_Of the Bridge near the Church of St._ Mamas; _of his_ Hippodrom; _of the Brazen Lyon, and the Sepulchre of the Emperor_ Mauritius.
Not only some Historians, but also _Suidas_ the Grammarian, have handed it down to us, that near the Church of St. _Mamas_, there stood a Bridge, which had twelve Arches; for there was a great Floud of Waters at that Place. There was also set up at the same Place a brazen Dragon; because ’twas reported that a Serpent had some Time liv’d there, which had deflour’d many Virgins. This Story was occasion’d by the Name of a Man, who was call’d _Basiliscus_, one of _Numerianus Cæsar_’s Life-Guard, who liv’d there, and built a Church, which _Zeno_ afterwards pull’d down. _Constantine_, call’d _Iconomachus_, because he was a profess’d Enemy to Images, order’d one _Andreas_ a Statuary, a Man of some Note in the _Blachernæ_, to be whipt to Death in the _Hippodrom_ of St. _Mamas_. _Zonaras_ tells us, that _Mauritius_ the Emperor was buried in the Church of St. _Mamas_, which was built by _Pharasmenes_, an Eunuch, and Gentleman of the Bed-chamber to _Justinian_. _Cedrinus_ writes, that the Church of St. _Mamas_ stood near the Gate call’d _Xylocercon_. Others report, That _Crunna_, King of the _Bulgarians_, surrounded _Constantinople_ with an Army from the _Blachernæ_ to the _Porta Aurea_, and distrusting the Strength of his Forces to take the Town, he hasten’d to this Church, set Fire to a Palace that was near it, and that upon his Retreat, he carry’d off a Brazen Lyon plac’d in the _Hippodrom_, a Bear, a Dragon, and some curious Pieces of Marble. _Sozomen_ speaking of those Persons who were banish’d on St. _Chrysostom_’s Account, says, that when they were got without the Walls they met in a Place situate before the City, which _Constantine_ order’d to be cleans’d, to be pal’d round, and made it into a _Hippodrom_. This, I take it, was the Place which was afterwards call’d the _Hippodrom_ of St. _Mamas_. _Zonaras_ adds upon this Occasion, that _Leo_ the Emperor, scar’d by a Fire, which then rag’d in the City, flew to the Church of St. _Mamas_, and continu’d there for some Time. _Cedrinus_ mentions, that the Emperor diverted himself with Horse-racing, near the Church of St. _Mamas_ the Martyr, situate in the _Stenon_. ’Tis plain from the Authorities abovemention’d, that this Church was seated in the _Blachernæ_, and that there was a Bridge there, as is farther confirm’d by _Johannes Tzetzes_ in his _Variâ Historiâ_, where he says, that the Sea extending itself from the Streights of _Abydus_, to the Bridge of the _Blachernæ_, is call’d the _Hellespont_. ’Tis also evident, that this Bridge stood, where the Stone Piles of the old Bridge (when the Water is low, as ’tis in Summer) are seen at present, and stand between the Suburbs call’d the _Blachernæ_, and the Suburbs, which the _Turks_ call the _Aibasarium_. This, I am confident, is the same Bridge which the ancient Treatise _of the Wards of the City_, calls the Wooden Bridge, and places it in the fourteenth _Ward_, in which, as I observ’d, was the Suburbs call’d the _Hepdomum_. I desire the Reader to remark one Thing from _Suidas_, that St. _Mamas_ Bridge had either twelve Stone Arches, or else, that he was writing of another Church of St. _Mamas_, situate in another Place.