Chronicle by Michael the Syrian
Background and Biography Background and Biography
Events August to September 1157 CE Hama and Shaizar Quake(s)
Excerpts English translated from Chabot (1899-1910)
[CHAPTER V]1
- Volume 3, Book XVIII, Chapter V
- from Chabot (1899-1910:315-316)
In the year 1468, Prins2, lord of Antioch, invaded Cyprus, which belonged to the Greeks, and plundered the whole island: men, sheep, oxen, horses, and all the wealth. They brought them to the shore, and then the Cypriots paid an amount of gold as ransom for the people and cattle. The Franks left and took all their wealth. They also took the bishops, the superiors of monasteries and the magistrates of Antioch as hostages, until gold was paid3.
In the year 1469, Stephanê plotted against his brother Thoros and wanted to kill him. Thoros, noticing this, seized him and imprisoned him for ten months. Then, at the request of the Franks, he released him, and he joined the army of the Franks4.
In this year Josselin, prisoner in Aleppo, died after a perfect penance, as said by Ignatius, bishop of Aleppo, who administered the sacraments to her5.
In the same year, Sultan Mohammed, son of Sultan Mahmoud, besieged Baghdad for four months with a large army, ...
In the same year Sultan Sandjar, son of Malikah, son of Alp-Arslan, son of Daoud, died after having escaped the hands of the Gouzayé who had seized him.
In this year6, there were violent earthquakes in Syria, and many places were destroyed.
In Hamath, the citadel, the city, all the houses collapsed on the inhabitants, old men, women and children; myriads of people perished there.
The citadel of Saizar collapsed entirely: only a woman and a eunuch escaped.
The people of Emesa were terrified: they went out of the city and were saved. Their homes and the citadel were destroyed.
Likewise, the people of Aleppo went out and stayed several days outside the city, and they were saved. Their houses were knocked down, and only five hundred people perished there.
It was the same in Kephar-lab and in Apamea, where no one escaped, and in many places, as far as Rebabôt.
Among the towns of the Franks, Hesn el-Akrad and `Arqa totally collapsed.
At Laodicea the great church alone remained standing, and those in it were saved. In this city, the earth parted and revealed a abyss filled with mud, and in the middle of the mud a statue of cast iron that stood upright.
Likewise, most of Antioch and Tripoli were destroyed.Footnotes1. BAR HEBR, Chr. syr., p. 325.
2. See p. 314, n. 2.
3. Cf, Hist. du Bas-Emp., LXXXVIII, § xxiv; Gesch. des Konigr, Jerus., p. 286, 296.
4, see op, cit., p. 297.
5. See above, p. 295.
6. 1469. (BAR HEBR., Chr. syr., p. 325).English from Ambraseys (2009)
- from Ambraseys (2009)
In this year [1469] there were violent earthquakes in Syria, and many places were destroyed. At Hamath the citadel of the town, the town itself and all the houses collapsed on their inhabitants . . . thousands of people perished. The citadel of Saizar totally collapsed: no-one escaped except for a woman and a eunuch. The people of Emessa were seized with fear: they left the town and were saved. Their houses and the citadel were destroyed. Likewise the people of Aleppo left and spent several days outside the town, and they were saved. Their houses were overturned, and only 500 people died. It was the same at Kepher-tab and at Apamea, where no one escaped, and in many places, as far as Rehabot. Of the Frankish cities Hesn al-Akrad and ‘Arqa completely collapsed. At Laodicea only the great church remained standing, and the people inside were saved. In that city the earth opened and revealed an abyss full of mud, and in the middle of the mud was a molten statue standing upright. In addition the most parts of Antioch and Tripoli were destroyed.(Mich. Syr. xviii.5/iii. 315f).French from Chabot (1899-1910)
[CHAPITRE V]1
- Volume 3, Book XVIII, Chapter V
- from Chabot (1899-1910:315-316)
En l'an 1468, Prins2, seigneur d'Antioche, envahit Cypre, qui appartenait aux Grecs, et pilla toute l'île : hommes, moutons, boeufs, chevaux, et toute la richesse. Ils les amenèrent jusqu'au rivage, et alors les Cypriotes promirent pour leur rachat et celui de leur bétail une quantité d'or. Les Francs les lais¬sèrent et prirent toute la richesse. Ils emmenèrent aussi à Antioche les évêques, les supérieurs de monastères et les magistrats, comme otages, jusqu'à ce que l'or fût payé3.
En l'an 1469, Stéphanê complota contre son frère Thoros et voulut le tuer. Thoros, s'en étant aperçu, s'empara de lui et l'emprisonna pendant dix mois. Ensuite, à la prière des Francs, il le relâcha, et celui-ci se mit dans l'armée des Francs4.
En cette année mourut Josselin, prisonnier à Alep, après une parfaite pénitence, comme l'a dit Ignatius, évêque d'Alep, qui lui administra les sacrements5.
La même année, le sultan Mohammed, fils du sultan Mahmoud, assiégea Bag-dad, avec une nombreuse armée, pendant quatre mois...
La même année, mourut le sultan Sandjar, fils de Malik4ah, fils d'Alp-Arslan, fils de Daoud, après avoir échappé aux mains des Gouzayé qui s'étaient empa-rés de lui.
En cette années6, il y eut de violents tremblements de terre en Syrie, et beaucoup d'endroits furent détruits.
A Hamath, la citadelle, la ville, toutes les maisons s'écroulèrent sur les habitants, vieillards, femmes et enfants ; des myriades de gens y périrent.
La citadelle de Saizar s'écroula entièrement : il n'échappa qu'une femme et un eunuque.
Les gens d'Émèse furent pris de frayeur : ils sortirent hors de la ville et furent sauvés. Leurs maisons et la citadelle furent détruites.
De même, les gens d'Alep sortirent et restèrent plusieurs jours hors de la ville, et ils furent sauvés. Leurs maisons furent renversées, et cinq cents personnes seule¬ment y périrent.
Il en fut de même à Kephar-lab et à Apamée, où personne n'échappa, et dans beaucoup d'endroits, jusqu'à Rebabôt.
Parmi les villes des Francs, Hesn el-Akrad et `Arqa s'écroulèrent totalement.
A Laodicée, la grande église seule resta debout, et ceux qui s'y trouvaient furent sauvés. Dans cette ville, la terre s'entr'ouvrit et laissa voir un abîme rempli de boue, et au milieu de la boue une statue de fonte qui se tenait debout.
De même, la plus grande partie d'Antioche et de Tripoli fut détruite.Footnotes1. BAR HEBR, Chr. syr., p. 325.
2. Cf. p. 314, n. 2.
3. Cf, Hist. du Bas-Emp., LXXXVIII, § xxiv; Gesch. des Konigr, Jerus., p. 286, 296.
4, Cf. op, cit., p. 297.
5. Cf. ei-dessus, p. 295.
6. 1469. (BAR HEBR., Chr. syr., p. 325).French from Chabot (1899-1910) - embedded
- see bottom of page 315 starting with
En cette année 1481, il y eut de violents tremblements- Volume 3, Book XVIII, Chapter V
- from Chabot (1899-1910:315-316)
- from archive.org
Syriac from Chabot (1899-1910) - embedded
- bookmarked to page 695 - not the right page
- hand copied manuscript which shows some of the original layout
- appears to be the manuscript which was written for Chabot between 1897 and 1899 CE in Edessa
- ordered right to left
- from Chabot (1899-1910)
- from archive.org
Chronology
Date Reference Corrections Notes 1 Oct. 1157 to 30 Sept. 1158 CE A.G. 1469 none
- calculated with Macedonian reckoning using CHRONOS
- This date appears a bit late and the earthquakes he referred to likely occurred in A.G. 1468
Seismic Effects
Locations Sources Sources
Online Versions and Further Reading References