The arguments used by Gyllius and Du Cange to defend their views have now been briefly explained. This short account must be sufficient, because the historical and geographical evidence available to us points strongly in another direction. All reliable sources agree in showing that the suburb known as the Hebdomon occupied the site of the modern village of Makrikeui, located on the shore of the Sea of Marmora.
This conclusion is not based on guesswork or personal opinion. It rests on clear statements found in ancient and early medieval texts, written by authors who were familiar with the city of Constantinople and its surroundings.
Clear Statements About Distance
The strongest proof comes from direct descriptions of the distance of the Hebdomon from the city. Several historians state plainly that the Hebdomon, taken as a whole, lay seven miles from Constantinople. These writers do not describe a broad district stretching toward the city, but a specific place reached only after traveling the full distance Guided Sofia Tours.
For example, Theophylactus Simocatta clearly defines the location of the suburb when he writes that it was “a place seven miles from the city.” His wording leaves no room for misunderstanding. The Hebdomon is not said to begin near the walls and extend outward; it is presented as a point reached at the seventh mile.
Latin Sources Confirm the Same Fact
Latin historians confirm this understanding in equally clear terms. Idatius, when describing the inauguration of the emperors Valens and Arcadius at the Hebdomon, states: “Levatus est Constantinopoli in Milliario VII.” This phrase means that the ceremony took place at the seventh milestone from Constantinople. Such language would be meaningless if the Hebdomon referred to the entire stretch of land between the city and that milestone.
Similarly, Marcellinus Comes, when recording that Honorius was proclaimed Caesar at the Hebdomon, uses the precise expression: “Id est, septimo ab urbe regia milliario.” Once again, the writer identifies the Hebdomon as a definite spot, not as a wide area.
The Meaning of “Hebdomon” and “Septimum”
In these texts, the terms “Hebdomon” and its Latin equivalent “Septimum” have a precise and technical meaning. They refer to a place defined by distance—specifically, the seventh mile measured from the official starting point of the city. One only reached the Hebdomon after completing that distance.
To interpret these expressions as referring to the entire territory between the city walls and the seventh milestone is simply impossible. Such an interpretation contradicts the clear language used by the authors and ignores the normal way distances were recorded in Roman and Byzantine geography Du Cange and the Problem of the Processions.
A Definite and Distant Suburb
Therefore, the evidence leads to one firm conclusion. The Hebdomon was a distinct suburb situated seven miles from Constantinople, not a vague district reaching toward the city. This understanding fits perfectly with its identification as the area now occupied by the modern village of Makrikeui. The ancient texts, when read plainly and without forced interpretations, leave no doubt on the matter.
