Chronographia by Johannes Malalas

Background and Biography

Background and Biography

Excerpts

Malalas described an earthquake which struck Antioch in 130 BCE and/or 148 BCE (and/or possibly the 1st century BCE) relying at least partially on the currently lost early 6th century CE chronicle written by Domninos (who he cites). In Malalas' book, the expression variously translated as the "wrath of God" or the "anger of God" usually refers to an earthquake. Full names of the ruling Kings along with their reigns are placed in parentheses for clarity¹.

Footnotes

1 A great many members of these royal families had the same name (e.g. Laodice, Antiochus, Seleucus, Ariarathes) and Malalas did not provide suffixes (e.g. Laodice V, Antiochus VII) to help identify them. Further, the understanding of familial relations between these royal family members appears to be at least a bit murky. So for the purposes of dating this event, focus is placed on identifying the succession of Seleucid Kings in Antioch during this time period which appears to be better defined. Questions marks within a parentheses (?) were placed after some names in Malalas' quote where the identification of the personage contains a degree of uncertainty. Several of personages linked to in Malalas' passage are based on speculation by Downey (1938)

English from Jeffries et al (1986)

• Book 8 Chapters 24 and 25
• from Jeffries et al (1986:109)

24. After him Demetrianos (Demetrius I Soter - 162-150 BCE), son of Seleukos (Seleucus IV Philopator - 187-175 BCE), reigned for eight years. A man named Judas (Judas Maccabeus ?), a Jew by race, came to Antioch the Great and begged and entreated the emperor Demetrianos (Demetrius I Soter - 162-150 BCE), and the emperor turned over to him the temple and the Maccabees' remains. He buried them in Antioch the Great in the place known as the Kerateon; for there was a Jewish synagogue there. Antiochos had executed them just outside the city of Antioch, on the Ever-Weeping Mountain, opposite Zeus Kasios. After purifying the temple and rebuilding Jerusalem, Judas celebrated the Paschal festival in honour of God. This was the second capture of Jerusalem, as Eusebios Pamphilou has written in his chronicle.

25. After Demetrianus (Demetrius II Nicator - 145-138 BC), Antiochus (Antiochus VII Sidetes - 138-129 BC), grandson of Grypus (?) and son of Laodice (V?), daughter of Ariarathes (?), emperor of the Cappadocians, reigned for nine years.

At that time Antioch the Great, suffered from the wrath of God, in the eighth year of his reign, in the time of the Macedonians, 152 years after the original laying of the foundation of the wall by (208) Seleucus Nicator, at the tenth hour of the day, on 21st Peritios-February. It was completely rebuilt, as Domninos the chronicler has written. It was 122 years after the completion of the walls and the whole city that it suffered; it was rebuilt better.

Another English translation

25. After Demetrianus (Demetrius II Nicator - 145-138 BC), Antiochus (Antiochus VII Sidetes - 138-129 BC) the offspring of Grypus (?) became king for 9 years; he was the son of Laodice (V?), the daughter of Ariarathes (?), king of the Cappadocians. In the eighth year of his reign, Antioch the great was destroyed by the anger of god, in the time of the Macedonians. This happened 152 years after the foundations of the walls were laid by Seleucus Nicator, on the 21st day of the month of Peritius, which is the same as February, at the tenth hour of the day. And the whole city was restored, as Domninus the chronicler has recorded. It suffered [this disaster] 122 years after the walls and the whole city were completed; and afterwards it became yet more splendid.

Latin

Mortuus deinde est Antiochus; post quem regnavit filius ejus, Antiochus Glaucus, Hierax vocatus, annis II.

Honc excepit Demetrianus, Seleuci F. qui regnavit, annos VIII. Judaeus vero quidam, nomine Judas, Antiochiam veniens, a Demetriano Precibus suis obtinuit, ut templum sibi iterum et Maccabaeorum concetur reliquiae; quas Judas in Antiochia magna sepelivit, in loco qui dicitur, Cerateum: ubi etiam erat synagoga Judaeorum. Hos enim prope ab urbe, e regione Jovis Cassii, neci dederat Antiochus, in Monte semper lachrymanti. Judas autem gepurgato Templo, urbeque instaurata, Pascham Deo celebravit. Erat haec secunda Judaeorum captivitas: utl in Chronicis tradidit Eusebius Pamphili

Demetriano successit in regno Antiochus, Grypi nepos, filius Laodioes, Ariarathi Cappadocum regis filiae; Et regnavit annos ΧΙ. Ánno autem octavo imperii ejus Macedonici, terrae motum passa est Antiochia Aécidit hoc ad horam X diei XXI mensis Perittu, sive Februarii; anno pest jaeta a Seleuco Nicatore prima moenium fundamenta CLII, post moenia autem absoluta, ipsamque urbem totam, annis CΧΧII. Tum vero de integro restituta est, tota in melius redacta: sicuti Domnus Chronographus scriptum reliquit.

English from Jeffries et al (1986) - embedded

• See page 109
• Book 8 Chapters 24 and 25
• from Jeffries et al (1986:109)

Greek with a Latin translation (embedded)

• See page 207

Chronology

Although Malalas provides a time and date - ~4pm on 21 February, the year is in question as the passage is chronologically inconsistent. Possible years are shown in the table below.

Year	Reference	Corrections	Notes
130 BCE	The 8th year of Antiochus' (Antiochus VII Sidetes - 138-129 BC) reign	none	Demetrianus (Demetrius II Nicator) had two reigns. The first lasted from 145 BCE until 138 BCE. In 138 BCE, he was captured by the Parthian King Mithridates I and remained in captivity until 130 BCE when the new Parthian King Phraates II released him. Demetrius II Nicator then ruled a second time from 130 BCE -125 BCE. Between Demetrius' reigns, his brother Antiochus VII Sidetes ruled from 138 - 130 BCE. Note : The years presented here may differ by up to a year compared to other historical accounts. They are simplified in the interest of clarity.
148 BCE	152 years after the foundations of the walls of Antioch were laid by Seleucus Nicator	none	The founding of Antioch is commonly assigned to the spring of 300 BCE based on Eusebius and Malalas. 300 minus 152 leads to 148 BCE. See Downey (1938:108 n. 2) for details and references on the founding of Antioch.
unknown	122 years after the walls and the whole city was completed	none	leads to an unknown date because it conflicts with the "known traditions" in which construction of Antioch was completed Downey (1938:109-110).

Guidoboni et. al. (1994) noted that this passage could refer to two separate earthquakes (148 BCE and 130 BCE) while Downey (1938:109-110) suggests it could be conflating up to 3 earthquakes (148 BCE, 130 BCE, and sometime in the first century BCE). Downey (1938) further noted that in 130 BCE, Antiochus VII Sidetes marched his army east to fight (and lose to) the Parthians - timing that seems odd if his capital city (Antioch) was ravaged by an earthquake. This casts doubt on either the 130 BCE date, the extent of damage, or that this passage even describes an actual earthquake. Downey (1938) further noted that when Malalas states that Antioch suffered a disaster and had to be rebuilt, he could have been referring to the disaster that befell the city of Antioch when the last Seleucid King Antiochus VII fell to the Parthian King Phraates II rather than to a disaster caused by an earthquake.

Seismic Effects

• Antioch the Great, suffered from the wrath of God [in Malalas lexicon this refers to an earthquake]

Locations

• Antioch

Sources

Sources

Online Versions and Further Reading

References