Page:The age of Justinian and Theodora (Volume 1).djvu/60

 the palace of the once famous Persian refugee, Prince Hormisdas.

Farther on is a small entry from the water leading to a chapel sacred to the Theotokos, surnamed the Conductress, another foundation of the devout Pulcheria. Here are preserved a portrait of the Virgin painted by St. Luke, the swaddling-clothes of Jesus, and other recondite memorials of Gospel history grafted by imposture on the credulity of the age. This Conductress, by virtue of a holy fount, is credited with being able to point out the way for the blind to receive their sight; and a retreat for the blind, therefore, has been established on the spot.

As soon as we turn the north-east point, which marks the beginning of the Golden Horn, we exchange the inhospitable aspect of a fortified coast for a busy scene of maritime life. The wall recedes gradually to some distance from the water-*line and forms an inconspicuous background to the impressive spectacle, which indicates the port of entry of a vast city. In

[Greek: Tas pylas tou basileiou pantachothen apekleisen, kai ploia eis to phygein, tô palatiô parestêsen]; Theodore Lect., ii, 26. All these passages prove the existence of a harbour approachable only from the palace, which probably was then, or afterwards became, the Boukoleon. Van Millingen (op. cit.) gives good reasons for placing the Boukoleon on this site, the only likely one (see Appendix). The name Boukoleon is not found in literature before 800; Theoph., Cont., i, 11. From ibid., vi, 15, it may be inferred that the main group of statuary had long been in position.]The place was called [Greek: Hodêgêtria]; Codin., p. 80.]
 * [Footnote: *men, iii, 9; Procopius, De Bel. Pers., i, 24; Theophanes, an. 6003.