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Historia Chronike by John of Antioch

Background and Biography
Biography - John of Antioch

Excerpts
English from Mariev (2008)

23 At this time, because lightning struck the Capitol1, the temple caught fire and the objects of silver, gold and other costly material perished; the Sibylline oracles were destroyed2 and many houses in the city burned down, so that some who were reduced to poverty obtained a remission of their debts. At this time Antiochus [IX] surnamed Kyzikenos [r. 129 or 116 to 96 BCE] was ruling in Syria, in whose reign a great earthquake happened in the East and a countless number of Syrians perished; the city of Tyre on the coast was submerged into the sea and a comet shone for several days, announcing to him his death. A short time after Philip3 succeeded him in power, the kingdom of Syria that had existed for two-hundred and thirty years since the reign of Seleucus4 was dissolved by the Roman general Gabinius5 and declared a province of the Roman people.
Footnotes

1 JW: I am not sure what this refers to. The Pantheon in Rome was destroyed by fire in 80 CE and again in 110 CE when it was struck by lightning. The Pantheon was built on the site of a former Roman Temple during the reign of Augustus (r. 27 BCE-14 CE) (wikipedia).

2 JW: The Syballine Books, which are not the same as the Sibylline oracles, were partially destroyed by fire in 83 BCE. Based on context, John of Antioch appears to been referring to the Syballine Books.

3 JW: This refers to Philip II Philoromaeus who ruled as the last King of the Seleucid Empire from 65-64 BCE (wikipedia). Philip I Epiphanes Philadelphus who ruled the Seleucid Empire from 94 to 83 or 75 BCE (wikipedia) does not appear to be an option because John of Antioch indicates that the Philip in question was the last Seleucid Monarch.

4 JW: This refers to the Seleucid Empire which lasted from 312 BCE until 63 BCE (wikipedia).

5 JW: Gabinius led an army into Syria sometime between 66 and 62 BCE during the final phases of the Third Mithridatic War and in 57 BCE, Gabinius started his term as governor of Syria (wikipedia).

English from Triantafyllou et al. (2022)

Antiochus [IX], the so-called Cyzicenus [r. 116-96 BCE], was sovereign of Syria. During his reign, because of the occurrence of a great earthquake that happened towards the east, many myriads of Syrians killed and the seaside of Tyre inundated by the sea; and a comet that glowed for a few days foretold his death.

Greek from Mariev (2008)

23 Καθ’ ὃν δὲ χρόνον, κεραυνοῦ κατὰ τὸ Καπιτώλιον ἐνεχθέντος, ὅ τε ἱερὸς οἶκος ἐνεπρήσθη καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ σκεύη χρυσᾶ τε καὶ ἀργυρᾶ καὶ πάσης πο λυτελοῦς ὕλης ἡρπάγη, οἵ τε τῶν Σιβυλλείων χρησμοὶ διεφθάρησαν καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν τῆς πόλεως οἴκων συγκατεφλέχθησαν· ὡς καὶ ἐν ἀπορίᾳ τινὰς ἐλάσαντας συγχώρησιν τῶν ὀφλημάτων λαβεῖν, ἡγεμονεύοντος τῆς Συρίας ᾿Αντιόχου τοῦ ἐπικληθέντος Κυζικηνοῦ. ᾿Εφ’ οὗ, σεισμοῦ μεγί στου κατὰ τὴν ἕω γενομένου, πολλαὶ μυριάδες τῶν Σύρων διεφθάρησαν ἥ τε κατὰ τὴν παράλιον Τύρος ὑπὸ τῆς θαλάσσης κατεκλύσθη, κομήτης τε ἐπὶ ὀλίγας ἡμέρας ἐκλάμψας τούτῳ μὲν τὸ τοῦ θανάτου προεσήμανε τέλος. Οὐ πολλῷ δ’ ὕστερον Φιλίππου τὴν ἡγεμονίαν διαδεξαμένου ἡ τῶν Σύρων ἀρχὴ ὑπὸ Γαβινίου τοῦ ῾Ρωμαίων στρατηγοῦ κατελύθη ἔ τεσι σλʹ ἀπὸ τῆς Σελεύκου διαρκέσασα βασιλείας, ἐπαρχία τε τοῦ ῾Ρωμαίων δήμου προσηγορεύθη.

Chronology

Chronological markers in this passage are inconsistent. See footnotes for excerpt above in English from Mariev (2008).

Seismic Effects
  • a great earthquake happened in the East and a countless number of Syrians perished
  • the city of Tyre on the coast was submerged into the sea and a comet shone for several days
Locations
  • Tyre
Sources
Sources

Online Versions and Further Reading
References

Notes
Notes