Constantine the Great and the Churches of Saint Michael at Anaplous and Sosthenion: Some Further Notes on Their Location

Abstract

Constantine the Great was considered by the Byzantines to be the founder of two churches of the Archangel Saint Michael located on the western shore of the Bosporus, at Hestia/Anaplous and Sosthenion. Both these churches were connected with supernatural events (miraculous healings and revelations of Saint Michael) and one of them, the church at Sosthenion, was the object of an elaborate foundation narrative. The purpose of this paper is to systematize the existing information regarding Constantine’s association with the shrines of Anaplous and Sosthenion and evaluate the role these churches played in the Byzantine legend of the first Christian emperor.

Keywords

• constantine the great
• saint michael
• anaplous
• sosthenion
• byzantine legends