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The original Holy Apostles was dedicated in about 330 by [[Constantine the Great]], who made Constantinople the capital of the Roman Empire. The church was unfinished when Constantine died in 337, and it was brought to completion by his son and successor Constantius II, who buried his father's remains there. The church was dedicated to the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and it was the Emperor's intention to gather [[relics]] of all the Apostles in the church. However, only relics of Saint [[Apostle Andrew|Andrew]], Saint [[Apostle Luke|Luke]], and Saint [[Apostle Timothy|Timothy]] (the latter two apostles of the 70, not the twelve) were acquired, and in later centuries it came to be assumed that the church was dedicated to these three only.
Little is known of the appearance of this church except that it was cross-shaped. The historian [[Eusebius of Caesarea|Eusebius]] says that it was a tall building, with porticoes along the four sides, marble walls and a golden roof. In any event, by the reign of the Emperor [[Justinian the Great|Justinian I]] the church was no longer considered grand enough, and a new Church of the Holy Apostles was built on the same site. The historian Procopius attributes the rebuilding to Justinian, while the writer known as Pseudo-Codinus attributes it to the Empress [[Theodora (wife of Justinian)]]. The second Holy Apostles was consecrated on 28 June 550.
The new church was designed and built by the architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus in the form of a Greek [[cross]] with five domes: one above each arm of the cross and one above the central bay where the arms intersected. The western arm of the cross extended westward forming the atrium. The relics of [[Constantine the Great|Constantine]] and the three saints were re-installed in the new church, and a mausoleum for Justinian and his family was built at the end of the northern arm.
