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up to the foundation of the court, it becomes navigable here for ships, and by the exceeding calm it brings together those on either side for conversations with one another. So then, the neighborhood of the sea in relation to the court is something like this, on the one hand beautified by the view towards it, and on the other hand fanned by the gentle breezes from it. 1.11.6 And with the extraordinary beauty of columns and marbles, both its floors and all the parts above are covered; the gleam of which is exceedingly white, flashing back fittingly to the rays of the sun. 1.11.7 And what is more, very numerous statues adorn it, some of bronze, and others carved on the stone, a sight worthy of much description. You would guess them to be the work of either Pheidias the Athenian or Lysippus of Sicyon or 1.11.8 Praxiteles. Here also the Empress Theodora stands upon a column; for the city dedicated this to her on behalf of the court as a thank-offering. 1.11.9 And the statue is indeed fair of face, but inferior to the beauty of the empress, since to express her comeliness in words and to imitate it in a likeness was altogether impossible for a mere man; and the column is of porphyry, clearly indicating even before the relief that it indeed carries an empress. 1.11.10 And what has been accomplished here by this emperor concerning the abundance of water I shall immediately declare. In the summer season the imperial city used to be very short of water for the most part, 1.11.11 although at other times it has a sufficient supply. For since the season at that time has droughts, the springs, gushing forth water less than at other times, provided a more deficient water supply to the city. 1.11.12 For this very reason the emperor devised the following. Near the Basilica, where indeed both the orators and prosecutors and any others who are concerned with this business prepare their cases, there is a certain court of very great size, long and of sufficient width, and surrounded by columns on four sides, not built by its builders on earthy ground, but made upon rock. 1.11.13 And four stoas surround the court, standing on each side. So then, this court and one of its stoas, the one which faces south, the Emperor Justinian excavated to a great depth, and he made a reservoir in a suitable place for the summer for the waters that are discarded in their abundance at other seasons. 1.11.14 For these chambers, receiving the inflow of the aqueduct when it overflows, then grant space to the confined waters, and when they are needed, it provides a supply in due season to those in need. 1.11.15 In this way Emperor Justinian arranged for the Byzantines not to be in need of drinking water. 1.11.16 And he has also built palaces elsewhere, creating them anew himself, both at the Heraion, which they now call Hieron, and at the place called Jucundianae; of which indeed I could never adequately describe in words either the magnificence with the artistic precision, nor the massiveness with the comeliness. 1.11.17 But it will suffice to say this: that they are palaces and were built by Justinian, who was present and supervising the art, and that nothing was overlooked, except for the cost. For it is impossible for these things not to surpass description. 1.11.18 And here also a shelter for harbours has been constructed, which did not exist before. For finding a shore on both sides exposed to both the winds and the turmoil of the surf, he established it as a place of safety for sailors as follows. 1.11.19 Having made countless "chests," as they are called, of very great size, and having cast them down crosswise for a great distance from both sides of the shore, and always placing a layer of others in order above the previous ones, he raised two transverse walls opposite one another from the foundations of the deep up to the water, in which indeed the ships sail, being supported. 1.11.20 And for the rest he has thrown in rugged rocks in this place. and when these are struck by the surf, and repelling the attack of the surge, and when a harsh wind has come down in the winter season, everything within the walls remains quiet, a single entrance for ships to the harbour having been left between them. 1.11.21 And here

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μέχρι ἐς τῆς αὐλῆς τὴν κρηπῖδα πλώιμος ἐνταῦθα ταῖς ναυσὶ γίνεται, τῆς δὲ γαλήνης τῷ ὑπερβάλλοντι τοὺς ἑκατέρωθι ὄντας ἐπιμίγνυσιν ἐς τοὺς διαλόγους ἀλλή1.11.5 λοις. τὰ μὲν οὖν κατὰ τῆς θαλάσσης τὸ γειτόνημα τῇ αὐλῇ τῇδέ πη ἔχει, καλλωπιζομένῃ μὲν τῇ ἐς αὐτὴν ὄψει, περιπνεομένῃ δὲ ἁπαλαῖς οὔσαις ταῖς ἀπ' αὐτῆς αὔραις. 1.11.6 καὶ κιόνων δὲ καὶ μαρμάρων κάλλει ὑπερφυεῖ τά τε αὐτῆς ἐδάφη καὶ τὰ ὕπερθεν καλύπτεται πάντα· ὧν ἡ αἴγλη ὑπεράγαν λευκή τίς ἐστι, ταῖς τοῦ ἡλίου αὐγαῖς ἐπιει1.11.7 κῶς ἀπαστράπτουσα. καὶ μὴν καὶ εἰκόνες αὐτὴν κοσμοῦσι παμπληθεῖς, αἱ μὲν χαλκαῖ, αἱ δὲ τῷ λίθῳ ἐπιξυσθεῖσαι, θέαμα λόγου πολλοῦ ἄξιον. εἰκάσαις ἂν ἢ Φειδίου τοῦ Ἀθηναίου ἢ τοῦ Σικυωνίου Λυσίππου ἔργον ἢ 1.11.8 Πραξιτέλους αὐτὰς γεγονέναι. ἐνταῦθα καὶ Θεοδώρα ἡ βασιλὶς ἐπὶ κίονος ἕστηκε· τοῦτο γὰρ ἀνατέθεικεν ἡ πό1.11.9 λις αὐτῇ ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐλῆς χαριστήριον. καὶ ἡ μὲν εἰκὼν εὐπρόσωπος, ἀλλὰ τῆς βασιλίδος τῷ κάλλει ἐλάσσων, ἐπεὶ αὐτῆς τὴν εὐπρέπειαν λόγῳ τε φράσαι καὶ ἰνδάλματι ἀπομιμεῖσθαι ἀνθρώπῳ γε ὄντι παντάπασιν ἀμήχανα ἦν· ἁλουργὸς δὲ ὁ κίων καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ἐκτυπώματος ὅτι δὴ βασιλίδα φέρει διαφανῶς ἐνδεικνύμενος. 1.11.10 Ὅπερ δὲ ὕδατος εὐπορίας πέρι ἐνταῦθα διαπεπόνηται τῷ βασιλεῖ τούτῳ αὐτίκα δηλώσω. θέρους ὥρᾳ ἡ βασιλὶς πόλις ὕδατος ὑπεσπάνιζεν ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, καί1.11.11 περ ἐς τοὺς ἄλλους καιροὺς διαρκὲς ἔχουσα. τοῦ γὰρ καιροῦ τηνικάδε αὐχμοὺς ἔχοντος ἐλασσόνως ἢ κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας ὥρας αἱ πηγαὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀποβλυστάνουσαι καταδε1.11.12 εστέραν παρείχοντο τὴν ὀχεταγωγίαν τῇ πόλει. διὸ δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπενόει τοιάδε. κατὰ τὴν βασιλέως στοάν, ἵνα δὴ τὰς δίκας παρασκευάζονται οἵ τε ῥήτορες καὶ εἰσαγωγεῖς καὶ εἴ τινες ἄλλοι τοῦ ἔργου τούτου ἐπιμελοῦνται, αὐλή τίς ἐστιν ὑπερμεγέθης, περιμήκης μὲν καὶ εὔρους ἱκανῶς ἔχουσα, ἐν τετραπλεύρῳ δὲ περίστυλος οὖσα, οὐκ ἐπὶ γεώδους ἐδάφους τοῖς αὐτὴν δειμαμένοις, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ 1.11.13 πέτρας πεποιημένη. στοαί τε τὴν αὐλὴν περιβάλλουσι τέσσαρες, κατὰ πλευρὰν ἑκάστην ἑστῶσαι. ταύτην τε οὖν καὶ τῶν στοῶν μίαν, ἥπερ αὐτῆς τέτραπται πρὸς ἄνεμον νότον, ἐς βάθους μέγα τι χρῆμα κατορύξας Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεύς, ἀποβαλλομένοις τῇ περιουσίᾳ κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας ὥρας τοῖς ὕδασιν ἐς θέρος ἐν ἐπιτηδείῳ θησαυρὸν ἔθετο. 1.11.14 δεχόμενα γὰρ τὰ ἔλυτρα τάδε τοῦ ὀχετοῦ τὴν ἐπιρροὴν ὑπερβλύζοντος στενοχωρουμένοις μὲν τοῖς ὕδασι τότε χαρίζεται χώραν, ποθεινῶν δὲ αὐτῶν γινομένων ἐπὶ και1.11.15 ροῦ τοῖς δεομένοις παρέχεται πόρον. οὕτω μὲν μὴ προσδεῖν Βυζαντίοις ποτίμων ὑδάτων βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς διεπράξατο. 1.11.16 Καὶ βασίλεια δὲ ἀλλαχόθι δεδημιούργηκεν αὐτὸς καινουργήσας ἔν τε τῷ Ἡραίῳ, ὃ νῦν Ἱερὸν ὀνομάζουσι, καὶ Ἰουκουνδιάναις ταῖς καλουμέναις· ὧν δὴ οὔτε τὸ μεγαλοπρεπὲς σὺν τῷ ἐς τέχνην ἠκριβωμένῳ, οὔτε τὸν ὄγκον ἂν σὺν τῷ εὐπρεπεῖ λόγῳ φράσαι ποτὲ ἱκανῶς 1.11.17 ἔχοιμι. ἀλλ' ἀποχρήσει ταῦτα εἰπεῖν βασίλειά τε εἶναι καὶ πρὸς Ἰουστινιανοῦ γεγονέναι παρόντος τε καὶ ἐπιτεχνωμένου, καὶ οὐδενὸς ἀπεριόπτου, ὅτι μὴ χρημάτων, καθισταμένου. ταῦτα γὰρ οὐχ οἷόν τέ ἐστι μὴ καὶ λόγου 1.11.18 κρατεῖν. ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ λιμένων σκέπας ἀποτετόρνευται οὐ πρότερον ὄν. ἀκτὴν γὰρ εὑρὼν ἑκατέρωθι τοῖς τε ἀνέμοις καὶ ταραχῇ τοῦ ῥοθίου ἀποκειμένην, σωτήριον 1.11.19 εἶναι τοῖς πλέουσι κατεστήσατο ὧδε. τὰς κιβωτοὺς καλουμένας ἀναρίθμους τε καὶ παμμεγέθεις πεποιημένος, ἀμφοτέρωθέν τε αὐτὰς τῆς ἠϊόνος ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐγκαρσίας ἀπορριψάμενος, ἀεί τε τῶν προτέρων καθύπερθεν ἑτέρων ἐν τάξει ἐπιβολὴν ἐντιθέμενος, τοίχους πλαγίους ἀπ' ἐναντίας ἀλλήλων ἀνέστησε δύο ἐκ τῶν τῆς ἀβύσσου κρηπίδων μέχρι ἐς τὸ ὕδωρ, ᾧ δὴ αἱ νέες ἐναπερειδό1.11.20 μεναι πλέουσι. πέτρας τε τὸ λοιπὸν ἀποτόμους ταύτῃ ἐμβέβληται. ὧν δὴ πρὸς τοῦ ῥοθίου ἀρασσομένων, ἀποκρουομένων τε τὴν τοῦ κλυδωνίου ἐπίθεσιν, καὶ ἀνέμου χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ καταβάντος σκληροῦ, διαμένει τὰ ἐντὸς ἡσυχῆ ἅπαντα τῶν τοίχων, μεταξὺ μιᾶς ἀπολελειμμένης 1.11.21 ἐπὶ τὸν λιμένα τοῖς πλοίοις εἰσόδου. ἐνταῦθα δὲ