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Synopsis Historion by Cedrenus (aka George Kedrenus)

Background and Biography
Background and Biography

Excerpts, Chronology, Seismic Effects, and Locations
Holy Desert Quake

Excerpts

English from Becker (1838) - 1st passage

there were many earthquakes in various places1; in the mountains in the wilderness of Saba, a village was swallowed in the [wilderness] of Saba.
Footnotes

1 JW: this appears to echo an eschatological prophecy uttered by Jesus in Luke 21:11 which may reflect both the language and spirit of the original source(s) and reflect a tendency by various Christian chroniclers to amalgamate multiple earthquakes into to one large doomsday-like event. In the Armenian translation of Michael the Syrian, this is stated explicitly - "for they believed that these numerous strange signs were omens of the coming end of the world". και σεισμοί κατά τόπους in the Greek of Cedrenus text echoes σεισμοί τε μεγάλοι, και κατά τόπους of the New Testament.

Latin from Becker (1838) - 1st passage

magna quoque siccitas fuit et multi terrae motus variis locis; adeoque et montes in solitudine Saba inter se coiverunt, et pagus terra absorptus est.

Greek from Becker (1838) - 1st passage

γέ γονε δε άβροχία πολλή και σεισμοί κατά τόπους , ως ενωθήναι όρη προς άλληλα κατά την έρημον Σαβά , και κώμην υπό γήν καταποθήναι .

English from Becker (1838) - 2nd passage

Year 4 - A great comet appeared in Syria.

...

Year 6 - There was a great earthquake in Palestine, by the Jordan and in all of Syria on 18 January at the 4th hour. An innumerable multitude perished - thousands. Churches and Monasteries collapsed. The worst was in the wilderness by the Holy City (Jerusalem).

Latin from Becker (1838) - 2nd passage

Anno 4 in Syria magnus cometa apparuit.

...

Anno sexto magnus fuit in Palaestina terrae motus, et ad Iordanem perque universam Syriam, die mensis Ianuarii 18, hora 4, innumenraque hominum perierunt milia, corruerunt templa et monasteria, maxime per solitudinem urbis sanctae.

Latin from Becker (1838) - embedded

Chronology
Year
Year Reference Corrections Notes
25 Mar. 743 - 17 June 750 CE between A.M.a 6236 and Constantine V's 9th year none
  • I can't currently figure out a precise year
  • Earlier in the text (Becker, 1838:3), there is a marker of A.M.a 6236 (25 Mar. 743 to 24 Mar. 744 CE)
  • Later in the text (Becker, 1838:9), there is a marker of Constantine V's 9th year (18 June 749 to 17 June 750 CE)
~747 CE Two A.M.a's after the comet none
  • In the second passage, a comet is mentioned ~2 years prior to the earthquake.
  • Hoyland (2011:245) lists three sources ( Theophanes, Agapius, and Michael the Syrian) reporting a comet in Syria in 745 CE.
Time and Date
Time and Date Reference Corrections Notes
~10 am on 18 January on 18 January at the 4th hour in the 2nd passage none
  • 4th hour refers to the 4th hour of daylight
Seismic Effects
  • there were many earthquakes in various places1
  • in the mountains in the wilderness of Saba2
  • a village was swallowed in the [wilderness] of Saba
  • There was a great earthquake in Palestine, by the Jordan and in all of Syria
  • An innumerable multitude perished - thousands
  • Churches and Monasteries collapsed
  • The worst was in the wilderness by the Holy City (Jerusalem)
Footnotes

1 Many earthquakes in various places could suggest multiple aftershocks, an inability to sort out the various earthquakes that struck the Middle East during this time period, or it could be evoking scripture for literary purposes. As for the latter, this appears to echo an eschatological prophecy uttered by Jesus in Luke 21:11 which may reflect both the language and spirit of the original source(s) and reflect a tendency by various Christian chroniclers to amalgamate multiple earthquakes into to one large doomsday-like event. In the Armenian translation of Michael the Syrian ), this is stated explicitly - "for they believed that these numerous strange signs were omens of the coming end of the world". και σεισμοί κατά τόπους in the Greek of Cedrenus text echoes σεισμοί τε μεγάλοι, και κατά τόπους of the New Testament.

2 The wilderness of Saba is in the Judean desert between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. For example, in the vicinity of the Mar Saba Monastery

Locations
  • Palestine
  • by the Jordan
  • all of Syria
  • the wilderness of Saba2
  • the wilderness by the Holy City (Jerusalem)
Footnotes

2 The wilderness of Saba is in the Judean desert between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. For example, in the vicinity of the Mar Saba Monastery

Talking Mule Quake

Excerpts

English from Becker (1838)

In the ninth year of Constanine, Marnamus was killed in the war with the Abbasids. On 25 January, a son Leo was born to Constantine [from his wife] Irena, the daughter of Chazara.

At the same time, there was a serious earthquake and terrible destruction in Syria. Some cities were destroyed [and] others partly destroyed. In some place[s?], in the mountains, a village[s?] slid down the mountain for a distance of 6 miles with their houses and buildings intact. Further, in Mesopotamia the earth was split for two thousand steps [~feet] and out of that chasm came a different type of white soil from which a emerged a mule who spoke a prophecy in a human voice - that a nation from the desert would invade the Arab lands. The prophecy came true.

Latin from Becker (1838)

Anno Constantini nono Marnamus a Maurophoris, qui et Chrysaro nitae, invaditur, gravissimaque commissa pugna occiditur. die vigesima quinta Ianuarii mensis Constantino ex Chazara Irena filius nascitur, cui Leoni nomen fecit.

eodem tempore in Syria gravis terrae motus terri biles edidit ruinas, quibusdam urbibus prorsus, quibusdam ad mediam partem prostratis, nonnullis etiam a montanis in subiectas planities cum muris et aedificiis absque ullo damno traiectis usque ad sex miliaria. porro in Mesopotamia terra in longum ad duo milia passuum rupta est, exque eius imo terra albissima atque arenosa egesta, de cuius medio animal muli forma adscendit, humana voce loquens et praedicens popu lan quendam e solitudine in Arabas incursionem facturum. quod et sic evenit.

Greek from Becker (1838)

Το θ ' έτει καταδιώκεται Μαρουάμ υπό των Μαυροφόρων των λεγομένων Χρυσαρωνιτών , και βαρυτάτου πολέμου κροτηθέν τος κτείνεται . τη δε κε ' του Ιανουαρίου μηνός γεννάται τώ ασε βεϊ Κωνσταντίνο υιός έκ της Χαζάρας Ειρήνης , δν επωνόμασαν Λέοντα . τω αυτώ χρόνω γέγονε σεισμός εν Συρία και μεγάλη και φοβερά πτώσις , όθεν αι μεν των πόλεων ολοκλήρως ηφανί σθησαν αι δε μέσως . έτεραι από των ορεινών εις τα υποκείμενα πεδία συν τοϊς τείχεσι και τοϊς οικήμασιν ολόκληροι σώαι μετέστη σαν ως από μιλίων εξ . έν Μεσοποταμία δε εις μήκος μίλια δύο ερράγη η γή , και εκ του βυθού αυτής ανήχθη γη λευκοτάτη και αμμώδης , ής εκ μέσου ανήλθε ζώον μουλικών άσπιλον , λαλούν ανθρωπίνη φωνή , προμηνύον έθνους επιδρομήν εκ της ερήμου κατά των Αράβων · δ και γέγονε .

Latin from Becker (1838) - embedded

Chronology
Year Reference Corrections Notes
18 June 749 - 17 June 750 CE Constantine, 9th year none
25 March 749 - 24 March 750 CE same A.M.a that Constantine's son Leo was born. none
  • calculated using CHRONOS
  • Leo was born on 25 January 750 CE which was in A.M.a 6242
  • possible forced synchronicity - Did Marwan really die on the same day that Leo was born ?
25 March 749 - 24 March 750 CE same A.M.a that Marwan (aka Marnamus) died none
  • calculated using CHRONOS
  • Marwan died on 25 January 750 CE which was in A.M.a 6242
  • possible forced synchronicity - Did Marwan really die on the same day that Leo was born ?
Seismic Effects
  • there was a serious earthquake and terrible destruction in Syria
  • Some cities were destroyed [and] others partly destroyed
  • block slide type of landslide - in the mountains, a village[s?] slid down the mountain for a distance of 6 miles with their houses and buildings intact
  • Sand boils appeared in an earth fissure - in Mesopotamia the earth was split for two thousand steps [~feet] and out of that chasm came a different type of white soil from
Locations
  • Syria
  • Mesopotamia

Online Versions and Further Reading
References