Anthemius of Tralles

Anthemius of Tralles was a sixth-century Byzantine architect and mathematician who co-designed Constantinople’s Hagia Sophia with Isidore of Miletus.

Isidore of Miletus: A sixth-century Byzantine architect and mathematician who co-designed Hagia Sophia with Anthemius of Tralles. His architectural partnership with Anthemius produced Hagia Sophia.
Pendentive: A curved triangular surface that transfers the weight of a dome to supporting piers. Pendentives connect Hagia Sophia’s circular dome to its square supporting space.
Justinian I: Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565 who sought to restore Roman power and sponsored major building projects. His rebuilding program commissioned Hagia Sophia after the Nika Revolt.
Procopius: A sixth-century Byzantine historian whose works include accounts of Justinian’s wars and building projects. His account of Hagia Sophia is a major source for the building’s construction and imperial presentation.
Hagia Sophia: A monumental church built in Constantinople under Justinian I, later serving as a mosque and museum before returning to mosque status. It is the major surviving building associated with Anthemius and Isidore.
Dome: A rounded roof structure spanning an open space, commonly formed as a shell or vault. Hagia Sophia’s central dome is the defining structural element of Anthemius’s best-known work.
Nika riots: A violent uprising in Constantinople in 532 that devastated parts of the city and threatened Justinian’s rule. The destruction of the earlier church created the occasion for a new Hagia Sophia.
Agathias: A sixth-century Byzantine poet and historian who wrote about contemporary events and notable figures. He preserves information about Anthemius’s mathematical interests and reputation.
Conic sections: The curves formed by intersecting a cone with a plane, including ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas. Anthemius wrote mathematical work on conic sections.
Squinch: An architectural device that bridges the upper corners of a square room to support a dome or polygonal structure. It is an alternative to the pendentive for transitioning from a square bay to a dome.

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