141 Lycia earthquake

Last updated

The 141 Lycia earthquake occurred in the period AD 141 to 142. It affected most of the Roman provinces of Lycia and Caria and the islands of Rhodes, Kos, Simi and Serifos. [1] [2] [3] It triggered a severe tsunami which caused major inundation. [4] The epicenter for this earthquake is not well constrained, with locations suggested at the northern end of Rhodes, [5] on the Turkish mainland north of Rhodes near Marmaris [3] and beneath the sea to the east of Rhodes. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

The 140s decade ran from January 1, 140, to December 31, 149.

Year 141 (CXLI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Stloga. The denomination 141 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lycia</span> Ancient geopolitical region of Anatolia (Turkey)

Lycia was a historical region in Anatolia from 15–14th centuries BC to 546 BC. It bordered the Mediterranean Sea in what is today the provinces of Antalya and Muğla in Turkey as well some inland parts of Burdur Province. The region was known to history from the Late Bronze Age records of ancient Egypt and the Hittite Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1693 Sicily earthquake</span> 1693 earthquake in Sicily

The 1693 Sicily earthquake struck parts of southern Italy near Sicily, Calabria, and Malta on 11 January at around 21:00 local time. This earthquake was preceded by a damaging foreshock on 9 January. The main quake had an estimated magnitude of 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale, the most powerful in Italian recorded history, and a maximum intensity of XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale, destroying at least 70 towns and cities, seriously affecting an area of 5,600 square kilometres (2,200 sq mi) and causing the death of about 60,000 people.

The 365 Crete earthquake occurred at about sunrise on 21 July 365 in the Eastern Mediterranean, with an assumed epicentre near Crete. Geologists today estimate the undersea earthquake to have been a moment magnitude 8.5 or higher. It caused widespread destruction in the central and southern Diocese of Macedonia, Africa Proconsularis, Egypt, Cyprus, Sicily, and Hispania (Spain). On Crete, nearly all towns were destroyed.

The 1783 Calabrian earthquakes were a sequence of five strong earthquakes that hit the region of Calabria in southern Italy, the first two of which produced significant tsunamis. The epicenters form a clear alignment extending nearly 100 km from the Straits of Messina to about 18 km SSW of Catanzaro. The epicenter of the first earthquake occurred in the plain of Palmi. The earthquakes occurred over a period of nearly two months, all with estimated magnitudes of 5.9 or greater. Estimates of the total number of deaths lie in the range 32,000 to 50,000.

The Rhodes earthquake of 226 BC, which affected the island of Rhodes, Greece, is famous for having toppled the large statue known as the Colossus of Rhodes. Following the earthquake, the statue lay in place for nearly eight centuries before being sold off by invaders. While 226 BC is most often cited as the date of the quake, sources variously cite 226 or 227 BC as dates when it occurred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodes</span> Island in Greece

Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the ninth largest island in the overall Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the South Aegean administrative region. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is the city of Rhodes, which had 50,636 inhabitants in 2011. In 2022, the island had a population of 125,113 people. It is located northeast of Crete, southeast of Athens. Rhodes has several nicknames, such as "Island of the Sun" due to its patron sun god Helios, "The Pearl Island", and "The Island of the Knights", named after the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, who ruled the island from 1310 to 1522.

The 1481 Rhodes earthquake occurred at 3:00 in the morning on 3 May. It triggered a small tsunami, which caused local flooding. There were an estimated 30,000 casualties. It was the largest of a series of earthquakes that affected Rhodes, starting on 15 March 1481, continuing until January 1482.

The 1810 Crete earthquake occurred at 22:15 on 16 February. It caused great destruction in Heraklion and some damage from Malta to northern Egypt, and was felt from central Italy to Syria. 300 fatalities were reported from Candia (Heraklion).

The 1169 Sicily earthquake occurred on 4 February 1169 at 08:00 local time on the eve of the feast of St. Agatha of Sicily. It had an estimated magnitude of between 6.4 and 7.3 and an estimated maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The cities of Catania, Lentini and Modica were severely damaged, and the earthquake also triggered a paleotsunami. Overall, the earthquake is estimated to have caused the deaths of at least 15,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">262 Southwest Anatolia earthquake</span> Earthquake which devastated cities on the west and south coasts of Anatolia (262)

The 262 Southwest Anatolia earthquake devastated the Roman city of Ephesus along with cities along the west and south coasts of Anatolia in year 262, or possibly 261, on 21 December. The epicenter was likely located in the southern Aegean Sea. Reports note that many cities were flooded by the sea, presumably due to a tsunami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Aegean Sea earthquake</span> Earthquake in Greece and Turkey

On 21 July 2017, a large earthquake measuring 6.6 on the moment magnitude scale struck right near Bodrum, a popular town of tourism in Turkey, killing 2 and injuring hundreds. Mostly referenced as the 2017 Bodrum–Kos earthquake, this earthquake generated a tsunami which was one of the largest tsunamis in the Mediterranean Sea region.

The area around Constantinople was affected by a major earthquake in AD 447. It caused serious damage to the recently completed Theodosian Walls in Constantinople, destroying 57 towers and large stretches of the walls. The historical records contain no mention of casualties directly associated with this earthquake, although many thousands of people were reported to have died in the aftermath due to starvation and a "noxious smell".

The 1856 Heraklion earthquake, also known as the Crete earthquake or Rhodes earthquake, occurred on the morning of October 12 at 02:45 am local time. This extremely catastrophic earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.7 to 8.3 at a depth of approximately 61 to 100 km. The earthquake was felt over a very wide area extending from Sicily, Italy to the Levant and North Africa. On the Greek island of Crete, the effects of the earthquake were cataclysmic, over 500 bodies were recovered in the city of Heraklion. Shockwaves from the earthquake were felt intensely, covering all of the Ottoman Empire; present-day Turkey, Cyprus and the Middle East where damage and human losses were reported. In Malta, the earthquake collapsed the Għajn Ħadid Tower—a coastal watchtower built around the year 1638. In Cairo, Egypt, the earthquake destroyed buildings, created seiches in canals, and killed several people. Off the Egyptian and Italian coasts, sailors reported feeling a seaquake.

References

  1. Tek A.T. "The Coins of Gordianus III found at Arykanda. Evidence for an Earthquake Relief Fund in Lycia?" (PDF). p. 951. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  2. Erel T.L. & Adatepe F. (2007). "Traces of Historical earthquakes in the ancient city life at the Mediterranean region" (PDF). Journal of Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment. 13: 241–252.
  3. 1 2 "Comments for the tsunami event". Significant Earthquake Database. National Geophysical Data Center . Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 Altinok Y.; Alpar B.; Ozer N. & Aykurt H. (2011). "Revision of the tsunami catalogue affecting Turkish coasts and surrounding regions". Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. 11 (2): 273–291. Bibcode:2011NHESS..11..273A. doi: 10.5194/nhess-11-273-2011 .
  5. Guidoboni E.; Ferrari G.; Mariotti D.; Comastri A.; Tarabusi G. & Valensise G. "The Catalogue of Strong Italian Earthquakes describes this earthquake sequence under the following heading". Catalogue of Strong Earthquakes in Italy 461 B.C. - 1997 and Mediterranean Area 760 B.C. - 1500. Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.