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Chronica per extensum descripta by Andrea Dandolo

Background and Biography
Background and Biography

Excerpts
English from Guidoboni and Comastri (2005)

Then the East was shaken by so tremendous an earthquake that it completely destroyed buildings especially in Cilicia, at Malmistra, and all the fortresses in the surrounding area, and in some places nothing was left standing. Men wandered through the fields fearing that they would be swallowed up by the earth.

... During the night of the Ides of November [13 November], in the suburbs of Antioch, the earth swallowed up many towers and the houses beside them, together with their inhabitants.

(Dandolo, Chron.,p.230)

English from Pastorello (1938-1958)

  • from Pastorello (1938-1958:230)
  • Liber nonus (Book 9), Capitulum (41) 11] De Ordelaf Faledro duce
  • Line numbers to right in bold are referred to in Notes
  • Machine translated (Google)
...

     At this time in Laude, as Singibertus says, a child was born having two heads, until
divided at the back, with his arms, who, being baptized, lived three days.
     In the twelfth year of the duke's reign, Bernardus, a young man, excellent in science, noble in character, and famous in character,
Born in the castle of Burgundy, with his German brothers and more than 30 counts,
He was introduced to the Cistercian habit when he was 22 years old.                                                                         5
     Then the East was shaken by so tremendous an earthquake that it completely destroyed buildings especially in Cilicia, at Malmistra,
and all the fortresses in the surrounding area, and in some places nothing was left standing. Men
wandered through the fields fearing that they would be swallowed up by the earth.
     In the village of Bachinc, so much snow fell, on the 9th of January, that even the woods were broken.
     At Ravenna and Parma blood rained in June.                                                                                                       10
     During the night of the Ides of November [13 November], in the suburbs of Antioch, the earth swallowed up
many towers and the houses beside them, together with their inhabitants.
     Ordelaf, in the 13th year in the month of August, with a great naval army, Dalmatia
he advanced, and took Jadra, except the castle, and Belgrade, which he fortified, against the Hungarians, guarding
At Jadre the castle, they obtained support, and, having taken the hostages, he returned.                                            15

...
Notes

  • notes appear to be in Italian
1. in the interlinear

3. Bernardus rewritten on abrasion

10. 1114 (M°CXIIII), on the other hand, in the interlinear, V accepts

1-2. At this time ..., see, PAOLINO, 225. I, C. 232 ν

3-5. Year.... annorum, PAOLINO, 225.4, C. 232 ν

6-8. Then ... they feared, MARIN SANUTO, Liber Secretorum Fidelium crucis III. VI. 7, a. 1114

9-12. In payment Bachinc .... absorbed, PAOLINO, 225. 5, C. 233 r

13-15. Ordelaf .... returned, PAOLINO, 225. 5, c. 2J3 r, with the date 1115 (MCXV)

Latin from Guidoboni and Comastri (2005)

Tunc tantus teremotus Orientem concusit, ut Cilicia maxime, ut Malmistra et cuncta fortilicia in circuitu deiceret et alicubi etiam edium nullum remansit vestigium; homines quoque per agros errantes terra assorbi timebant.

... In suburbano Antiochie, ydibus novembris, terra nocte turres plures et adiacentes domos, cum habitatoribus absorbuit.

(Dandolo, Chron.,p.230)

Latin from Pastorello (1938-1958)

  • from Pastorello (1938-1958:230)
  • Liber nonus (Book 9), Capitulum (41) 11] De Ordelaf Faledro duce
  • Line numbers to right in bold are referred to in Notes
...

     Hoc tempore in Laude, ut ait Singibertus, natus est puer duo capita habens, usque ad
renes divisus, cum suis brachiis, qui, baptiptus, triduo vixit.
     Anno ducis XII°, Bernardus iuvenis egregius sciencia, genere et moribus clarus,
Castelione castro Burgundie natus, cum germanis fratribus et alliis plus quam XXXa comitibus,
habitu cisterciensi inducitur, cum XXII esset annorum.                                                                    5
     Tunc tantus teremotus Orientem concusit, ut Cilicia maxime, ut Malmistra et cuncta
fortilicia in circuitu deiceret et alicubi etiam edium nullum remansit vestigium; homines
quoque per agros errantes terra assorbi timebant.
     In pago Bachinc tanta nix cecidit, IX° kalendis madii, ut etiam silvas fregerit.
     Apud Ravenam et Parmam sanguis pluit in iunio.                                                                      10
     In suburbano Antiochie, ydibus novembris, terra nocte turres plures et adiacentes
domos, cum habitatoribus absorbuit'.
     Ordelaf, anno XIII° in mense augusti, cum magno exercitu navali, Dalmaciam
agressus est, et cepit Iadram, excepto castro, et Belgradum, quas muniit, ne Ungari, custodientes
Iadre castrum, subsidium optinerent, et, acceptis obsidibus, rediit.                                                 15

...
Notes

  • notes appear to be in Italian
1. in nell'interlineo

3. Bernardus riscritto sopra abrasione

10.M°CXIIII, d'altra nzano, nell'interlineo, V accetta

1-2. Hoc tempore ..., vixit, PAOLINO, 225. I, C. 232 ν

3-5. Anno.... annorum, PAOLINO, 225.4, C. 232 ν

6-8. Tunc ... timebant, MARIN SANUTO, Liber Secretorum Fidelium crucis III. VI. 7, a. 1114

9-12. In pago Bachinc .... absorbuit, PAOLINO, 225. 5, C. 233 r

13-15. Ordelaf .... rediit, PAOLINO, 225. 5, c. 2J3 r, con la data MCXV

Chronology
Date Reference Corrections Notes
13 November 1114 CE ? see Notes none
  • Note regarding line 10 from Pastorello (1938-1958:230) appears to date part of the text to ~1114 CE

  • Two different passages are present separated by two sentences

  • The first account describes an earthquake which struck Cilicia and Mamistra. It is not dated.

  • The second account describes an earthquake which struck the suburbs of Antioch and it is dated to the Ides of November which was a Roman festival in honor of the Jupiter which took place on 13 November

  • Guidoboni and Comastri (2005) suggest that Dandolo used Marino Sanudo the Elder for the 1st account and Anselm of Gembloux for the 2nd account as the wording is very similar (verbatim ?) and then mistakenly separated their accounts into two different earthquakes - when in fact both descriptions by Dandolo refer to the same 13 November 1114 CE earthquake.

  • Ambraseys (2009) appears to date both passages to an earthquake on 13 November 1114 CE. He statesThe date of the earthquake is given in the annals Genetic Braves, in Andrea Dandul. Chron. 265 (Dandolo, 265; see also Alexander 1990, 146). It occurred on St Bricious’ day on the Ides of November (13 November 1114)
.
Seismic Effects
  • the East was shaken by so tremendous an earthquake that it completely destroyed buildings especially in Cilicia, at Malmistra, and all the fortresses in the surrounding area, and in some places nothing was left standing
  • Men wandered through the fields fearing that they would be swallowed up by the earth.
  • During the night of the Ides of November [13 November], in the suburbs of Antioch, the earth swallowed up many towers and the houses beside them, together with their inhabitants".
Locations
  • The East
  • Cilicia
  • Mamistra and all the fortresses in the surrounding area
  • Antioch
Sources
Sources

Online Versions and Further Reading
References