The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY: BOOK III 183
seas over a distance of 420 stades in the manner of a channel. It made the
city almost an island instead of a peninsula, and for those who wish
provides a very safe transit from the so-called Pontus to the Propontis
and the Thracian sea, while checking the barbarians who rush forth
from the so-called Euxine Sea, and from the Colchians and the Maiotic
lake, and from the regions beyond the Caucasus, and those who have
poured forth over Europe. 143
39 An exceedingly great and wonderful achievement was accomplished
by the same man, the complete abolition of the so-called Chrysargyron;
144 [137] this must also be told, although it requires the eloquence
of Thucydides or indeed one greater and more elegant. But even I shall
tell of it, not trusting in word, but con¢dent in the deed. There was
imposed on this great and ancient state of the Romans a miserable tax
hateful to God and unworthy of even barbarians, let alone indeed of the
most Christian Roman empire. Although overlooked before him (for
what reason I cannot say), this man abolished it in a manner most
worthy of an emperor. It was imposed both on many others who
143 The Long Walls of Constantinople are situated about 65 kilometres to the west of the
city (about 325 stades), and originally extended for 45 kilometres (225 stades) from the Sea
of Marmara to the Black Sea. The Walls had most probably been constructed towards the
end of Theodosius II’s reign, in response to the Hunnic incursions, but had subsequently
been severely damaged in an earthquake and now required extensive repairs if they were to
prevent the Bulgars from approaching Constantinople (Whitby, ‘Walls’). It was not uncommon
for emperors to claim, or be accorded, full credit for constructions which they merely
repaired: thus Septimius Severus, who was responsible for some rebuilding on Hadrian’s
Wall, was given credit for one of the North British walls in various sources, e.g. Eutropius
viii.19.1; Scriptores Historiae Augustae, Severus 18.2.
The e¡ectiveness of the Constantinopolitan Walls depended upon the strength and capabilities
of their defenders, who were not always su⁄ciently numerous to prevent invaders
from overrunning the barrier; they were relevant to sea tra⁄c between the Sea of Marmara
and the Black Sea, since boats tended to hug the shore as they sailed up against the sti¡
current and might even need to be towed at some points. The substantial remains are currently
the subject of investigation: see Crow, ‘Long Walls’ (though he consistently presumes
that the walls are Anastasian). Allen,Evagrius 143, identi¢ed this as an eye-witness account,
but there is insu⁄cient detail to prove the assertion.
144 In 498. Cod. Iust. xi.1. This move coincided with celebration of victory over the
Isaurians (Malalas 394:5^7 notes the gifts to taxpayers), which saved the empire 5,000
pounds of gold per year in peace payments (cf. iii.35 with n. 136); a plausible guess for the
annual yield of the tax is 1,400 pounds of gold (Bagnall, Egypt 154), so the remission was
more than covered by the Isaurian saving. There had been serious riots in Antioch in 494/5
(Malalas 392:12^393:8), which might also be relevant to Anastasius’ decision.