17 CE Earthquake Open this page in a new tab

This earthquake, attested by multiple authors, inscriptions, coinage, and dedicatory statuary, struck the western coastal region of Anatolia. It may have been felt in Antioch but is unlikely to have caused damage or casualties there. None of the many authors who described the event mentioned Antioch in their accounts. It is included here as background information because the official Roman imperial response—administering relief and suspending taxes—established a pattern later repeated during other earthquakes. This recurring response thus serves as an important indicator for identifying seismic events.

By Jefferson Williams