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Chalki-Gate and the Great Palace

• Ζούμπερη, Ιωάννα

The Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperors in Constantinople (Palatium Magnum) was for the first time mentioned in the Byzantine sources during the reign of Theodosius II (A.D. 408-450). A chief Byzantine source for the topography of the capital, Notitia urbis Constantinopolitanae, informs us that the Great Palace was built in the first region, that means on the first hill of the city. The author of the Notitia says in his preface, that he describes the monuments of Constantinople in its perfect completion, as it has been transormed and adorned by the labours of Theodosius II (p. 242, ed. Seeck), so we can fix the date of Notitia's composition to A.D. 447-450. In the sources previous to the Notitia, the Imperial Palace of Constantinople is mentioned as the Palace of Constantine or simply the Palace and not as the Great Palace. We can therefor suppose that the palace or palaces built by Constantine the Great and the palace built by Theodosius II were different, since the first was built near the Great Hippodrome, which the Notitia places in the 4th region of the capital and the second in the 1st region. The Great Palace is latter mentioned by the Byzantine Historians Zonaras and Nicephoros Gregoras, as the Great Eastern Palace (το Μέγα προς τον ανίσχοντα ήλων Παλάτιον) something that emphasizes the fact that this palace was facing the East, which means that it looked towards the Asian coast of he Marmara Sea. Having in mind that the Great Palace was raising up on the hill we can identify it with the upper palace (υπερκείμενον παλάτιον) mentioned by Anna Comnena (Alexiad, Book 3, p. 89, 59-65), where her father the emperor Alexios I was established after his coronation. Anna Comnena distinguishes this upper palace from the down-hill palace {κάτω παλάτιον), where her mother and relatives had been left by Alexios. Anna Comnena gives also the information, that this upper palace is called the Boukoleon Palace, because the place where the palace stood, was covered with marbles on which was carved the picture of the ox being slaughtered by the lion. So it is obvious that the Boukoleon Palace was built in an upper place and not the opposite. Since the name Boukoleon appeared in the Byzantine sources after the 9th century, we can suppose that this name (Boukoleon) was a secondary name given to the Great Palace, something tha t is being emphasized by Manassis (lines 4862-4870) and by the minatures of he Skylitze's History, where the Imperial Palace, appears either under the name Boukoleon, or under the name the Imperial Palace (το βασιλικό παλάτι). That is why no imperial officials are being mentioned —and especially a Papias— for the Palace of Boukoleon, although it is obvious that the Boukoleon housed the Imperial Bedroom (τον αυτοκρατορικόνκοιτώνα) and it should have a Papias. We also know from the Byzantine sources, that except of the Palace Boukoleon, existed also a port with the same name and as we cannot separate the port from the synonymous palace, we conclude that the Boukoleon Port must also be placed in the northern (up) and not the southern (down) part of the capital. The Boukoleon Port, according the Byzantine sources, was an artificial port (χειροποίητος λιμήν) covered with marbles and ornaments and was big enoug to accept the whole roman navy during the coup that took place when the empress Zoe, mother of the emperor Constantine VII, was in charge. The imperial complex extended over the terraced slopes of the first hill down to the sea-shore of M a r m a r a Sea, enlarged from age to age occupied almost the whole of the first region. The wall t h a t protected the imperial complex, churches, gardens, terraces and private houses extended, according to Leo Daiconus from one sea (Ceratius Horn), to the other (Sea of Marmara). It is therefore obvious that we cannot limit the imperial architectures of the capital to the relatively small area along the eastern side of the Great Hippo- drome. We can also suppose that the down hill palace had a public character and was used for ceremonial banquets, while the upper palace (Magnum Palatium) housed the bedroom of the Imperor, that is why is called το άδντον by Psellos. The place where the Ottoman Sultan built his Μέγα Σαράι must have been the same with the place were stood the Byzantine Μέγα Παλάτιον, that's why they have the same name. The complex of the Chalke palace (the name of which we cannot connect either with brazen gates or roof, but probably with the name of the area where it stood), according to the Byzantine sources, was built near the Milion square and the Augusteon as well as the Great Hippodrome (probably that is why is called also Chalke of the Hippikon). Chalke was used as an entrance (προτεμέ- νισμα) to the quarters of the down hill palace, and it is obvious that is was not an entrance to the Great Palace. From time to time was also used as a Senior Court. Chalke marked the spot from where the famous street Mese started and it is very often mentioned by Byzantine Historians. A vast open era was probably extended infront the Chalke, where imperial ceremonies were performed and where also took place significant scenes of the Byzantine History. It seems that Byzantine citizens had free access to the Chalke as well as to the church housed in its upper floor, since there is no evidence of guards, gates or wall preventing the entrance. Chalke disappears from the Byzantine sources after the end of the Comnenian era, that means after the Byzantine Emperors were established in the Palace of Blachernae. There is no indication in th Byzantine sources that the famous icon of Christ Antiphonitis was placed over the entrance of Chalke palace. It seems more probable that this famous icon was placed over the brazen gates of the Church of Kyrios {Εκκλησία του Κυρίου), used as one of the entrances to the Great Palace, which also had the name chalke (χαλκή του παλατιού).

• History and Archaeology

• Ιστορία

Παρατίθεται βιβλιογραφία στην αρχή του άρθρου, ενώ σχέδια και εικόνες στο τέλος του.