antine times the
two last hills were named respectively the hill of Blachernae and the
Xerolophos or dry hill.

_History, Architecture and Antiquities._--Constantinople is famous in
history, first as the capital of the Roman empire in the East for more
than eleven centuries (330-1453), and secondly as the capital of the
Ottoman empire since 1453. In respect of influence over the course of
human affairs, its only rivals are Athens, Rome and Jerusalem. Yet even
the gifts of these rivals to the cause of civilization often bear the
image and superscription of Constantinople upon them. Roman law, Greek
literature, the theology of the Christian church, for example, are
intimately associated with the history of the city beside the Bosporus.

The city was founded by Constantine the Great, through the enlargement
of the old town of Byzantium, in A.D. 328, and was inaugurated as a new
seat of government on the 11th of May, A.D. 330. To indicate its
political dignity, it was named New Rome, while to perpetuate the fame
of its founder it was styled Constantinople. The chief patriarch of the
Greek church still signs himself "archbishop of Constantinople, New
Rome." The old name of the place, Byzantium, however, continued in use.

The creation of a new capital by Constantine was not an act of personal
caprice or individual judgment. It was the result of causes long in
operation, and had been foreshadowed, forty years before, in the policy
of Diocletian. After the senate and people of Rome had ceased to be the
sovereigns of the Roman world, and their authority had been vested in
the sole person of the emperor, the eternal city could no longer claim
to be the rightful throne of the state. That honour could henceforth be
conferred upon any place in the Roman world which might suit the
convenience of the emperor, or serve more efficiently the interests he
had to guard. Furthermore, the empire was now upon its defence. Dreams
of conquests and extension had long been abandoned, and the pressing
question of the time was how to repel the persistent assaults of Persia
and the barbarians upon the frontiers of the realm, and so retain the
dominion inherited from the valour of the past. The size of the empire
made it difficult, if not impossible, to attend to these assaults, or to
control the ambition of successful generals, from one centre. Then the
East had grown in political importance, both as the scene of the most
active life in the state