Catastrophes of antiquity: earthquakes that shook ancient Greece and Rome

Earthquakes and tsunamis have always terrified people, and the ancient Greeks and Romans were no exception. They left numerous written accounts detailing the destructive power of these natural disasters, The Conversation reports.

One of the most vivid descriptions of an ancient earthquake belongs to the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus.

He tells about the catastrophe that occurred in Nicomedia (modern Turkey) on 24 August 358 AD. The earthquake completely destroyed the city and its suburbs, killing most of the inhabitants instantly. Survivors were buried under the rubble, their pleas for help echoing from beneath the ruins, but many were never rescued.

An equally famous earthquake struck Sparta in 464 BC. According to Plutarch, the earthquake split the earth, collapsed the tops of mountains and completely destroyed the city, leaving only five houses intact.

Tsunamis were also frequently mentioned in ancient texts. In 373-372 BC, the Greek cities of Helica and Bouris were completely submerged by a wave and disappeared underwater. An unnamed Greek poet wrote that the once vibrant streets of these cities were now silent, covered in seaweed.

The most famous tsunami of antiquity is considered to be the catastrophe of 21 July 365 AD on the coast of North Africa. First there was a powerful earthquake, after which the sea suddenly receded, revealing sea creatures and rock formations at the bottom. Soon the water returned, destroying everything in its path.

Ammianus Marcellinus described how thousands of people died, ships were thrown far inland, and the bodies of the drowned floated in the water.

Ancient people tried to explain the causes of such catastrophes in different ways. Many attributed them to the anger of the gods, especially Poseidon, the god of the seas and earthquakes. Others sought explanations in nature. For example, the philosopher Anaximenes (6th century BC) believed that earthquakes were caused by shifting and collapsing underground layers, which then fell into the sea, causing huge waves.

Although ancient people could not accurately predict such disasters, there are references to attempts to predict them. For example, according to Cicero, Pherekid of Samos predicted an earthquake by the changing state of water from a well.

However, for the most part, ancient people had to accept what was happening, considering natural disasters as part of life on earth. Despite the fact that today we understand the causes much better and can prepare for such events, it is impossible to completely exclude their impact on our lives.

A few days earlier, on Wednesday morning, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 8.8 struck the Far East, causing a tsunami on the coasts of Japan and Alaska and prompting emergency services to issue warnings for residents of Hawaii, North and Central America, as well as Pacific islands as far away as New Zealand.