May, 1908. 



KNOWLEDGE 



103 



this Plate, so as uot to interfere witb the view of the Holy 

 Sc-reeu beyond. Then we liave the enclosure of the Soleas, 

 on each side of which were the Singers' Stalls, headed by 

 the Imperial Throne and its two lions to the right. The 

 stalls of the Choir are shown to continue parallel to the 

 axis, and not curving into the cylindrical walls of the 

 conchs, as in that case tlie voice of the singers would be 

 inaudible from some points of the nave. Huge caudle- 

 sticlfs would stand in front of the Iconostasis, while the 

 Holy Door must have been cr(.)wned by the tAvo-headed 

 Greek Eagle. 



Lastly, beyond the twelve columns of the Iconostasis, 

 the worshipper would see towering the Ciborium (baldachin) 

 of the Altar, siu'naounted by a cross resting on a globe, 

 symbol of the expansion of Christianity over the world's 

 surface.* 



We learn from the Silentiary that originally the whole 

 extent of the first floor level was reserved to the women. 

 Gradually, however, the increasing numbers, offices, and 

 requirements of the clergy, caused tliem to invade the 

 galleries, and to permanently establish themselves in the 

 southern and south-eastern divisions of the right aisle. A 

 fine marble screen, still extant, separated the central hall, 

 or Great Secretum, from the rest of the Catechumena. 

 while the dome immediately to the east represented tlK' 

 Pentecost in mosaic — a fitting subject to the ecclesiastical 

 councils and to the Synod (if 860, held in this part of the 

 church. 



The western section of the Gyneceum was known hy the 

 name of Catechumena of the Narthex, as extending above 

 the vestibule. We know that veils used to stand here, 

 screening the women from the nave below, and the iron 

 ties of the bolts, from which the veils were suspended, have 

 been seen in position by the writer in 1902, both on the 

 piers, as well as on the twin columns over the Royal Gates. 



The structure is full of symbolism, and the reasons for 

 the presence of lily, vine leaves, fishes, dolphins,t etc., in 

 the decoration are obvious. So also is the groupment, or 

 division, in three of the windows. Numbers to whom 

 ]5refereuce was given seem to have been 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9. 

 12, It), 24, 32, 36, 40, 48, 60, 72, 96, 100, 120, 160, 18(t. 

 220, 240, 260, and 300. The mystic number 40 is repeated 

 many times : 



(1) In the diameter, in Byzantine feet, of the cylindrical 

 opening of the eastern apse ; 



(2) In the diameter, in feet, of the fom- exedras ; 



(3) In the length, from column to i-ohuiin, of the corut'i' 

 divisions of the aisles and gallery ; 



(4) In the height of the first cornice ; 



(5) In the meau height of the vaulting in the aisles and 

 Narthex; 



(6) In the total height of tlie four domes in tlie angle.'^ 

 of the first floor; 



(7) In the number of coluniiis of the floor; 



(8j In tile number of colnnuis nf tlie gallery, towards 

 the nave ; and 



(9) In tile numlx'i- nf rjlis, piers and windows of the 

 dome. 



According to the writer's own iiieasureiueiits. the side 

 of the square area covereil by the peuih'utives and hy 

 the dome is 102 Englisli feet and 2-4 inches, or 311.5 

 inetn'S. Hut this reiiresentiMl 100 Hvzautiiie feet. Hence 

 one r.y/.anline fool is e(iu;il \n 1(12211 KnL;iisli. or CVSllo 

 metres. 



* The true mosaic decoration of the eastern semi-dome is not 

 known. Plate II. gives its prescMit dei-oration by Fossati, wliile the 

 '■ Mystii' Lamb," sliown in I'lato I., is merely intended to symbolize 

 our agnosticism on the subject. 



t 'I'he dolphins and trident of Noptnno were an old emblem of 

 li\ /.antiiim. 



The vaidting of the church rests on the piers and outer 

 walls, as well as on 104 coluums, l)ut of which only 96 are 

 round. Considering that this quantity is the multiple of 

 so many numljers as 2, 3. 4, 6, H, 12, 16, 24, 32 and 48 — 

 all favourite numbers — its choice was certaiuly pre- 

 meditated, and not tlie result of chance. 



Fig. 8 shows a typical mediajval Greek capital with the 

 monogram of Justinian, carved out of the marlile, and 

 repeated on the brass ring. Probalaly, as remembrances 

 of paganism, ancient Greek capitals were rejected. 



llie great verd-antique shafts, separating the nave from 

 the aisles, are not all equally strong. Four of them have 

 a diameter of 42§ inches, while the other four measure only 

 38j. The thin columns have been erected in the centre of 

 the sides, the stronger ones near the piers. Still, the first 

 impression is that the colonnades are uniform ; the]extreme 



Fu.. 'J.— A View ul' the south-eastern Kxodni, and of the Great 

 I'orphu'v Columns, showing the Singers' Stalls and ihtatorion in the 

 background, at the time of the Emperor Coustautiue rorphyrogeuitus. 



sliafts seeming reduced in thickness through the dwarfing 

 vicinity of the piers. 



The' treatment of the supports iu the four e.xedras 

 (Fig. 9) required much more delicacy, inasmuch as it was 

 deemed .lesinible to render the importance of the conchs 



