To Du Cange, the idea that people could walk all the way to the Hebdomon in its strict meaning—that is, to the seventh milestone from the city—seemed unbelievable. This disbelief grew stronger when he considered that the emperor and the patriarch themselves sometimes took part in these religious processions. To him, such a long journey on foot appeared excessive and impractical for dignitaries of such rank.
Because Du Cange could not accept that the people went to the Hebdomon, he solved the difficulty in another way. Instead of moving the people toward the Hebdomon, he extended the meaning of the word “Hebdomon” so that it moved closer to the people. In other words, he enlarged the geographical sense of the term until the Hebdomon was no longer a distant point on the road, but a broad district that reached almost to the city itself Clear Evidence from Individual Monuments.
The Extraordinary Nature of These Events
This reasoning, however, overlooks an important fact. The processions described in the historical sources were not ordinary religious walks. Even the writers of the time understood them as exceptional events. They were organized in moments of extreme danger, such as violent earthquakes, invasions, or other disasters that threatened the very survival of the city.
These processions were acts of the deepest humility. People walked not for comfort or convenience, but out of fear, repentance, and desperation. They believed that only a public display of suffering and devotion could persuade God to show mercy and protect the city from destruction.
Acts of Penance and Fear of Death
The participants in these processions were performing deeds of penance. They hoped that by enduring physical hardship, they could turn away divine anger. In such circumstances, the distance of seven miles was not considered too great. When faced with the prospect of terrible death, people are willing to endure long journeys, pain, and exhaustion Walking Tours Sofia.
History offers many similar examples in which men and women walked great distances barefoot, fasted for days, or exposed themselves to severe conditions in order to seek divine help. Compared to these sacrifices, a walk of seven miles appears far from impossible.
Military Accounts and Misinterpretation
The same misunderstanding affects Du Cange’s interpretation of military sources. When historians say that enemies halted at the Hebdomon before advancing against the city, this does not necessarily mean that the Hebdomon touched the city walls. It simply indicates a recognized stopping place on the road, from which the final approach to Constantinople could be organized.
Ancient writers often named locations not for their exact distance from the city, but for their traditional or symbolic importance.
The True Extent of the Campus of the Hebdomon
At the same time, it must be admitted that the Campus of the Hebdomon was not a single point marked by a milestone. It was a broad plain, and it is quite possible that parts of it extended closer to the city than the seventh milestone itself. How far it reached should be decided by physical geography and archaeological evidence, not by assumptions about what people were willing to do.
A Faulty Conclusion
To argue that the plain extended all the way to the city walls simply because seven miles seems too far to walk is unreasonable. Such a conclusion is based on modern comfort, not on historical reality. Therefore, while Du Cange’s concern is understandable, his solution is excessive and unsupported by solid evidence.
