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Chronicle by Georgius Monachus

Background and Biography
Background and Biography

Excerpts, Chronology, Seismic Effects, and Locations
Talking Mule Quake

Excerpts

English

That year there was a powerful earthquake in Syria. Some cities were destroyed - others only partly so. In one place, a village moved with its walls and buildings intact. In Mesopotamia, the earth split three thousand feet and a white sandy soil came out of the chasm. Then an incredible thing - an onager emerged speaking of human affairs and predicted a foreign invasion - which happened a short time later.

Latin

In Syria vero maximus terrae motus urbes subvertit, quarum aliae omnino, aliae es parte tantum destruciae sunt , aliae ab editis in subjacentes campos, seu a duobus circiter milliariis integrae illaesaeque cum muris ac domibus fuerunt translatae . In Mesopotamia autem terra spatio trium milliariorum ſissa , aliam ebulit alliam arenosamque terram, de cujus medio ( res incredibilis ! ) exortum est bemionium humana voce loquens el praedicens populi incursuin , quod paulo post contigit.

Greek

( 39 ) Εν δε " γε τη Συρία γέγονε σεισμός μεγιστης και πολεων πτώσεις, ώστε αι μεν των πόλεων ολόκληροι εδαφίσθησαν, οι δε εξ ημισείας, έτεραι δε destruclæ sunt, από των αερίων εις τα υποκείμενα πεδία μετά των pos, τοίχων και των οικημάτων άρδην μετέστησαν αβλαβείς ώς από μιλίων β ': η δε γή 10 της Μεσοπο. ταμίας, επί μίλια γ ' σχισθείσα και ετέραν αναβρά. , σασαν 11 λευκήν και αμμώδη γήν, ανήλθε παραδόξω ; εκ μέσου ταύτης ημίονος ανθρωπίνη φωνή φθεγγο- μένη και προμηνύουσα επιδρομήν έθνους ", ( περ ) puli incursuin , φιού paulo post contigit . και γέγονε ( μετ ' ολίγον . )

Chronology

The earthquake account is bracketed by intrigue in Bulgaria which might help date this passage.

Seismic Effects
  • there was a powerful earthquake in Syria
  • Some cities were destroyed - others only partly so
  • block slide type of landslide - In one place, a village moved with its walls and buildings intact
  • Sand boils appeared in an earth fissure - In Mesopotamia, the earth split three thousand feet and a white sandy soil came out of the chasm
Locations
  • Syria
  • Mesopotamia

Online Versions and Further Reading
References