66

Catherine Saliou

The churches appear to play an important role in the urban landscape. Some are
inside the city, others outside the walls. Five are mentioned as places of religious ac-
tivities or conflicts, in incidental references: St. Barlaam’s (XV 6), St. John’s (XVI
6), St. Julian’s (XVIII 49), Kassianos’ Church (XVI 45), and the Kerataion (XVII 16).
Stephanos’ martyrium is mentioned as a topographical point of reference in the ac-
count of the extension of an urban fire (XVII 4). Six other churches are mentioned
in the account of destructions or imperial restorations or constructions (XVII 16 and
19: St. Michael’s, Theotokos’ Church, the Great Church founded by Constantine,
St. Zacharias’, Sts. Cosmas’and Damian’s, and the Church of the Holy Prophets).
Most of these churches are known by other sources,30 and Malalas’ testimony may
be considered as reliable. It is worth noting that in their recent and accurate inventory
of churches mentioned in ancient sources, Wendy Mayer and Pauline Allen found 29
items. The conclusion is that for Antiochean churches Malalas is not only an appar-
ently reliable source but also a quantitatively very important source, since almost 40 %
of the churches known in Antioch are mentioned in his Chronography.
Due to the importance of the narratives of riots in these books, some places of
power are mentioned: the praetorium of the count of the Orient and its surroundings
(Malalas XVI 2 ; XVI 6, ed. Thurn, p. 325,11.16-17), the praetorium of the consularis Syr-
iae (Malalas XV15, ed. Thurn, p. 316,1. *66 = El, ed. de Boor, p. 167,1. 2), and the bishops’
palace (XVIII 64). Some clues are given about their urban context. The praetorium of
the consularis Syriae is close to a place named “Xystos”, which is part of the “Olympic
complex” known by other sources.31 This fact confirms at least partly the indications
given by Malalas in Book XIII about the Valens’ Forum (XIII 30, quoted below), and
it is even possible to locate approximately the praetorium of the consularis Syriae, some-
where on the river called “Parmenios” by Malalas. The praetorium of the count of the
Orient is in close proximity with two “basilicas”32 (the word here may mean simply a
portico),33 the baths of the quarter of Olbia, the Street of the Thalassioi, and the church
of Sts Cosmas and Damian.34 The praetorium of the magister militum appears only as a
30 St. Barlaam’s: cf. Mayer/Allen, The Churches of Syrian Antioch (300-638 CE), pp. 49-51, with sources and
secondary literature; St. Julian’s: ibid., p. 83-85; Kassianos’ Church: ibid, pp. 52-55, and Saliou, “A propos de
quelques eglises d’Antioche sur 1’Oronte”, pp. 631-638; Kerataion (Church of the Maccabees): Mayer/Allen,
The Church es of Syrian Antioch, pp. 90-91, and Saliou, “A propos de quelques eglises d’Antioche surl’Oronte”,
pp. 645-656; Stephanos’martyrium: Mayer/Allen, The Churches of Syrian Antioch, p. 103; Theotokos’Church:
ibid., pp. 107-109, but see also Alpi, La route royale, p. 152; Constantine’s Church (Great Church): Mayer/
Allen, The Churches of Syrian Antioch, pp. 68-80; Church of the Holy Prophets, cf. Mayer/Allen, The Chur-
ches of Syrian Antioch, pp. 80-81. The case of St John’s Church is more problematic, ibid., pp. 82-83.
31 Cf. Malalas XV15, ed. Thurn, p. 316,11. *65-66 = El, ed. de Boor, p. 167,11.1-2. Regarding the Olympic
complex, cf. Saliou, “Bains et histoire urbaine. L’exemple d’Antioche sur 1’Oronte dans 1’Antiquite”, pp.
668-671.
32 Cf. Malalas XVI 6, p. 325,11. 9-10,11.14-15: « Rufinus’ basilica » and « Zenodotos’ (basilica) » (regarding
Rufinus’ basilica, cf. Malalas XVI 8, ed. Thurn, p. 325,11. 30-31; id., XVII19, ed. Thurn, p. 351,11. 49-51;
Evagrius Scholasticus, Historia ecclesiastica 118 ; Downey,^ History of Antioch in Syria, pp. 651-653.
33 Cf. Downey, “The architectural significance of the use of the words stoa and basilike in Classical Lite-
rature”, pp. 194-211.
34 Malalas XVI 6, ed. Thurn, p. 325,1.11: baths of the quarter of Olbia; p. 325,1.12: street of the Thalassioi.