Anthemius, the architect of Hagia Sophia... a vengeful prankster

Anthemius of Tralles, along with Isidore of Miletus, were the main engineers-architects who designed the reconstructed Hagia Sophia during the 6th c, the big christian temple in Constantinople. But Anthemius was also known for a brilliant prank against an annoying neighbour, Zenon

* head photo: Hagia Sophia, detail from Prospect of Constantinople, overview, by Lorck, Melchior, 1559

According to Procopius of Caesarea [Περί κτισμάτων Ι, 1], a scholar at the time of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I of the 6th century, the great christian temple of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople had suffered serious damage during the Nika riots of 532 CE. And Anthemius, assisted by Isidore of Miletus, were the main architects who were appointed for its reconstruction, just right after this destruction. This is the temple that mostly had survived till our days.

Anthemius of Tralles was already a famous mathematician - engineer at the time of the new temple's erection [535 ca CE]; and the temple gained immediately fame for its majesty. However, Agathias Scholasticus, a byzantine historian of the 6th c., is mentioning an earthquake that occurred a little later, in 557 CE, and caused the fall of a part of the dome [Histories V.9.4]. The renovation of the dome was completed by Isidore the Younger, nephew of the aforementioned one of Miletus, as Anthemius is said to be dead at the time; and this dome is still standing almost intact.

Hagia Sophia and Justinian I as depicted in Manasses' Chronicle; Vat.slav.2, [14th c.], p. 242

Agathias is also the main source for the following story; a tale around a prank made by Anthemius against an annoying neighbour, Zenon, where our architect used his scientific knowledge and skill.

The first thing that I've noticed on this story was the reasons of their dispute, that could remind somehow modern-day neighbouring conflicts; like spying and disturbing next-door constructions. And this made me also think of farce movies, where each neighbour is trying to make the life difficult for the others.

A second thought was on Anthemius' knowledge and skill as a mathematician - engineer. In the story it's said that a mirror was used, probably concentrating solar power. A possibly relevant unfinished treatise, attributed to Anthemius, has survived since the middle ages under the title 'On wondrous machines' [=Περί παραδόξων μηχανημάτων], where they are analyzed attributes of mirrors concentrating solar light. The earliest manuscript I've tracked is of the 10th century; this is VAT gr 218 and an analysis of the content can be read in Huxley [1959].

Besides this, among the Anthemius' narrated tricks, some earthquake's simulations are mentioned; and I wondered if it's somehow based, possibly a little comically, on the aforementioned by Agathias fail of the dome of Hagia Sophia cause of the earthquake.

In any case, here's the story, translated by me with an intention to be accurate...

Agathias Scholasticus of Myrina [Αγαθίου Σχολαστικού Μυρηναίου], Histories V.6.7-8.6, in Patrologia Graeca 88, 1552-1556

6.7 ἀνήρ τις ἐν Βυζαντίῳ Ζήνων ὄνομα, τῷ μὲν τῶν ῥητόρων καταλόγῳ ἀναγεγραμμένος, ἄλλως δὲ διαφανὴς καὶ βασιλεῖ γνωριμώτατος, κατῴκει ἀγχοῦ που τοῦ Ἀνθεμίου, ὡς δοκεῖν ἑκατέρῳ ἡνῶσθαι τὼ οἴκω καὶ ὑφ' ἑνὶ τέρματι διαμετρεῖσθαι. 8 προελθόντος δὲ χρόνου ἔρις αὐτοῖς ἐνέπεσε καὶ δυσκολία ἢ τοῦ διοπτεύεσθαι χάριν, τυχὸν οὐ πρότερον εἰθισμένον, ἢ νεωτέρας οἰκοδομίας πέρα τοῦ μετρίου ἐς ὕψος ἀρθείσης καὶ τῷ φωτὶ λυμαινομένης ἢ ἄλλου του πέρι, ὁποῖα πολλὰ τοῖς πλησιαίτατα προσοικοῦσι διαφιλονεικεῖσθαι ἀνάγκη. 7.1 Τότε δὴ οὖν ὁ Ἀνθέμιος ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐναντίου ἅτε δικηγόρου καταρρητορευόμενος καὶ οὐχ οἷός τε ὢν τῇ δεινότητι τῶν ῥημάτων ἐκ τῶν ὁμοίων ἀντιφέρεσθαι, ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας αὐτὸν ἀντελύπησε τέχνης τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. 2 δόμον τινὰ ὑπερῷον ὁ Ζήνων ἐκέκτητο, εὐρύν τε λίαν καὶ διαπρεπῆ καὶ περιεργότατα πεποικιλμένον, ἐν ᾧ δὴ τὰ πολλὰ ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν εἰώθει καὶ ἑστιᾶν τοὺς φιλτάτους. τούτου δὲ τὰ πρὸς τῷ ἐδάφει ἐνδιαιτήματα τῆς Ἀνθεμίου ὄντα ἐτύγχανε μοίρας, ὡς τὸ μεταξὺ τέγος τῷ μὲν ἐς ὀροφήν, τῷ δὲ ἐς βάσιν παρατετάσθαι. 3 ἐνταῦθα δὴ οὖν λέβητας μεγάλους ὕδατος ἐμπλήσας διακριδὸν ἔστησε πολλαχοῦ τοῦ δωματίου, αὐλοὺς δὲ αὐτοῖς ἔξωθεν σκυτίνους περιβαλών, κάτω μὲν εὐρυνομένους ὡς ἅπασαν τὴν στεφάνην περιβεβύσθαι, ἑξῆς δὲ καθάπερ σάλπιγγα ὑποστελλομένους καὶ ἐς τὸ ἀναλογοῦν τελευτῶντας, ἐνέπηξε ταῖς δοκοῖς καὶ ταῖς σανίσι τὰ ἀπολήγοντα καὶ ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς ἐνεπερόνησεν, ὡς καὶ τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀπειλημμένον ἀέρα ἀφετὸν μὲν ἔχειν τὴν ἄνω φορὰν διὰ τῆς κενότητος ἀνιόντα καὶ γυμνῇ προσψαύειν τῇ ὀροφῇ κατὰ τὸ παρεῖκον, καὶ τῇ βύρσῃ περιεχόμενον, ἥκιστα δὲ ἐς τὰ ἐκτὸς διαρρεῖν καὶ ὑπεκφέρεσθαι. 4 ταῦτα δὴ οὖν ἐκ τοῦ ἀφανοῦς καταστησάμενος πῦρ ἐνῆκε σφοδρὸν ὑπὸ τοὺς τῶν λεβήτων πυθμένας καὶ φλόγα ἐξῆψε μεγάλην· αὐτίκα δὲ τοῦ ὕδατος διαθερομένου καὶ ἀνακαχλάζοντος ἀτμὸς ἐπῆρτο πολὺς καὶ ἀνερριπίζετο παχύς τε καὶ πεπυκνωμένος· οὐκ ἔχων δὲ ὅπῃ διαχυθείη, ἐπὶ τοὺς αὐλοὺς ἀνεῖρπε καὶ τῇ στενότητι πιεζόμενος βιαιότερον ἀνεπέμπετο, ἕως τῇ στέγῃ προσπταίων ἐνδελεχέστατα ἐδόνησεν ἅπασαν καὶ διέσεισεν, ὅσον ὑποτρέμειν ἠρέμα καὶ διατετριγέναι τὰ ξύλα. 5 οἱ δὲ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ζήνωνα ἐταράττοντο καὶ ἐδείμαινον καὶ ἀμφὶ τὴν λεωφόρον ἐξέπιπτον ποτνιώμενοι καὶ βοῶντες καὶ τῷ δεινῷ καταπεπληγμένοι· φοιτῶν τε ἐκεῖνος ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἀνεπυνθάνετο τῶν γνωρίμων, ὅπως αὐτοῖς τὰ τοῦ σεισμοῦ κατεφάνη καὶ μή τι σφᾶς ὅτῳ δὴ οὖν τρόπῳ διεδηλήσατο. τῶν δὲ «εὐφήμει» λεγόντων «ὦ τᾶν» καὶ «ἄπαγε» καὶ «μήποτε γένοιτο» καὶ πρός γε νεμεσώντων αὐτῷ ὡς δὴ τοιαῦτα φευκτὰ καὶ ἀπαίσια τερατευομένῳ, οὐκ εἶχεν ὅ τι καὶ διανοηθείη. οὔτε γὰρ ἀπιστεῖν ἑαυτῷ οἷός τε ἦν ἐφ' οἷς ἠπίστατο ἀρτίως γεγενημένοις καὶ διαμάχεσθαι κατῃδεῖτο ἐπὶ πολὺ τοσούτοις ἀνδράσι καὶ οὕτω καταμεμφομένοις. 8.1 Τούτῳ δὴ οὖν πολλῷ τῷ λόγῳ ἐχρῶντο οἱ τὰς ἀναθυμιάσεις καὶ τὰ λιγνυώδη πνεύματα γένεσιν τῶν σεισμῶν ἀποκαλοῦντες. «καὶ γὰρ ὁ μηχανοποιὸς» ἔφασαν «τὴν αἰτίαν διαγνούς, ὅθεν τὴν γῆν κινεῖσθαι ξυμβαίνει, παραπλήσια ἔδρασε καὶ τῇ τέχνῃ τὴν φύσιν ἀπεμιμήσατο.» καὶ ἔλεγον μέν τι, οὐ μέντοι γε ὅσον ᾤοντο. 2 ἐμοὶ γὰρ τὰ τοιαῦτα πιθανὰ μὲν εἶναι δοκεῖ καὶ κομψότερόν πως ἐξευρημένα, οὔπω δὲ ἐναργῆ γνωρίσματα τῶν ὡς ἀληθῶς γιγνομένων. οὐ γὰρ ὅτι τὰ κυνίδια ταῦτα δήπου τὰ Μελιταῖα ἐπὶ ταῖς στέγαις διέρποντα σείουσί τε αὐτὰς καὶ ἀνακινοῦσι, καὶ ταῦτα ἐπὶ βαδίσματι κουφοτάτῳ, ἤδη που ὅμοιον φήσειεν ἄν τις εἶναι τὸ χρῆμα καὶ τούτῳ καθάπερ ἱκανῷ παραδείγματι χρέοιτο. 3 ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνα μὲν παίγνια τῆς μηχανοποιΐας, οὐ φαῦλα μέντοι οὐδὲ ἀτερπῆ νομιστέον, τῶν δὲ τῆς ὕλης ἁμαρτημάτων ἄλλα ἄττα (εἴπερ ἄρα καὶ δεῖ) ζητητέον τὰ αἴτια. ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο μόνον Ἀνθέμιος ἐπὶ Ζήνωνι ἐμηχανήσατο, ἀλλ' ἄρα ὅ γε κατήστραψέν γε αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεβρόντησε τὸ δωμάτιον. 4 δίσκον μὲν γάρ τινα ἐσόπτρου δίκην ἐσκευασμένον καὶ ἠρέμα ὑποκοιλαινόμενον ταῖς τοῦ ἡλίου ἀντερείδων ἀκτῖσιν ἐνεπίμπλα τῆς αἴγλης· καὶ εἶτα μετάγων ἐφ' ἕτερα πολλὴν ἀθρόον αὐτῷ κατηκόντιζε λαμπηδόνα, ὡς ἁπάντων ἐφ' οὓς ἂν φέροιτο ἀμβλύνεσθαι τὰς ὄψεις καὶ σκαρδαμύττειν· συντρίψεις δέ τινας καὶ ἀντιτυπίας σωμάτων ἐπινοῶν βαρυηχοτάτων κτύπους ἀπετέλει σφοδροὺς καὶ βροντώδεις καὶ οἵους ἐκπλῆξαι τὴν αἴσθησιν, ὡς ἐκεῖνον μόλις γοῦν διαγνόντα ὅθεν ἕκαστα γίγνεται, προκαλινδεῖσθαι ἀναφανδὸν ἀμφὶ τὼ πόδε τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ κατηγορεῖν τοῦ γείτονος, ὡς κακοῦ καὶ ἀδικωτάτου· ὥστε ἀμέλει καὶ χαρίεν τι ὑπ' ὀργῆς ἐπεφθέγγετο. 5 ποιητικὰ γὰρ παρῴδει ῥημάτια καὶ ἀνεβόα ἐπὶ τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς ὥσπερ εἰρωνευόμενος, ὡς οὐχ οἷόν τε αὐτῷ μόνῳ γε ὄντι ἀνθρώπῳ κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἅμα πρός τε ∆ία τὸν ἀστεροπητὴν καὶ ἐρίγδουπον καὶ πρός γε Ποσειδῶνα τὸν ἐννοσίγαιον διαμάχεσθαι. 6 καλὰ μὲν οὖν τῆσδε τῆς τέχνης καὶ αὐτὰ δήπου τὰ ἀθύρματα, οὐ μὴν ἀνάγκη τὴν φύσιν ἕπεσθαι τούτοις καὶ ἐξισοῦσθαι. πλὴν ἀλλ' ἕκαστος μὲν ἐχέσθω καὶ τῶν δε πέρι ὁποίας ἂν καὶ βούλοιτο γνώμης· ἐμοὶ δὲ ἐς τὸν πρότερον λόγον ἐπανιτέα.

6.7 Some man in Constantinople, named Zenon and inscribed in the list of the rhetoricians, and besides prominent and well known to the king, was residing somewhere near to Anthemius; and as it seems, each house was united to the other and divided by one limit [=wall?]. 8 And after some time, dispute fell on them and peevishness, either cause of possible spying, unusual previously, or cause of a newer building raised beyond the moderate height and blocking the light, or for something else, of which many are necessarily strongly disputed by the next-door neighbours. 7.1 So then Anthemius, being overcome by the rhetoric of his opponent lawyer and not of such skill so to be opposed to the cleverness of the arguments with similar ones, he vexed Zenon by his own familiar art in such manner; 2 Zenon had obtained some upper room, quite wide and magnificent and most curiously adorned, in which he used to dwell pleasantly and entertain his close friends. But the room's portions towards the ground happened to be on the Anthemius' part, so that the in between roof was extended to the one's ceiling [Anthemius'] and to the other's floor [Zenon's]. 3 So here Anthemius, after filling big cauldrons with water, he placed them separately in many parts of his room. And after affixing leathern tubes on them, - down widened till the whole brim to be enclosed, and from there narrowed just like a trumpet and completed to an analogous end -, he sticked the ends of them in the roof beams and the planks and fastened them accurately; so that the enclosed in them air to have loose the upward direction, raised by the emptiness, and to touch the naked roof where possible, and contained in the skin, to flow out and escape the least. 4 After setting these up secretly, he laid a strong fire under the bases of the cauldrons and raised a big flame. And as the water was heated and boiled, much steam raised and blew up thick and dense. Not having an opening to spread out, it raised up the tubes and pressed by the narrowness it was sent up more violent, till, as it was crashing to the roof, it was shaking and quaking it all continuously, as long as the wood was trembling gently and creaking. 5 And Zenon's friends got upset and afraid and got out into the street, panic-stricken, weeping and screaming· and Zenon, visiting the palace, was inquiring the acquaintances, how the earthquake seemed to them and if and in which way something harmed them. And as they were saying "silence", "my friend" and "go" and "nothing happened", and regarding the ones who were wroth with him as telling avoidable and ill-omened fiction, he didn't know what to think. As he couldn't disbelieve himself, against events that knew well that had occurred recently, and he was very ashamed to fight verbally against so many men who were so strongly criticizing. 8.1 And those who called the exhalations and the smoky vapours as the source of the earthquakes, used much of this story. "and the engineer", they said, "perceiving exactly the reason, whence the earth happens to move, he acted similarly and copied faithfully the nature with art". and they were telling something true, but not as much as they thought. 2 Cause it seems to me that these are possible and made up somehow cleverly, but not clear proofs of what really happened. Cause one wouldn't say that the case is somehow the same with perhaps these little Maltese dogs, creeping on roofs, that are shaking and agitating them, and this with noiseless walking; and he wouldn't use this just like a sufficient argument. 3 But these games of engineering should be considered neither cheap indeed nor unpleasing, and one should seek some other reasons for the material failures. cause Anthemius didn't contrive only this against Zenon, but he stroke with lightning and thunder the room there. 4 after setting against the sun-rays some disk, meant for mirror and slightly hollow, he filled it with the light of the sun, and then, after transferring much [of sunlight], he shot a sudden flash, such that everyone, whom might hit, was dazzled and blinked· and contriving some crashes and repercussions of deep-sounded objects, he produced bangs violent and thundering, and such that astounded the senses; so that, as soon as Zenon realized from where each was originated, fell on his knees publicly by the king's feet and accused his neighbour as mean and most unrighteous· and became careless and by anger uttered something elegant. 5 and he parodied poetic phrases and shouted before the senate, pretending ignorance, that it isn't possible for him alone, being human, to fight at the same time against Zeus the lightener and the thunderer and against Poseidon the earthshaker. 6 and maybe these games of this art are good, but it isn't necessary that nature follows these and that they are the same. but yet each let think of these under any point of view he wants· and I should return to the previous story.

References:

• Agathias Scholasticus, Histories [=Ιστοριών] V 6-8, in Patrologia Graeca 88, 1552-1556
• Dupuy, L. [1777], Fragment d'un ouvrage grec d'Anthémius Sur des paradoxes de mécanique, 1777
• Huxley, George Leonard [1959], Anthemius of Tralles : a study in later Greek geometry, 1959
• Procopius of Caesarea, Buildings I.1 [=Περὶ Κτισμάτων], in Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae Pars II Vol. 3, 1838, pp. 173-181