beneath it a cellar of large dimensions, defended from the approach of
the profane. It was generally reached by a staircase placed behind the sanctuary, sometimes
situated in the pedestal of the figure itself. The arrangements, which we can still trace in the
ruins of these edifices, leave no doubt of the stratagems of the priests who delivered the oracles.
We can conceive the stupefaction of the poor pagans when the agents of the emperor made
manifest all the priestly frauds, and when they exhibited to their gaze the concealed treasures,
of which the priests had the sole custody. The unfortunate priests were unable to defend a
worship the fraudulent nature of which was visible to every one.
The Christians, rapidly increasing in numbers, were still in want of churches; and upon
the confiscation of the goods belonging to these temples, the lands and valuables with which
they had been endowed were transferred to a newly constituted synod,4 and the converts were
permitted to take possession of the edifices themselves for the purposes of their worship.
Let us examine the truth of the statement that they also raised their altars in the Basilica—■
Gerousia—or court of justice. We know of but one instance in which the Homan basilica
(the prototype of the churches of Constantine) was transformed into a church; this was in
the case of the Licinian basilica at Home, in which the Christians were accustomed to assemble;
it was converted into a church in the year 370 by Pope Simplicius; but we can mention
numerous temples still existing that were appropriated to Christian worship.
The Byzantine historians cite many examples of such temples, and many edifices thus
converted still exist; but we know of no existing basilica that has been thus employed. Had
the Ulpian basilica at Rome been converted into a church, it probably would have been preserved
to the present day.
1 Sermon IX. on the Resurrection. * Eusebius, loc. cit.
3 The site of the temple of this deity was visited by Mr.
Pullan in the year 1861. He found that, although the remains
were nof. numerous, they were extremely interesting, as they
afforded an example of Ionic, of unique character.
4 Eusebius, Life of Constantine, book n. ch. 21, pp. 36—39.
79
worship and the extinction of idolatry. He had the doors of some of the temples removed,
and others he caused to be unroofed, so that, being exposed to the weather, they soon fell
into ruin.
All this was not effected without clamour. Still, we do not find that there was any open
resistance on the part of the pagans until later, in the time of Theodosius. Eusebius did not
allow the zeal of Constantine to abate. “ You suppose,” said he,1 * “ that the Gentiles dare
say, lie is dead; He is not risen. I pay no attention to what they say, but to what they
suffer. If in effect their temples are still erect, He is not risen; if their idols are not melted
behind the cross, He who says that their idols do not live, is not risen.”
In effect, the statues of bronze or marble were transported to Constantinople, to be
exposed to the ridicule of the mob. During this time the churches increased their wealth at
the expense of declining paganism. Protenduntur autem ecclesice bona et quotidie crescunt?
The agents of the emperor went into the provinces furnished with secret orders, but without
military support, and required the pagan priests to render up the most precious objects that
belonged to the temples; for at this period it was still the custom to preserve in the ojris-
thodomos all the splendid offerings which were made by towns and private persons. The
treasure, accumulated during centuries, went to increase the imperial store, and contributed,
to a certain extent, towards the enormous outlay required for the erection of the new
capital.
It is impossible to estimate the amount collected in this manner from the pagan
treasuries. It was by means of this fecund mine of wealth that Constantine was enabled to
afford his court and army high emolument, even although the cost of public works, under-
taken in every direction, absorbed immense sums. The statues of bronze of Apollo Smintheus3
and of the Muses, were taken to Constantinople for the gratification of the people. But all
statues of gold and silver, and the offerings in the form of vases, bucklers, and tripods of gold
enriched with stones, were melted down to be coined into money.
When we consider that every town in Asia Minor had many temples containing similar
treasures, without counting the great places of pilgrimage which for many ages had escaped
the rapacity of conquerors, we may well be astonished at the mass of riches which were
swallowed up in the construction of the edifices of Constantinople. All these treasures were
expended in the course of two years.
Every temple had beneath it a cellar of large dimensions, defended from the approach of
the profane. It was generally reached by a staircase placed behind the sanctuary, sometimes
situated in the pedestal of the figure itself. The arrangements, which we can still trace in the
ruins of these edifices, leave no doubt of the stratagems of the priests who delivered the oracles.
We can conceive the stupefaction of the poor pagans when the agents of the emperor made
manifest all the priestly frauds, and when they exhibited to their gaze the concealed treasures,
of which the priests had the sole custody. The unfortunate priests were unable to defend a
worship the fraudulent nature of which was visible to every one.
The Christians, rapidly increasing in numbers, were still in want of churches; and upon
the confiscation of the goods belonging to these temples, the lands and valuables with which
they had been endowed were transferred to a newly constituted synod,4 and the converts were
permitted to take possession of the edifices themselves for the purposes of their worship.
Let us examine the truth of the statement that they also raised their altars in the Basilica—■
Gerousia—or court of justice. We know of but one instance in which the Homan basilica
(the prototype of the churches of Constantine) was transformed into a church; this was in
the case of the Licinian basilica at Home, in which the Christians were accustomed to assemble;
it was converted into a church in the year 370 by Pope Simplicius; but we can mention
numerous temples still existing that were appropriated to Christian worship.
The Byzantine historians cite many examples of such temples, and many edifices thus
converted still exist; but we know of no existing basilica that has been thus employed. Had
the Ulpian basilica at Rome been converted into a church, it probably would have been preserved
to the present day.
1 Sermon IX. on the Resurrection. * Eusebius, loc. cit.
3 The site of the temple of this deity was visited by Mr.
Pullan in the year 1861. He found that, although the remains
were nof. numerous, they were extremely interesting, as they
afforded an example of Ionic, of unique character.
4 Eusebius, Life of Constantine, book n. ch. 21, pp. 36—39.