Text and image by the exceptional Chrysoloras (Twitter/Alyunan00).

What would be the impressions of a Byzantine emperor after visiting ancient Greek ruins?

Basileus (King, meaning the Emperor) Theodoros II Doukas Laskaris visited with his secretary Kostomyris and his attendant Christophoros the ancient ruins of Pergamon, and in a short but impressive letter to Georgios Akropolitis in 1253 gives us a sense of his thoughts:

“Pergamon, a city like an airy abode, not a dwelling place of spirits, but a sanctuary for men, (turned) into demons’ outpost (which ones precisely, you must understand), received us being difficult to observe, nonetheless not less inaccessible. Being full of theaters, and of the kind that has aged and withered with time, resembling a display in a certain vessel of the lamplight and the grandeur of those once exhibited. For there exists on them the grandiosity of Greek magnanimity and mental images of this wisdom; the city reveals them to us, reproaching/ blaming us, the descendants, (in comparison to) the ancestral glory and magnificence. For the present rebuildings are dreadful in relation to these (ruins), even if they may seem small to Aristotle in comparison to the universe… Walls of bronze are also raised, having a diverse structure like the construction of heavenly walls.

A river passes through the middle, bridged with massive supports. By the builder of the vault, one would not say these are the works of clever hands, but like things that have grown naturally and are monolithic; just as, if someone other than Phidias were to see and marvel at another stone, he would admire its equality and stability.
In the middle of the constructions, small and pitiful remains of the houses of the deceased appear, causing great pain to the beholder. For just as the homes now have mouse holes, so would someone say these things to the disappeared ones. But if the analogy of the dwellers is such, oh the misfortune of the living; how much less unequal have the vanished ones.

On both sides of the grand theater, cylindrical towers stand like belts, imitating the stones equally girded. This is not a work of hands, nor is it a mental concept like those of today; for it is astonishing even to look at.
Those who have the ascent in the middle traverse to the fortifications next to them for the exit, a new wonder is revealed in the city; the foundations are more beautiful than the summit and the memorials of the deceased than the living.
Seeing this, we experience both a lack of enthusiasm and joy, and we move as if in a mix of pleasure and laughter. As we look upon this like the house of Galenos, we enjoy the benefit, our Christoforos, or maybe hunchback-carrier (note: joking with his name – κυρτοφόρος…), being the assistant. Costomyres, having perceived these things, hurried to inspect them by the command of some divine power; if you probe further after the order, you will understand the reason. He raises himself on each of the higher points, embracing, as it is fitting, the valuable remedies. (note: I guess they were gathering herbs from what they jokingly guessed was Galenos’ house ruins)…”.

Original text and source:

“Πέργαμος πόλις οἷον ἐναερία οὐ πνευμάτων κατοικητήριον, ἀλλ’ἀνθρώπων εἰς δαίμονας φυλακτήριον (οὕστινας δὴ τούτους, ὑποληπτέον), ἡμᾶς ὑπεδέξατο δυσθεώρητος οὖσα, οὐχ ἧττον δὲ δυσανάβατος. θεάτρων οὖσα μεστή, καὶ τούτων οἵων γεγηρακότων καὶ μαρανθέντων τῷ χρόνῳ καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν ὑέλῳ τινὶ τήν ποτε δεικνυμένων λαμπρότητα καὶ τὸ μεγαλοπρεπὲς τῶν δειμάντων αὐτά. Ἑλληνικῆς γὰρ μεγαλονοίας ὑπάρχει ταῦτα μεστά, καὶ σοφίας ταύτης ἰνδάλματα· δεικνύει δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἡ πόλις κατονειδίζουσα, ὥσπερ ἀπογόνους τινάς, τοῦ πατρῴου κλέους τῷ μεγαλείῳ. σμερδαλέα γάρ εἰσι ταῦτα πρὸς τὰς νῦν ἀνοικοδομάς, κἂν Ἀριστοτέλει δοκῇ πάντα σμικρὰ θαυμασμοῦ πρὸς τὸ σύμπαν. ἀνεγείρονται δὲ καὶ τείχη χαλκῶν οὐρανῶν ποικίλην οἰκοδομὴν ἔχοντα.

ποταμὸς δὲ μέσον διέρχεται ἀψίδεσι προμηκεστέροις καταγεφυρούμενος. οὔ, μὰ τὸν πόλου δομήτορα, συνέτους εἴποι τις εἶναι ταύτας, ἀλλ’ οἷον αὐτοφυεῖς τε καὶ μονολίθους· ἅσπερ, εἴπερ ἴδῃ καὶ Φειδίας ἄλλος λιθοκόπος, ἐθαύμασε τὸ κατὰ στάθμην ἴσον τούτων καὶ ἀκλινές. μέσων δὲ τῶν οἰκοδομῶν κελλύδρια χθαμαλὰ καὶ οἵων λείψανα τῶν τεθνεώτων οἴκων ἐμφαίνονται, πολλὴν ἐμποιοῦντα τῇ θέᾳ τὴν ἀλγηδόνα. ὡς γὰρ εἰς τοὺς νῦν οἴκους αἱ τῶν μυῶν ἔχουσι τρῶγλαι, οὕτως ἂν εἴποι τις καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς ἀφανιζομένους. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἡ τῶν οἰκητόρων ἀναλογία τοιαύτη, φεῦ τῆς τῶν ζώντων κακοτυχίας· πόσον ἔσχον τὸ κατ’ ἔλαττον ἄνισον.

ἐφ’ ἑκατέροις μέρεσι δὲ τῶν τοῦ μεγάλου θεάτρου περιτειχισμάτων κυλινδρώδεις ἵστανται πύργοι, οἷον ἐξ ἴσου τοὺς λίθους ἔχειν ζηλοτυποῦντες ζώνας τέ τινας περιζωννύμενοι. οὔτε χειρὸς ἔργον, οὔτε νοὸς νόημα τοῦτο τῶν νῦν· ἐκπλήττει γὰρ καὶ βλεπόμενον. οἱ δὲ μέσον τὴν ἄνοδον ἔχοντες διαπορθμεύουσι πρὸς τὰ μετ’ αὐτοὺς περιτειχίσματα τὴν ἐξέλευσιν. συναναφαίνεται δὲ τῇ πόλει καὶ θαῦμα καινόν· ὡραιότερα γάρ εἰσι τὰ πρόποδα τῆς κορυφῆς καὶ τὰ τῶν τεθνεώτων τῶν ζώντων. ταύτην ὁρῶντες ἡμεῖς πὼς μὲν ἀθυμοῦμεν, πὼς δὲ σκιρτῶμεν, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν χαρμολύπῃ καὶ κλαυσογέλωτί τινι διάγομεν. παιόνειον δέ τι ὥσπερ τὸν τοῦ Γαληνοῦ οἶκον ὁρῶντες, ἀρυόμεθα τὴν ὠφέλειαν, τὸν ἡμέτερον Χριστοφόρον, ἢ κυρτοφόρον, ἔχοντες ὑπουργόν. ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ὁ Κοστομύρης καταμαθὼν ἔδραμε κατιδεῖν προστάξει θείας τινὸς ἰσχύος· εἰ δὲ καὶ στίξεις μετὰ τὴν πρόσταξιν ἐπιστατικῶς, νοήσεις τὸ ὅθεν. ἀρύεται δὲ καθ’ ἑκάστην ἐκ τῶν ὑψηλοτέρων τὰ πρόποδα, φιλεῖ, ὡς εἰκός, δὲ τὰ ἄξια φάρμακα….”

Source
N. Festa, Theodori Ducae Lascaris Epistulae CCXVII [Pubblicazioni del R. Istituto di studi superiori pratici e di perfezionamento in Firenze. Sezione di filosofia e lettere 29. Florence: Istituto di studi superiori pratici e di perfezionamento, 1898]: 1-282.-letter 81