Hippodrome of Constantinople

The hippodrome of Constantinople is the Arène monumental Hippique of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, in which were held races of tanks and other demonstrations. Its construction is started with the emperor Septime Sévère in the city which was still called Byzance, to be completed by Constantin Ier for his new capital, Constantinople. The Hippodrome was then used until the end of the 12th century, before being partially burnt by the Croisés in 1203. Today, the vestiges of the hippodrome are visible on the place of the Sultan-Ahmet (“Sultanahmet Meydanı”, also called “At Meydanı” - place with the horses) with Istanbul.

Description

General structure

Architecturalement, the hippodrome of Constantinople is a circus Roman in conformity with the model of the Circus Maximus with Rome: in the shape of hairpin, the building includes/understands an arena bordered of steps forming a semicircular curve at its south-western end (the Sphendonè ) while the north-eastern end is occupied by the Carceres (in Greek, kankella or also will thyrai ), starting stalls of the carriages, twelve. The arena is divided into two tracks by a barrier, the Spina (in Greek, euripos ), on which many columns and statues were drawn up.

The steps were arranged on arched passages making the turn of the arena, except side of the carceres . At the top of the steps a length gantry ran. Slightly excentré towards the south on the Eastern side of the steps the Kathisma was (in Greek), the monumental cabin of the emperor, the equivalent of the pulvinar to the Circus Maximus. This structure on two levels included/understood, in addition to the cabin itself, a room of reception, and communicated directly with the Large palace located immediately at the east (see plane opposite), by a Staircase spiral (in Greek, kochlias ) whose access was barred by two bronze doors.

The overall length of the building is not known precisely because of its destruction, but was to approach 450 meters. The excavated section of the Sphendonè makes it possible on the other hand to give the precise width of the monument: 117,50 m for the external width, and 79,50 m for the interior width.

One estimates the capacity of reception of the building at 100 000 spectators approximately.

Ornamentation

Like the majority of the monuments built by Constantin Ier in his new capital, the hippodrome was decorated with many sculptures brought especially of large the sanctuaries and the quoted of the Greek East:

the Horses of Bronze of Constantin Ier currently visible with the Saint-Marc Basilica of Venice and on the Triumphal arch of the Carousel to Paris were probably above the Carceres .
Three ornaments of the Spina are still places from there nowadays:

the Obelisk of Théodose;
the Obelisk “walled” (in masonry), formerly plated of bronze;
the serpentine Colonne bronzes some, which supported formerly the Trépied delphic of the Bataille of Foundations.

Races of tanks

The starting signal, the jet of the Mappa by the Consul or the emperor chairing the plays, a mechanism made it possible to open the twelve stalls simultaneously. The carriages were to carry out seven solo circuits in the contrary direction of the needles of a watch, while turning around the northern end of the spina marked by a terminal, the meta (in Greek, kampter ). The finishing line was probably located in the western part of the track, opposite the platforms where to seat the partisans of the factions took.

History

Although associated with the history of Constantinople, the hippodrome existed already time of Byzance (Βυζαντιον, or Byzantion in Greek), a provincial city of modest importance. It was increased first once into 203 by Septime Sévère.

In 324, Constantin decides to transfer the seat from the empire of Rome towards Byzance, which it calls “Nova Roma” (New Rome). The name does not manage to be adopted, and the city is from now on known under that of Constantinople, the town of Constantin. This last undertakes, inter alia great work of embellishment, to increase the hippodrome to make of it a racecourse of some 450 meters length which can accommodate 100 000 spectators.

For all the Byzantine period, the hippodrome is the center of the social life of the city. Enormous sums are committed in the bets around the horse-races and the city is divided between the supporteurs of Blue (Venetii) and the Greens (Prasinoi), the Reds (Rousioi) and the White (Leukoi) for their part gradually marginalized and being absorbed by the two first factions. These factions take a political color and nun gradually, and carry out sometimes combat which lead to true civil wars like the Sédition Nika into 532.

Constantinople never was really concerned the bag of the city, in 1203 and 1204, at the time of the Fourth crusade, although the empire nominally survived until 1453. The hippodrome, partially set fire to, was not rebuilt. The Othoman S which make city their capital do not lend any interest to the horse-races and the hippodrome remains with the abandonment. The site, unoccupied, is used for official ceremonies, like the celebration of the circumcision of the prince Mehmet, wire of Murad III, the occasion of a sumptuous procession of the guilds in the arena of the hippodrome (this ceremony was immortalisée by the illuminations preserved at the library of the palate of Topkapi).

The hippodrome became today a place of walk very attended and tourist, known under the name of “Sultanahmet Meydanı” (place of the Sultan-Ahmet), or “At Meydanı” (place with the Horses).

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