Philipe Du Plessis dated the earthquakes (in the plural) to 20 May 1202 CE. He reported that there were “earthquakes” (terremotus) so powerful that they “razed most of the walls and houses at Acre to the ground, crushing a great many people to death in the ruins.” At Tyre, he wrote, “all but three of its towers were destroyed, together with all the city walls except for the outer barbicans , and all the houses with their inhabitants, save only a few survivors.” He added that “most of the city of Tripoli was destroyed, along with a large proportion of its townspeople.” The destruction extended inland, where “the castle of Archis was reduced to ruins, including all its houses, walls, and towers,” and “the castle of Arsum [Arima] was razed to the ground.” At Chastel Blanc, he observed, “most of the walls collapsed, and the main tower, which we thought had been built with outstanding strength and solidity, was so badly cracked and damaged that it would have been better for us had it completely collapsed rather than remain standing in such a state.” Yet, amid the ruin, Philipe Du Plessis recorded that “divine mercy spared the town of Tortosa and its castle, its walls, its inhabitants, and everything else.”