Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume I/Constantine/Prolegomena/The Mythical Constantine/Dream concerning the Founding of Constantinople

5. Dream concerning the Founding of Constantinople.

&#8220;As Constantine was sleeping in this city [Byzantium], he imagined that there stood before him an old woman whose forehead was furrowed with age; but that presently, clad in an imperial robe, she became transformed into a beautiful girl, and so fascinated his eyes by the elegance of her youthful charms that he could not refrain from kissing her; that Helena, his mother, being present, then said, &#8216;She shall be yours forever; nor shall she die till the end of time.&#8217; The solution of this dream, when he awoke, the emperor extorted from heaven, by fasting and alms-giving. And behold, within eight days, being cast again into a deep sleep, he thought he saw Pope Silvester, who died some little time before, regarding his convert with complacency, and saying, &#8216;You have acted with your customary prudence in waiting for a solution from God of that enigma which was beyond the comprehension of man. The old woman you saw is this city, worn down by age, whose time-struck walls, menacing approaching ruin, require a restorer. But you, renewing its walls, and its affluence, shall signalize it also with your name; and here shall the imperial progeny reign forever&#8217;&#8221; (William of Malmesbury, Chronicle, tr. English. Lond. 1847, p. 372&#8211;3. The final section, which instructs Constantine how to lay out the city, is omitted). This is taken by the Chronicler from Aldhelm&#8217;s (d. 709) de laudibus virginitatis (c. 52, ed. Giles, 1844, p. 28&#8211;29), where, however, instead of kissing her, he much more appropriately &#8220;clothes her with his mantle, and puts his diadem adorned with pure gold and brilliant gems on her head.&#8221; It is given also by Ralph de Diceto (ed. Stubbs, Lond. 1876), 74&#8211;75, and probably by many others.