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preserving have stood, having a crown running around them from above, from all of which the water flowed down in streams onto the surface and the bottom of the basin from above and rained down on what was below. The one to the north was constructed from the so-called Sagarian stone, which is similar to the stone called Ostrite by some, it too projecting a prominent, perforated whorl of white stone from the middle of its bottom. And above, on the surrounding crown of the basin, the artisan fashioned roosters, billy goats and rams from bronze, they too spewing jets of water through certain pipes and, as it were, vomiting them out onto the underlying floor of the basin. There also cups are seen, around 328 which wine then gushed up from below, giving drink to and welcoming those passing by. (86) And as you exit the north gate of the sanctuary, a long, vaulted walkway receives you, its ceiling adorned with encaustic paintings, containing the labors and struggles of the martyrs, at once feasting the eyes and stirring the soul to divine and blessed love, being led to this by the heroic deeds of the martyrs and trying to transcend sensation as far as possible. And at the gates to the south and the sea, if you should wish to exit and make your way to the east, you will find another passage of equal length and course to the one on the north, it too extending as far as the imperial court, where it is customary for emperors and the children of the blessed to play ball on horseback; which the same renowned emperor also constructed, after purchasing the houses that were previously there and razing them to the ground and clearing the area, building also the most beautiful houses on the seaward side of this court, which he designated to be, as it were, a treasury and stewardship for the said church. The purchase of the dwellings and the construction of the court properly took place because the area previously assigned to the emperors for such exercise had been incorporated into the building of the divine church. The area enclosed in the middle of the two porticoes on the eastern side of the church he made into a paradise, it too planted to the east 329 of the new Eden and abounding with all sorts of plants and being irrigated with plentiful waters; which from its position we are accustomed to call Mesokepion. But what has been said about these things is sufficient, lest someone bring a charge of bad taste against us. (87) And now the account must be turned to the remaining works of the industrious and provident emperor of good things. For in the palace itself, what person ever mentioned for their munificence in such matters has he not surpassed in luxury and beauty and in the novelty of the designs and in the graces concerning all admirable things, not only in the beauties, luxuries, and delights of churches, but also in the construction of truly royal and magnificent residences, having with the luxurious the delightful, and with the delightful much that is useful and worthy of wonder? But since such beauties are not set before all for viewing, which is by nature a more accurate teacher of such things, it is necessary that they be presented through writing to the ears of the diligent, so that from this their creator may be worthily admired and those barred from entry to the palace may not have complete ignorance of these things. For right on the eastern side of the palace is a church built for Elijah the Tishbite, not only the interior of which is full of all luxury and beauty, but indeed the exterior as well. For from above the whole roof was resplendent with gold, 330 the whole being composed of well-fitted mosaics, even if in time now the heavy downpour of rains and the winter snows and frosts have damaged it by destroying much of the beauty. And joined to such a church

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σώ- ζοντες ὑφεστήκασι, στεφάνην ανωθεν εχοντες περιθέουσαν, ἀφ' ων ἁπάντων κρουνηδὸν τὸ υδωρ κατὰ τὸ ἐμβαδὸν καὶ τὸν πυθμένα τῆς φιάλης ανωθεν ερρει καὶ κατώμβρει τὰ ὑποκείμενα. ἡ δὲ πρὸς βορρᾶν ἐκ τοῦ Σαγαρίου λεγομένου λίθου, ος τῷ παρά τινων ̓Οστρίτῃ καλουμένῳ λίθῳ καθέστηκεν ἐμφερής, ἐδέξατο τὴν κατα- σκευήν, ἐκ λευκοῦ λίθου πολύτρητον στρόβιλον καὶ αὐτὴ κατὰ τὸ μέσον τοῦ πυθμένος προβαλλομένη ἐξέχοντα. υπερθεν δὲ κατὰ τὴν περιτρέχουσαν στεφάνην τῇ φιάλῃ ἐκ χαλκοῦ τῷ τεχνίτῃ διετυ- πώθησαν ἀλεκτρυόνες τράγοι τε καὶ κριοί, διά τινων συρίγγων καὶ αὐτοὶ κρουνοὺς ὑδάτων ἐξερευγόμενοι καὶ οιον ἐξεμοῦντες κατὰ τὸ τῆς φιάλης ὑποκείμενον εδαφος. ενθα καὶ κύλικες ὁρῶνται, περὶ 328 ας τότε οινος ἀνέβλυζε κάτωθεν, τοὺς παριόντας ποτίζων καὶ δε- ξιούμενος. (86) ἐξιόντι δέ σοι τὴν βόρειον πύλην τοῦ ἱεροῦ μα- κρός τις ἐκδέχεται περίπατος κυλινδροειδής, ἐξ ἐνύλων γραφῶν κατηγλαϊσμένος τὴν ὀροφήν, τοὺς μαρτυρικοὺς περιέχων αθλους καὶ τὰ παλαίσματα, ἑστιῶν αμα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν διεγείρων πρὸς τὸν θεῖον καὶ μακάριον ερωτα, ταῖς τῶν μαρτύρων ἀριστείαις εἰς τοῦτον ἐναγομένην καὶ ὑπερβαίνειν κατὰ τὸ ἐφικτὸν πειρωμένην τὴν αισθησιν. κατὰ δὲ τὰς πρὸς νότον τε καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν πύλας, εἰ ἐξελθὼν πρὸς ἀνατολὰς ποιήσασθαι τὴν πο- ρείαν θελήσειας, αλλον εὑρήσεις ἰσομήκη τοῦ πρὸς βορρᾶν καὶ ἰσόδρομον δίαυλον, αχρι τῆς βασιλικῆς αὐλῆς καὶ αὐτὸ παρατεί- νοντα, καθ' ην μεθ' ιππων σφαιρίζειν βασιλεῦσί τε καὶ τοῖς τῶν εὐδαιμόνων παισὶ καθέστηκε σύνηθες· ην καὶ αὐτὴν ὁ αὐτὸς ἀοί- διμος βασιλεύς, τὰς πρότερον ἐκεῖσε τυγχανούσας οἰκίας ἐξωνησά- μενος καὶ αχρις ἐδάφους καταβαλὼν καὶ περικαθάρας τὸν τόπον, εἰργάσατο, κατὰ τὸ πρὸς θάλασσαν μέρος τῆς τοιαύτης αὐλῆς καὶ τὰς περικαλλεῖς οἰκίας δειμάμενος, ας οἱονεὶ ταμιεῖον καὶ οἰκονο- μεῖον τοῦ εἰρημένου τυγχάνειν ναοῦ διωρίσατο. ἡ δὲ τῶν οἰκη- μάτων ἐξώνησις καὶ κατασκευὴ τῆς αὐλῆς διὰ τὸ τὴν πρότερον εἰς τὸ τοιοῦτον γυμνάσιον ἀνειμένην τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἐν τῇ τοῦ θείου ναοῦ παροπλισθῆναι οἰκοδομῇ δεόντως ἐγένετο. τὸ δὲ περικλειό- μενον μέσον τῶν δύο περιδρόμων χωρίον κατὰ τὸ ἑῷον τοῦ ναοῦ μέρος παράδεισον ἐξειργάσατο, κατὰ ἀνατολὰς καὶ αὐτὸν φυτευ- 329 θέντα τῆς νέας ̓Εδὲμ καὶ παντοίοις κομῶντα φυτοῖς καὶ υδασιν ἀφθόνοις οντα κατάρρυτον· ον ἀπὸ τῆς θέσεως Μεσοκήπιον ὀνο- μάζειν εἰώθαμεν. ̓Αλλὰ ἀπόχρη περὶ τούτων τὰ εἰρημένα, μὴ καὶ ἀπειροκα- λίας τις γραφὴν ἀποίσεται καθ' ἡμῶν. (87) καὶ μεταστρεπτέον ηδη τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν εργων τοῦ φιλοπόνου καὶ τῶν κα- λῶν προμηθοῦς αὐτοκράτορος. κατ' αὐτὰ γὰρ τὰ βασίλεια τίνα τῶν πώποτε μνημονευομένων ἐν ταῖς περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα φιλοτιμίαις οὐχ ὑπερβέβηκεν εν τε πολυτελείᾳ καὶ κάλλει καὶ τῷ καινοπρεπεῖ τῶν σχημάτων καὶ ταῖς περὶ πάντα τὰ ἀξιάγαστα χάρισιν, οὐ μό- νον ἐν ναῶν καλλοναῖς καὶ πολυτελείαις καὶ τέρψεσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν διαιτητηρίων βασιλικῶν οντως καὶ μεγαλοπρεπῶν οἰκοδομαῖς, μετὰ τοῦ πολυτελοῦς τὸ τερπνὸν καὶ μετὰ τοῦ τέρποντος πολὺ τὸ χρήσι- μον ἐχόντων καὶ θαύματος αξιον; ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα κάλλη οὐ πᾶσιν εἰς ορασιν πρόκειται, η καὶ μᾶλλον ἀκριβὴς τῶν τοιούτων πέφυκεν ειναι διδάσκαλος, ἀνάγκη διὰ τῆς γραφῆς παρατεθῆναι τῶν σπουδαίων ταῖς ἀκοαῖς, ιν' ἐντεῦθεν ο τε δημιουργὸς αὐτῶν ἀξίως θαυμάζηται καὶ οἱ τῶν βασιλείων εἰσόδων εἰργόμενοι μὴ παντελῆ τούτων εχοιεν αγνοιαν. εστι γὰρ εὐθὺς κατὰ τὸ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς τῶν ἀνακτόρων μέρος κατασκευασθεὶς ̔Ηλιοὺ τῷ Θεσβίτῃ ναός, οὐ τὰ ἐντὸς μόνον πάσης ἀνάπλεως πολυτελείας καὶ ὡραιό- τητος ἀλλ' ηδη καὶ τὰ ἐκτός. ανωθεν γὰρ τὸ στέγος απαν χρυσῷ 330 κατελάμπετο, ἐκ ψηφίδων ευ ἡρμοσμένων απαν συνεστηκός, εἰ καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ νῦν ἡ πολλὴ τῶν ομβρων ἐπιφορὰ καὶ οἱ χειμέριοι νιφετοί τε καὶ παγετοὶ τὸ πολὺ τοῦ κάλλους διαφθείραντες ἐλυμή- ναντο. συνημμένον δὲ τῷ τοιούτῳ ναῷ