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Chronicle by Michael the Syrian

Background and Biography
Background and Biography

Excerpts
English from Guidoboni and Comastri (2005)

In the same year fourteen hundred and eighty-one [of the Greeks, 1170], on Monday 29 Haziran [June], there was a violent earthquake, and the earth trembled like a boat on the sea [the beginning of Michael the Syrian's account is missing in the original Syriac, and so the opening sentence has been supplied from the parallel passage in Bar Hebraeus] [...] We were in the monastery church of Mar Hananya, and lay prostrate before the altar, to which we clung and were tossed about from one side to the other [...] when we saw and heard and were assured that there was absolutely no damage in the monastery nor in the whole region. And when we heard what horrors had taken place in the lands and in the cities [...] In this earthquake, the city of Berotha, that is to say Aleppo, collapsed in ruins... And those who said that God could not save or deliver the prisoners from their hands [i.e. from the Arabs], were suddenly heaped up in piles by the earthquake: their walls and their houses were reduced to ruins, and the air and the water became infected by (the bodies of) the suffocated. The whole city was rent asunder and became a series of cracks and fissures. The black ones (?) went up on them. The whole city became a heap of ruins. And what shows most clearly that the sword of anger had been drawn against it, is that nowhere else was there such horror. The seaward wall of Antioch collapsed, and the great church of the Greeks collapsed completely. The sanctuary of the great church of St.Peter collapsed, as well as houses and churches in various places. About fifty souls died in Antioch. Jabala completely collapsed. And in Tripoli a large part (of the city) and the great church similarly collapsed. And in the other coastal cities, and at Damascus, Homs and Hama, and in all the other towns and villages, the earthquake caused major disasters; but nowhere else had a disaster similar to that which had happened to Aleppo been seen or heard of [...] Although the whole town of Aleppo collapsed, our church was preserved and not a single stone fell from it. And in Antioch three churches were saved for us: that is to say, the church of the Mother of God, and those of St.George, and St.Barsauma. In Jabala, too, the little church we had was preserved, and the same is true of the churches in Laodicea and Tripoli.

English from Ambraseys (2009)

[4] In that same year 1481, on Monday 29th haziran [June], there was a violent earthquake: the earth was shaken like a boat on the sea...

As we were in the convent of Mar Hanania, we prostrated ourselves on our faces in front of the altar, and seized hold of it. We were thrown from one side to the other, and we prayed the Lord, but [silently,] from the heart, that he would deign to put an end to this plague. After a long time, when we revived, against all hope, it was as if we were coming out of a tomb, such was our fear. Then, like someone who has just woken from sleep, our eyes began to weep and our tongues to praise, above all when we saw, and realised, and were assured, that not only in the convent, but in the whole country, there had been absolutely no damage. And when we found out what damage had been caused in [other] countries and cities...

In this earthquake Berrhoe, which is the city of Aleppo, collapsed: the impiety of that city was as great as that of Sodom and Gomorrah, and we saw with our own eyes the numerous kinds of iniquities which they committed. Several thousand Christian prisoners were to be found there, and they were permitted to go to church only on Sundays, with chains on their feet and necks... Those who said that God could not save or deliver the [Christian] prisoners from their [the Muslims] hands were piled up in heaps during the earthquake; their walls and houses were overturned; and the air and the water were infected [by the corpses] of those who had suffocated. The whole city cracked, and was reduced to a series of crevasses and fissures; black [fluids] (les noirs) came up over it, and it became as a hill of ruins. And the clearest proof that the sword of anger had been drawn against Aleppo is that nowhere else was there such a disaster.

In Antioch the wall on the river bank collapsed; the great church of the Greeks collapsed entirely; the sanctuary of the great church of Mar Peter was overthrown, as well as churches and houses in diverse places. Around 50 people perished in Antioch itself. Similarly, the whole of Gabala collapsed. A large part of the city of Tripoli and its great church were destroyed. In the other coastal towns, as well as Damascus, Emessa and Hamat, and in all the other cities and rural areas this earthquake caused disasters, but nowhere did one hear talk of a disaster comparable to that which occurred in Aleppo.

The prince who was seigneur of that town [Antioch] cut his hair and, putting on sack-cloth, assembled the people and went up to Qusair in order to ask pardon of their patriarch. They pressed him to return to the church, but he declared, "If you do not expel the Greek patriarch, I will not enter [the city]". When they went down into [Antioch], they found the latter crushed by the earthquake; they took him, as he was still breathing, and carried him outside the city; he died on the way. Then Amaury returned to Antioch. The walls of the city and its church were rebuilt.

Nureddin rebuilt the wall of Aleppo; in the same way the seigneur of Samosata rebuilt the walls, and each one of the Turkish or Frankish princes rebuilt their places.

As for us, it remains to be said that God saved a great many of our people who lived in these cities... In Aleppo, when the whole city collapsed, our church was preserved, and not a single stone of it fell. In Antioch three churches were preserved for us, that of the Mother of God, that of Mar Guiwarguis and that of Mar Bar gauma. Moreover, the little church which we had at Gabala was saved, as well as [those] in Laodicea and Tripolis . (Mich. Syr. xix. 337-339).

English from Chabot (1899-1910)

CHAPTER VI

... [In this same year 1481, on Monday 29 of Haziran (June), there was a violent earthquake; the earth was shaken like a boat on the sea] ... [695] Fear, my brothers, fear! If a tremor of earth is capable of inspiring such a great terror, who can face the big future judgment day?

As we were in the temple of the convent of Mar Hanania, we prostrated ourselves on the face before the altar, and we embraced him. We were thrown from side to side, and, from the heart only, we prayed the Lord to deign to put an end to the scourge. After a long time, when we came to ourselves, against all hope, we were as if we were coming out of the tomb, because of fright. Next, like someone awakening from a sleep, our eyes began to shed tears, and our tongues praise, especially when we saw, when we learned and were assured that not only in the convent, but in all the country, there had been absolutely no damage caused. And when we knew what disasters had been caused in countries and cities, we offered all thanks again greater to God, who had mercy on us although we were not worthy.

In this earthquake Berrhoe collapsed, which is the city of Aleppo, in which ungodliness was as great as in Sodom and Gomorrah. We have seen from our eyes the many kinds of iniquity that were committed there. Several thousands of Christian prisoners were there. Only on Sundays were they allowed to enter the church, and with chains on their feet and around their necks. Their complaint split the clouds. What tongue could speak, what ear could hear the oppressions that were the prisoners there? If the hand wanted [696] to trace them, it would need several volumes. The air was thickened , so to speak, by the smoke of the rage of the Taiyayê of this city; and many had come to blaspheme on seeing and hearing learning their actions; they said that the providence of God does not extend that far! This is why his justice showed mercy towards them in snatching them from this furious impiety by this plague, like those who lived in the days of Noah by the Deluge. Those who said that God could not save or deliver prisoners of their hands, were heaped up in the earthquake; their walls and their houses were thrown down; the air and the water were infected (by the corpses) of those who were suffocated; the whole city split open: it was no more than a series of crevices and cracks; black mounted them (?); she became like a hill of ruins. And what shows even more clearly that the sword of the anger was drawn against it, there was nowhere else such a disaster.

At Antioch, the wall which is on the bank of the river crumbled; the big church of the Greeks collapsed entirely; the sanctuary of the great church of Mar Petrus was overthrown, as well as churches and houses in various places. about fifty people perished in Antioch itself. Gabala collapsed completely. In Tripoli, a great part (of the city) and the great church likewise fell. In the other coastal towns, as well as Damascus, Emesa, Hama, all the other cities and countryside, this earthquake caused disasters, but nowhere elsewhere no one saw or heard of a disaster similar to that which befell Aleppo.

The prince, lord of this city, cut his hair, put on a sackcloth, gathered the people and went up to Qoçaïr to ask forgiveness of their patriarch. They pressed him to enter the church; but he declared: "If you do not bring out the patriarch Greek, I will not enter. When they entered it, they found the latter crushed by the earthquake; they took him while he was still breathing, and carried him out of the city: he died on the way. Amaury then returned to Antioch. The walls of the city and its church were rebuilt.

Nour ed-Din rebuilt the wall of Aleppo; likewise, the lord of Samosata rebuilt his walls, and each of the Turkish or Frankish princes rebuilt his places.

To us, that is, to the remnant of our people who were in those cities, God brought great help: perhaps because there was no king in our nation, nor rich. In Aleppo, when the whole city collapsed, our church was preserved, and not even a single stone fell within it. In Antioch, three churches have been preserved for us: that of the Mother of God, that of Mar Guiwarguis and that of Mar Bar Çauma. Likewise, the small church that we had in Gabala was preserved, as well as in Laodicea in Tripoli, for the exaltation and encouragement of the rest of our Orthodox. - End.

English Translation by Bedrosian (1870-1871) of an Armenian version of Michael the Syrian

Background

Michael the Syrian's Chronicle was also translated into Armenian twice in the first half of the 13th century. Over 60 Armenian manuscripts have survived. These manuscripts are, however, abridged and edited. The fact is we don't have an original copy of Michael the Syrian's Chronicle. We have multiple differing versions. The excerpt below was translated into English from Classical Armenian editions found in Jerusalem by Robert Bedrosian in the years 1870 and 1871.

[193] Regarding the earthquake which occurred on June 29th and about how snow fell to a depth of 25 t'iz [length of a palm (four inches); about 8.3 feet] in the month of the Cross.

This was the righteous judgement of God seeking vengeance for the blood of Christians, since Christian people were being sold like animals there and the blood of Christians was shed as though it were water. Moreover, [the Christians there] were being killed insatiably as though [the slayers] would find treasure. [Through divine wrath] the Christians and their opponents were killed in equal measure. Yet no one believed in the unquenchable fires that were awaiting them. Indeed [the doubters asked] why no punishment had been visited upon them as had been the case with the deeds done at Sodom or the giants who had been drowned for their iniquity. And so, many shortsighted people doubted the judgement of God. [Let us] not mention the deeds of Sodom and the impiety of the giants who were destroyed by the Flood. [There was such iniquity there] that many despaired of a judgement from God, seeing their manifold evils.

[194] And so it was also in Antioch, for many buildings collapsed and the church of the Greeks collapsed on top of those offering mass. [The church of] Saint Peter also collapsed. The Prince [of Antioch] and the entire city donned sackcloth and all the inhabitants of the city went and fell [on their knees] before their [exiled] patriarch so that he would [re]enter the city, since they thought that this [disaster] was the result of his banning. But he replied: "Unless the false patriarch of the Greeks leaves, disgraced, I will not enter." Then the people went to evict [the Greek patriarch] and found him close to death in the collapsed church, pierced through for a stone had fallen on him. And then [the Latin patriarch] ordered [g466] that he be picked up, placed on a litter, and thrown out [of the city] which, in fact, was done. And he died outside the city, dishonored, and then the patriarch of the Franks, Herim, entered.

Then we began to rebuild the devastated places. Throughout the land there were, likewise, many fortresses, churches, cities, and villages which had been ruined and destroyed by this strange and unheard of earthquake. However, by the mercy of Christ, in Antioch and in all the coastal areas the churches of the Orthodox were spared—not because of our good deeds, but because of the prayers of our holy fathers and their martyrdoms.

French from Chabot (1899-1910)

CHAPITRE VI2

... [En cette même année 1481, le lundi 29 de haziran (juin), il y eut un violent tremblement de terre; la terre était secouée comme une barque sur la mer]7 ... [695] Craignons, mes frères, craignons! Si un tremblement de terre est capable d'inspirer une si grande terreur, qui pourra affronter le grand jour du jugement futur?

Comme nous nous trouvions dans le temple du couvent de Mar Hanania, nous nous prosternâmes sur le visage devant l'autel, et nous l'étreignîmes. Nous étions projeté de côté et d'autre, et, de cœur seulement, nous priions le Seigneur de daigner mettre fin au fléau. Après un long moment, quand nous revînmes à nous, contre toute espérance, nous étions comme si nous sortions du tombeau, à cause delà frayeur. Ensuite, comme quelqu'un qui s'éveille d'un sommeil, nos yeux se mirent à répandre des larmes, et nos langues la louange, surtout quand nous vîmes, quand nous apprîmes et fûmes assuré que non seulement dans le couvent, mais dans tout le pays, il n'y avait eu absolument aucun dommage causé. Et quand nous sûmes quels désastres avaient été causés dans les pays et les villes, nous offrîmes tous des actions de grâces encore plus grandes à Dieu, qui avait eu pitié de nous bien que nous n'en fussions pas dignes.

Dans ce tremblement de terre s'écroula Berrhoë, qui est la ville d'Alep, dans laquelle l'impiété était aussi grande que dans Sodome et Gomorrhe. Nous avons vu de nos yeux les nombreux genres d'iniquité qui s'y commettaient. Plusieurs milliers de prisonniers chrétiens s'y trouvaient. Le dimanche seulement on leur permettait d'entrer à l'église, et avec les chaînes aux pieds et au cou. Leur plainte fendait les nues. Quelle langue pourrait dire, quelle oreille pourrait entendre les oppressions que subissaient là les prisonniers? Si la main voulait [696] les retracer, elle aurait besoin de plusieurs volumes. L'air était épaissi1a , pour ainsi dire, par la fumée de la rage des Taiyayê de cette ville; et plusieurs en étaient venus à blasphémer en voyant et en apprenant leurs actions ; ils disaient que la providence de Dieu ne s'étend pas jusquelà ! C'est pourquoi sa justice usa de miséricorde envers eux en les arrachant à cette impiété furibonde2a par ce fléau, comme ceux qui vivaient du temps de Noé par le Déluge. Ceux qui disaient que Dieu nepoavait pas sauver ni délivrer les prisonniers de leurs mains, furent accumulés par monceaux dans le tremblement de terre3a; leurs murs et leurs maisons furent renversés ; l'air et l'eau furent infectés (par les cadavres) de ceux qui furent suffoqués ; toute la ville se fendit : elle n'était plus qu'une série de crevasses et de fissures; les noirs montèrent sur eux4a (?) ; elle devint comme une colline de ruines. Et ce qui montre encore plus manifestement que le glaive de la •colère était tiré contre elle, c'est qu'il n'y eut nulle part ailleurs un tel désastre.

A Antioche, le mur qui est sur le rivage du fleuve s'écroula ; la grande église des Grecs s'écroula tout entière; le sanctuaire de la grande église de Mar Petrus fut renversé, ainsi que des églises et des maisons en divers lieux. Environ cinquante personnes périrent à Antioche même. Gabala s'écroula tout entière. A Tripoli, une grande partie (de la ville) et la grande église s'écroulèrent pareillement. Dans les autres villes du littoral, ainsi qu'à Damas, à Emèse1b, à Hama, dans toutes les autres villes et les campagnes, ce tremblement de terre causa des désastres, mais nulle part ailleurs on ne vit ou n'entendit parler d'un désastre semblable à celui qui arriva à Alep.

Le prince2b, seigneur de cette ville3b, coupa ses cheveux, se revêtit d'un sac, rassembla le peuple et monta à Qoçaïr demander pardon à leur patriarche. Ils le pressaient de rentrer dans l'église; mais il déclara : « Si vous n'en faites sortir le patriarche grec, je n'entrerai pas. » Quand ils y pénétrèrent, ils trouvèrent ce dernier broyé par le tremblement de terre; ils le prirent lorsqu'il respirait encore, et l'emportèrent hors de la ville : il mourut en route. Alors Amaury rentra à Antioche. Les murs de la ville et son église furent rebâtis.

Nour ed-Dîn rebâtit le mur d'Alep; de même, le seigneur de Samosate rebâtit ses murs, et chacun des princes turcs ou francs rebâtit ses places.

A nous, c'est-à-dire au reste de notre peuple qui se trouvait dans ces villes, Dieu procura un grand secours : peut-être parce qu'il n'y avait dans notre nation ni roi, ni riche4b. A Alep, quand toute la ville s'écroula, notre église fut préservée, et il n'en tomba pas même une seule pierre. A Antioche, trois églises nous furent conservées : celle de la Mère-de-Dieu, celle de Mar Guiwarguis et celle de Mar Bar Çauma. De même, la petite église que nous avions à Gabala fut conservée, ainsi qu'à Laodicée €t à Tripoli, pour l'exaltation et l'encouragement du reste de nos Orthodoxes. — Fin.
Footnotes

2. Le titre et le début de ce chapitre se trouvaient dans la lacune. Nous suppléons les premières lignes d'après l'abrégé arménien (Hist. arm. des Crois., I, 369).

7. Le début du récit se trouvait dans la lacune. La date, d'après BAR HEBR., Chr. syr., p. 339.

1a. [Syriac Text] (?).

2a. [Syriac Text].

3a. Lire:[Syriac Text]; vers. ar. : [Syriac Text].

4a. De même vers. ar.: ?[Syriac Text]. Le texte paraît altéré.

5a. Lire : [Syriac Text] (BH).

1b. Corriger: [Syriac Text].

2b. prinz; cf. p. 314, n. 2.

3b . Antioche.

4b 4. B H: [Syriac Text] «ni prince».

French from Chabot (1899-1910) - embedded



English Translation by Bedrosian (1870-1871) of an Armenian version of Michael the Syrian - embedded



Syriac from Chabot (1899-1910) - embedded

  • bookmarked to page 695
  • 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
Monday 29 June 1170 CE Monday 29 Haziran [June] A.G. 1481 none
  • calculated using CHRONOS
  • 29 June 1170 CE fell on a Monday (calculated using CHRONOS)
Seismic Effects
  • there was a violent earthquake, and the earth trembled like a boat on the sea
  • tossed about from one side to the other
  • there was absolutely no damage in the monastery [of Mar Hananya] nor in the whole region
  • the city of Berotha, that is to say Aleppo, collapsed in ruins ... their walls and their houses were reduced to ruins, and the air and the water became infected by (the bodies of) the suffocated ... The whole city was rent asunder and became a series of cracks and fissures ... The whole city became a heap of ruins
  • nowhere else had a disaster similar to that which had happened to Aleppo
  • Although the whole town of Aleppo collapsed, our church was preserved and not a single stone fell from it
  • The seaward wall of Antioch collapsed, and the great church of the Greeks collapsed completely. The sanctuary of the great church of St.Peter collapsed, as well as houses and churches in various places. About fifty souls died in Antioch. Jabala completely collapsed.
  • in Antioch three churches were saved for us: that is to say, the church of the Mother of God, and those of St.George, and St.Barsauma
  • in Tripoli a large part (of the city) and the great church similarly collapsed
  • in the other coastal cities, and at Damascus, Homs and Hama, and in all the other towns and villages, the earthquake caused major disasters
  • In Jabala, too, the little church we had was preserved, and the same is true of the churches in Laodicea and Tripoli
Locations Sources
Sources

Online Versions and Further Reading
References

Notes
Another Excerpt from Ambraseys (2009)

In the same year [a.S. 1493/a.Arm. 613] a terrible earthquake was felt on 29th June, at the moment when the Mass of the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul was being celebrated. The earth shook in its foundations until the ninth hour, and it seemed as if the earth was going up and then suddenly down. At that moment we were in the convent dedicated to Mar Hanan, and we forbade anyone to go outside the church until the wrath of God had been appeased. To tell the truth, we did not dare to watch the end of this plague, for in interpretation of the signs of this [celestial] wrath, we said to ourselves that the end of the world was coming. However, when the Lord had recalled His creative goodness, and when nature had regained her usual calm, and we looked at each other, everyone's eyes were full of tears and our mouths were zealous for blessing and praising God. We learned that the walls of Aleppo had been overturned with all its buildings, except for only one church. The ground opened up and vomited forth black water, which flowed through the town and drowned thousands of people. This was a terrible effect of divine justice, for Christians were being sold in the markets like beasts: the blood of the faithful was poured out like water; so frequent were the massacres... At Antioch [the church of] St Peter was overthrown, as well as that of the Greeks, crushing the sacred ministers together with many of the faithful. The prince and all the city, having put on hair-shirts, went and prostrated themselves before their patriarch, begging him to return to the city, for they were convinced that this calamity was due to his anathemas. The patriarch answered them, "Expel in ignominy the Greek patriarch". They obeyed this order, but found the latter mortally wounded by a stone, which had struck him when the church collapsed. They went immediately and informed the patriarch of the Franks that the Greek patriarch was in agony. The Frankish patriarch enjoined them nevertheless to put him on a litter and to throw him outside the city, which was done. Thus that man died miserably. Then the patriarch of the Franks of Herim returned to Antioch and the city was consoled. The work of rebuilding the ruins was begun immediately. Although this strange earthquake caused destruction everywhere to fortifications, cities and churches, the mercy of Christ protected in Antioch always and above all the sanctuaries of the orthodox, not because of our good works, but solely for having conserved the tradition of our fathers. (Mich. Syr. Arm. 332).