DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24719#0263
190
TH EBIZON L)
In the reign of Valerian, A.D. 257, Trapezunte suffered a reverse, from the effects of which
it was a long time in recovering. The people of the Cimmerian Bosphorus then commenced
their march towards it. The Goths disembarked in the neighbourhood of the town, which
was not well defended, although its garrison had received a reinforcement of ten thousand
men. The town was protected by a double wall (the agger and mcenium of the Romans).
The Goths filled the fosse with a mass of fascines, and then took the place by escalade, the
defenders fleeing by an opposite gate. At this time the population had been increased by
families from all the small towns in the vicinity, who had taken refuge in the town. The
Goths ravaged the place, burnt the principal buildings, made prisoners of those who had
escaped massacre, and embarked with immense booty, leaving Trapezunte depopulated and
in a state of ruin.
In the division of the empire made by Constantine, Trapezunte was classified amongst the
places in the diocese of Pontus. ' It lost the privilege of being a free city, and in the time of
Justinian it fell to the rank of a provincial town, belonging to the eparchy of Pontus; still
Trapezunte continued to be the station of the first Pontic legion.1 2 But the tribes of the Sauni
and other barbarians who occupied the frontiers, began incursions, and Justinian erected numerous
fortresses, of which Procopius has left us a description,3 for the defence of the frontier. These
castles formed a semicircle round Trapezunte, at the distance of two days’ march. They became
in later days the boundaries of the kingdom of Trebizond. All these castles had strong walls,
and possessed churches and magazines, and were placed under the government of a Dux.
Justinian constructed several public works in Trapezunte ; amongst which was an aqueduct
dedicated to St. Eugenius. Procopius does not mention any church built by this emperor.
An inscription is still to be seen over the gate of the castle, which enumerates the titles of
the emperor, and the works that he caused to be executed : —
€NONOMATITOYA€CnOTOYHMWN!HCOY
XPICTOY0€OYHMU)NAYTOKPATWP
KAICAP<l>AIOYCTINIANOCAAAMANIKOC
rO0IKOC<l>PANriKOCrePMAN!KOCnAP
01KOCAAANIKOCOYAN AAAI KOCA4>PI KOC
€YC€BHC€YTYXHC€NAOyOCNIKHTHC
TPO n €OYXOC3 A€IC€ B ACTOC AY rOYCTOC
AN€N€WC€N<l>IAOTIMIATAAHMOCIA
KTICMATATHCnOA€WCCnOYAHKAI
€ n IM € AI AO YP A NIO YTOY0€O<|) I A€CTATO Y
eniCKonoYiNA^r€TOYCYfir4
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Cod. The Fmperor Ccesar Flavius Justinian,
conqueror of the Alemans, the Gotlis, the Franks, the Germans, the Farthians, the Alani,
the Vandals, the Africans, the pious, happy, illustrious, victorious, triumphant, ever pious
Augustus, has through his munificence, renewed the public edifices of the town, by the care
and under the superintendence of Ouranius, the bishop beloved by God, the third indiction
of the year 483.
The year 483 of the era of Trebizond corresponds to the year of our Lord 545. Justinian
was at that period fifty-two years old.
The text of this important inscription was published by Tournefort without a translation.
It shows that it would be useless to expect to find in Trebizond any building of an earlier date
than the time of Justinian. The walls of the fortifications have solely a Byzantine character.
This total transformation of ancient Trapezunte is passed over in silence by Procopius, which is
a proof that the historian of edifices of Justinian does not mention all those that were erected
by that prince.5 Under Constantine Porpliyrogenitus, Trapezunte became the chief place of the
Theme of Chaldma.
In the 8th century, a new enemy threatened the town of Trapezunte. The Arabs became
1 Notitia Dignitatis utriusque Imperii Orient., p. 233. 4 See Boeckh, Corpus, vol. iv. part 40, pp. 297-298.
2 Procopius, cle JUdiJiciis, book in. ch. 3. 5 For instance, the church of St. Sophia at Thessaloniea.
3 This word is faulty ; it ought to be written Tpmrawvxpc.
TH EBIZON L)
In the reign of Valerian, A.D. 257, Trapezunte suffered a reverse, from the effects of which
it was a long time in recovering. The people of the Cimmerian Bosphorus then commenced
their march towards it. The Goths disembarked in the neighbourhood of the town, which
was not well defended, although its garrison had received a reinforcement of ten thousand
men. The town was protected by a double wall (the agger and mcenium of the Romans).
The Goths filled the fosse with a mass of fascines, and then took the place by escalade, the
defenders fleeing by an opposite gate. At this time the population had been increased by
families from all the small towns in the vicinity, who had taken refuge in the town. The
Goths ravaged the place, burnt the principal buildings, made prisoners of those who had
escaped massacre, and embarked with immense booty, leaving Trapezunte depopulated and
in a state of ruin.
In the division of the empire made by Constantine, Trapezunte was classified amongst the
places in the diocese of Pontus. ' It lost the privilege of being a free city, and in the time of
Justinian it fell to the rank of a provincial town, belonging to the eparchy of Pontus; still
Trapezunte continued to be the station of the first Pontic legion.1 2 But the tribes of the Sauni
and other barbarians who occupied the frontiers, began incursions, and Justinian erected numerous
fortresses, of which Procopius has left us a description,3 for the defence of the frontier. These
castles formed a semicircle round Trapezunte, at the distance of two days’ march. They became
in later days the boundaries of the kingdom of Trebizond. All these castles had strong walls,
and possessed churches and magazines, and were placed under the government of a Dux.
Justinian constructed several public works in Trapezunte ; amongst which was an aqueduct
dedicated to St. Eugenius. Procopius does not mention any church built by this emperor.
An inscription is still to be seen over the gate of the castle, which enumerates the titles of
the emperor, and the works that he caused to be executed : —
€NONOMATITOYA€CnOTOYHMWN!HCOY
XPICTOY0€OYHMU)NAYTOKPATWP
KAICAP<l>AIOYCTINIANOCAAAMANIKOC
rO0IKOC<l>PANriKOCrePMAN!KOCnAP
01KOCAAANIKOCOYAN AAAI KOCA4>PI KOC
€YC€BHC€YTYXHC€NAOyOCNIKHTHC
TPO n €OYXOC3 A€IC€ B ACTOC AY rOYCTOC
AN€N€WC€N<l>IAOTIMIATAAHMOCIA
KTICMATATHCnOA€WCCnOYAHKAI
€ n IM € AI AO YP A NIO YTOY0€O<|) I A€CTATO Y
eniCKonoYiNA^r€TOYCYfir4
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Cod. The Fmperor Ccesar Flavius Justinian,
conqueror of the Alemans, the Gotlis, the Franks, the Germans, the Farthians, the Alani,
the Vandals, the Africans, the pious, happy, illustrious, victorious, triumphant, ever pious
Augustus, has through his munificence, renewed the public edifices of the town, by the care
and under the superintendence of Ouranius, the bishop beloved by God, the third indiction
of the year 483.
The year 483 of the era of Trebizond corresponds to the year of our Lord 545. Justinian
was at that period fifty-two years old.
The text of this important inscription was published by Tournefort without a translation.
It shows that it would be useless to expect to find in Trebizond any building of an earlier date
than the time of Justinian. The walls of the fortifications have solely a Byzantine character.
This total transformation of ancient Trapezunte is passed over in silence by Procopius, which is
a proof that the historian of edifices of Justinian does not mention all those that were erected
by that prince.5 Under Constantine Porpliyrogenitus, Trapezunte became the chief place of the
Theme of Chaldma.
In the 8th century, a new enemy threatened the town of Trapezunte. The Arabs became
1 Notitia Dignitatis utriusque Imperii Orient., p. 233. 4 See Boeckh, Corpus, vol. iv. part 40, pp. 297-298.
2 Procopius, cle JUdiJiciis, book in. ch. 3. 5 For instance, the church of St. Sophia at Thessaloniea.
3 This word is faulty ; it ought to be written Tpmrawvxpc.