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Flores Historiaum

Background and Biography
Background and Biography

Excerpts
English from Yonge (1853 v.2)

...

A quarrel arose between the pope and the emperor

A.D. 1112. There was a great mortality of men. This year also, a great quarrel arose between pope Paschal and the emperor Henry. The emperor desired to avail himself of the privilege of his predecessors, which they had enjoyed for three hundred years under sixty Roman pontiffs, by virtue of which they had lawfully given away bishoprics and abbacies by the donation of a pastoral staff and ring, which the pope thought unjust; the emperor thought the contrary, and in this way they came to a violent quarrel. At last peace was made between them, on condition that the bishops and abbots should for the future receive institution from the emperor and his successors by the staff and ring, and should afterwards vow canonical obedience to the pope or to some bishop, and receive the customary consecration. And these 'things were done before the altar of the apostles Peter and Paul, in the sight of all who stood by, and then the lord the pope absolved the emperor, and administered to him the sacrament of the body of Christ.

The same year, that illustrious man Tancred, so renowned for his exploits at Jerusalem, died. He was prince of Antioch and count of Edissa; he was succeeded by Roger, the son of Richard, a noble man, on condition that whenever Bohemond the Younger should demand the restoration of Antioch, Roger should resign it to him without any opposition.



King Henry gave the archbishopric of Canterbury to Richard, bishop of London

A.D. 1113. On the sixth of April, Henry, king of England, led an army into Wales, and the Welch submitted themselves to his pleasure. King Henry gave the archbishopric of Canterbury to Richard, bishop of London, and gave him investiture by the staff and ring. Thomas, archbishop of York, died, and was succeeded by Thurstan. Moreover, a violent quarrel arose between Richard, archbishop of Canterbury, and Thurstan, archbishop of York, because the arch-bishop of York refused to consider himself subordinate to the archbishop of Canterbury, as his predecessors had been used to do, and their cause was often discussed before the king and the lord the pope, although it was not as yet properly terminated. The same year, in the month of May, a great comet appeared, and a little afterwards here was an earthquake, which threw down part of the city of Manistre, not far from Antioch, with two castles, called Triphalet and Mariacus. Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, and Medusa, prince of Persia, fought a battle, in which Baldwin was defeated, and with difficulty saved himself by flight. In that battle, there fell of the Christians, thirty knights and fifteen hundred foot soldiers. But the victory which they afforded to the enemy was far from being a bloodless one.



Fealty is sworn to William, the son of king Henry

A.D. 1114. Henry, king of England, caused all the nobles in his dominions to swear fealty to his son William, whom his queen Matilda had borne to him. The same year, in the month of December, the heaven suddenly appeared red, as if it were on fire, and the moon was eclipsed at the same time. On the twenty-ninth of March the Thames was dried up, and so was the sea for twelve miles, and this lasted for two days. Radulph, bishop of Rochester, was elected to the archbishopric of Canterbury, on the twenty-sixth of April. A comet appeared in the month of May.

...

English from Ambraseys (2009)

1113: in the month of May a huge comet appeared and after a little while an earthquake flattened part of the city of Mamistra, not far from Antioch, together with two fortified towns, Triphalech and Mariscum. (Flor. Hist. ii. 43)

English translated from Latin from Luard (1890 v. 2)

King Henry gave the archbishopric to Ralph,2 bishop of London

In the year 1113. On the eighth of April, King Henry of the English led an army into Wales, and the Welsh were subject to his will. King Henry gave the archbishopric of Ralph the Centurion to Ralph2 bishop of London3, and he invested the ring and staff. Thomas, archbishop of York, died in the same year, and was succeeded by Thurstan. A great quarrel also arose between Ralph5 the archbishops of Canterbury and Thurstan of York, because York refused to submit to the Archbishop of Canterbury as his predecessors had been wont to do. Their case was taken before the king and the pope, but it was not yet finished with a due end. In the same year, in the month of May, a huge comet appeared, and a little later an earthquake destroyed a part of the city of Manistre, not far from Antioch, with two castles, namely Triphalech and Mariscum. Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, and Menduc, chief of the Persians, fought and Baldwin was defeated and barely escaped by fleeing. In that battle 30 Christian knights [cavalry] and 1500 Christian infantry [foot soldiers] died. But they their enemy was also bloodied.
Footnotes

2 Ralph] Richard, E.

3 of London] thus MSS. for Rofensi ; the error is repeated by Wendover and Paris. Lamb. has Roffensi.

4 and in the same year] om. E.

5 Ralph] Richard, E.

6 Manistre] Manif . . (an erasure), Ch.; manifestly, A. T.; manife, W.; manis, Cl.; Messissé.

7 Marash.

Latin from Luard (1890 v. 2)

Rex Henricus dedil archiepiscopatum Radulfo,2 episcopo Londontensi

Anno gratie MCXIIIo. Octavo idus Aprilis rex Anglorum Henricus duxit exercitum in Walliam, et Walenses subditi sunt ci ad libitum. Rex Henricus dedit archiepiscopatum Ralph Centuariae Radulfo2 Londoniensi3 episcopo, et illum per anulum et baculum investivit. Obiit, autem4 eodem anno Thomas Eboracensis archiepiscopus, cui Thurstanus successit. Orta est etiam inter Radulfum5 Cantuariensem et Thurstanum Eboracensem archiepiscopos magna dissensio, eo quod Eboracensis subici noluit archiepiscopo Cantuariensi sicut ejus antecessores facere solebant. Causa autem ssepe coram rege et domino papa ventilata est, sed nondum fine debito terminata. Eodem anno, mense Maio, cometa ingens apparuit, et post paululum terrsmotus partem urbis Manistre6 prostravit, non longe ab Antiochia, cum duobus castellis, Triphalech scilicet et Mariscum.7 Rex Jerusalem Baldewinus et Menduc Persarum princeps in quodam congressu bellico dum decertassent, victus Baldewinus vix fuga elapsus est. Ceciderunt in illo belli discrimine de Christianis equites triginta, pedites vero mille quingenti. Sed de se cruentam hostibus vietoriam reddiderunt.
Footnotes

2 Radulfo] Ricardo, E.

3 Londoniensi] sic MSS. for Rofensi ; the error is repeated by Wendover and Paris. Lamb. has Roffensi.

4 autem eodem anno] om. E.

5 Radulfum] Ricardum, E.

6 Manistre] Manif . . (an erasure), Ch.; manifeste, A. T.; manife, W.; manis, Cl.; Messissé.

7 Marash.

Chronology
Date Reference Corrections Notes
a little after a comet appeared in May 1114 CE The same year [1113 A.D.], in the month of May, a great comet appeared, and a little afterwards here was an earthquake, which threw down part of the city of Manistre, not far from Antioch, with two castles, called Triphalet and Mariacus year changed from 1113 to 1114 - see Notes
  • The comet likely appeared in May 1114 CE - Kronk (1999 v.1:196) reports that this comet was widely reported in monastic histories of the 12th-15th centuries, with dates ranging from 1113 to 1115 with the vast majority of reports dating the comet to 1114. Kronk (1999 v.1:196) adds that although its late May visibility makes it somewhat similar to C/1110 K1, the consistent descriptions of a long tail contradict the observations of C/1110 K1 and add to the likelihood that there was a large comet seen in 1114. Flores Historiaum reports two comets; a large one in May 1113 CE and another one in May 1114 CE. The comet sighting appears to been repeated with May 1114 CE the more likely date due to more widespread agreement with other authors.
Comet
Comet Catalogues

Kronk (1999)

1109 CE

Two contemporary British texts give similar details of this object. The Chronicon ex Chronica (1118) and the Historia Novorum in Anglia (1122) both say an object was seen near the Milky Way during December. The former text refers to it as a comet, while the latter calls it a star. Both texts say it had a tail directed toward the southern part of the sky.

The Scottish text Chronicle of Melrose (1275) simply says "a comet appeared."

FULL MOON: December 9

SOURCES:
  • Chronicon ex Chronica (1118), p. 219
  • Historia Novorum in Anglia (1177), p. 226
  • Chronicle of Melrose (1275), p. 142
  • A. G. Pingre (1783), pp. 389-90
  • G. F. Chambers (1889), p. 575.

1110 CE - C/1110 K1

Discovered: 1110 May 28.8 (Δ=0.72 AU, r=0.85 AU, Elong.=56°)
Last seen: 1110 July
Closest to the Earth: 1110 June 11 (0.4807 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Disc), AND (Jun. 1), CAS (Jun. 6), CEP (Jun. 12), DRA (Jun. 15), UMi (Jun. 16), DRA (Jun. 22), UMa (Jun. 23), CVn (Jun. 30)

Just four years after the appearance of the Great Comet of 1106, the skies were graced by another comet that was observed worldwide. Where the 1106 comet is important because of its possible relationship to the sungrazing family of comets, the comet of 1110 is important because it may be a previous appearance of the lost periodic comet Pons—Gambart which was only seen in 1827. This was also the first comet for which numerous detailed observations were provided by the Koreans. These observations played a major role in the determination of the orbit below.

The Chinese were apparently the first to spot this comet, with the texts Wen hsien t'ung k'ao (1308), Sung shih (1345), and Hsii Thung Chien Kong Mu (1476) giving pertinent details. The Chinese said a "broom star" was first seen on 1110 May 29. The comet appeared at the Khuei [β, δ, ε, ζ, η, μ, ν, and π Andromedae, and σ, τ, υ, φ, χ, and ψ 65 Piscium], and the Lou [α, β, and γ Arietis], with its rays measuring about 6°. It moved northward to enter the Tzu-Wei Enclosure [Draco, Ursa Minor, Cepheus, and Camelopardalis]. It then entered the horizon and went out of sight in the northwest. The date and location indicate a morning sky observation, and a probable UT of May 28.8.

The second culture to report this comet was the Koreans, who recorded the most extensive series of observations. The astronomical chapter of the Korean text Koryo-sa (1451) reports that a "broom star" was first seen on 1110 May 31. This comet is reported to have been within the Tzu-Wei Enclosure. On June 6 it is said to have appeared at the second watch of the night between T'ien-Chiang-Chiin [γ, υ, and 51 Andromedae, φ Persei, and β and γ Triartgulum] and Ko-Tao [ε, θ, ι, φ, and χ Cassiopeiae] and gone out of sight in the morning. On June 8 it appeared at Fu-Lu [ζ Cassiopeiae] and Tshe-Hsing [α Cassiopeiae]. On June 9 it was seen at the southwest of Wang-Liang [α, β, γ, η, κ, and υ Cassiopeiae]. On June 10 it appeared between Hua-Kai [ψ, ω, 32, 40, 42, 43, 48, and 50 Cassiopeiae] and Chhuan-She [13, 32, 55, and SAO 11424 in Cassiopeiae, SAO 12704, SAO 12743, and SAO 24054 in Camelopardalis, and SAO 20853 in Cepheus]. On June 12 it was below Hua-Kai, but was seen at the north of Liu-Chia [SAO 1179, SAO 5496, SAO 5946, SAO 6022, and SAO 6392 in Camelopardalis, and SAO 783 in Cepheus]. On June 14 it was said to have moved into the stars of Nii-Yn-Kung [τ, χ, 35, and 59 Draconis]. The probable UT of the discovery observation was May 30.8. Although the comet could have been observable the entire night for the remainder of the observations, it would have been best placed in the morning sky, implying UTs of June 5.8, 7.8, 8.8, 9.8, 11.8, and 13.8.

The Japanese were the next culture to discover this comet independently. In the text Dainihonshi (1715) the first appearance of this "broom star" is given as June 1. The comet measured about 5° and appeared in the east and lasted more than 20 days before going out of sight. The date and location indicate a possible morning sky observation, implying a UT of May 31.8.

The Muslim texts Mir'at al-zaman fi tarikh al- a'yan (1186) and al-Kamil fi al-ta'rikh (1233) indicate this comet was first seen barely one day after the Chinese discovery. The al-Kamil fi al-ta'rikh says, "On 8 Dhu al—Qa' da [May 30] there appeared in the heavens a star in the east with an elongated tail towards the qibla [i.e., south] and continued to rise until the end of Dhu al-Hijja [mid. July]." These accounts give the longest duration of any reports.

In Europe, details of this comet appear in monastic histories written in England, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Scotland, and France. Most of these simply say a comet was seen or a comet was seen in June, but a few do provide additional details. The Belgium text Chronica (1111) says the comet "radiated straight toward the south" during June. The British text Chronicon ex Chron-ica (1118) says the comet first appeared on June 8 and "continued visible for three weeks." The Italian text Annales Beneventani (1130) claims the cornet remained visible for 30 days. The German text Annales Corbeienses (1148) says the comet was seen from June 9 until June 30. The Peterborough edi¬tion of the English text Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (1154) notes, " . . in the month of June, a star appeared in the northeast, and its ray stood out in front of it to the southwest, and was seen thus for many nights; and later on in the night, after it climbed higher, it was seen going away to the northwest." The English text Chronicle of Henry of Huntington (1154) notes, "This year a comet made a very unusual appearance; for, rising in the east, when it had mounted in the sky it seemed to take a retrograde course." The Italian text Chronicon (1178) mentions a comet seen during the entire month of June in the north. The French text Chronicae S. Albini Andegavensis (1357) notes, "the entire month of June a comet was visible, where at one time a ray extended to the east and thereafter turned to the south." The English text Annales Monasterii de Bermundeseia (1433) says, "At the same time of year that the moon was diminishing in June the comet appeared." The German text Annales Parchenses (1316) places the comet in 1111 July.

A link to the lost periodic comet Pons—Gambart was first suggested in 1972, when S. Kanda considered it as a "a probable identification." The suggested link was strengthened in 1979 when I. Hasegawa derived three rough positions for the period of May 29 to June 11 and computed an orbit. Upon comparing the orbit to that of Pons-Gambart he noted a resemblance and agreed with Kanda's earlier conclusion.

Hasegawa's orbit below gives the following details of the comet's movement. The comet reached a minimum solar elongation of 22° on April 3. On June 16 it reached a maximum declination of +84° (apparent). On June 25 the comet reached a maximum solar elongation of 76°.
  • T 1110 May 18 (UT)
  • ω 358
  • Ω (2000.0) 321
  • i 137
  • q 0.83
  • e 1.0
ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE: Hm=5.0 (Kronk)
FULL MOON: May 5, June 4, July 3

SOURCES:
  • Chronica (1111), p. 372
  • Chronicon ex Chronica (1118), p. 219
  • Annales Leodienses (1121), p. 29
  • Annales Beneventani (1130), p. 183
  • Annales Formoselenses (1136), p. 36
  • Annales Corbeienses (1148), p. 7
  • Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (1154), p. 242
  • Chronicle of Henry of Huntington (1154), p. 244
  • Chronicon (1178), pp. 204-5
  • Mir'at al-zainan fi tarikh al- a'yan (1186), VIII, p. 32
  • Chronicle of Holyrood (1189), p. 114
  • Chronica (1201), p. 167
  • Chronicon S. Sergii Andegavensis (1215), p. 143
  • al-Kama fi al-ta'rikh (1233), X, p. 478
  • Annales Colonienses Maxinti (1238), p. 748
  • Chronica Majora (1247), part 2, p. 138
  • Annales Monasterii de Win-tonia (1277), p. 43
  • Annales Monasterii de Waverleia (1291), p. 214
  • Wen hsien Cling k'ao (1308), p. 187
  • Annales Eginundani (1315), p. 449
  • Annales Parchenses (1316), p. 604
  • Sung shih (1345), p. 187
  • Chronicae S. Albini Andegavensis (1357), p. 31
  • Chronicon Sancti Maxen-tii Pictavensis (14th century), p. 424
  • Annales Monasterii de Bermundeseia (1433), p. 431
  • Koryo-sa (1451), p. 187
  • Hsii Thung Chien Kang Mu (1476), p. 187
  • Dainihonshi (1715), p. 187
  • A. G. Pingre (1783), pp. 390, 627
  • J. Williams (1871), pp. 60-1
  • G. F. Chambers (1889), p. 575
  • Early Sources of Scottish History: A.D. 500-1286, Volume 2, edited and translated by Alan Orr Anderson, London: Oliver and Boyd (1922), p. 142
  • Nihon Temmon Shiryo (1935), p. 505
  • EHD2 (1953), p. 181
  • Ho Peng Yoke (1962), p. 187
  • R. R. Newton (1972), pp. 671, 673, 676, 680
  • I. Hasegawa (1979), pp. 260-1, 263-4.

1113 CE

1113 The astronomical chapter of the Korean text Koryo-sa (1451) is the sole source of information on this object. It reports that a "sparkling star" was seen on 1113 August 15. The object was seen at the Ying-Shih [α and β Pegasi]. The date and location indicate a morning observation and a probable UT of August 14.8.

FULL MOON: July 30, August 28

SOURCES:
  • Koryo-sa (1451), p. 187
  • A. G. Pingre (1783), p. 391
  • G. F. Chambers (1889), p. 575
  • Ho Peng Yoke (1962), p. 187
  • I. Hasegawa (1980), pp. 78, 93

1114 CE

1114 This comet was widely reported in monastic histories of the 12th-15th centuries, with dates ranging from 1113 to 1115. The vast majority of reports place the comet in 1114. Although its late May visibility makes it somewhat similar to C/1110 K1, the consistent descriptions of a long tail contradict the observations of C/1110 K1 and add to the likelihood that there was a large comet seen in 1114.

The details of this comet come primarily from England. The Peterborough edition of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (1154) notes, "This year, towards the end of May, a strange star was seen shining with long rays for many nights." Henry of Huntingdon wrote Historia Anglorum around 1154. For 1114 he said, "Comet appeared at the end of May." The Chronica Majora (1247) was written by Matthew Paris. He noted that in 1114, a "comet appeared in the month of May." Paris also wrote that an "enormous comet" appeared in 1113 during the month of May. His style of compiling his historical text from other sources, as well as the lack of support for a comet seen during 1113 May, makes it likely that this was a misdated account of the 1114 comet. The Annales Monasterii de Waverleia (1291) reports for 1114, "A strange star was seen at the end of May, with a long light visible for many nights." The Annales Monasterii de Bermundeseia (1433) said, "Comet again appeared in May." This text also copied virtually every bit of historical information from other sources.

The Welsh text Annales de Margan (1232) actually says a "comet appeared" in 1115, but the lack of reliable support makes it likely that this was comet 1114. For the object dated as 1115, I. Hasegawa (1980) gave the date as June.

FULL MOON: May 21, June 20

SOURCES:
  • Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (1154), p. 244
  • Historia Auglorum (1154), p. 239
  • Annales de Margan (1232), p. 10
  • Chronica Majora (1247), part 2, pp. 140-1
  • Annales Monasterii de Waverleia (1291), p. 215
  • Annales Monasterii de Bernitindeseia (1433), p. 432
  • A. G. Pingre (1783), p. 391
  • G. F. Chambers (1889), p. 576
  • EHD2 (1953), p. 183
  • I. Hasegawa (1980), pp. 78, 93.

Seismic Effects
  • here was an earthquake, which threw down part of the city of Manistre, not far from Antioch, with two castles, called Triphalet and Mariacus
Locations
Footnotes

1 Ryan (1969:210 n.5) states that Trialeth cannot be identified, but Hagenmeyer suggests that it may have been Balis on the Euphrates, about 100 miles east of Antioch, the scene of an earthquake in A.H. 508 (June 7, 1114—May 26, 1115) recorded by Sibt Ibn-al-Jauzi (RHC, Or., III, 551-52; HF 580, note 12). Ambraseys (2009) suggests that Trialeth is Tell Khalid (Trialeth), a fortified site at the head of Sadjour Suyu, a tributary of the Euphrates River. Guidoboni and Comastri (2005) suggest that Trihaleth is present day Akçakoyunlu.

Sources
Sources

Online Versions and Further Reading
References