AD 17 Lydia earthquake - Misplaced Pages

17 AD earthquake in the Roman province of Asia

Location of some of the affected towns and cities in Asia Minor

The AD 17 Lydia earthquake caused the destruction of at least twelve cities in the region of Lydia in the Roman province of Asia in Asia Minor (now part of Turkey). The earthquake was recorded by the Roman historians Tacitus and Pliny the Elder, and the Greek historians Strabo and Eusebius. Pliny called it "the greatest earthquake in human memory" (Nat. Hist. 2:86 §200). The city of Sardis, the former capital of the Lydian Empire, was the most affected and never completely recovered from the destruction.

Damage

Historical records list up to fifteen towns and cities that were destroyed or damaged by the earthquake: Sardis, Magnesia, Temnos, Philadelphia, Aegae, Apollonis, Mostene, Hyrkanis, Hierapolis, Myrina, Cyme, Tmolus, Pergamon, Ephesus and Kibyra. Of these, Pergamon, Ephesus and Kibyra are not mentioned by Tacitus. The record of damage at both Ephesus and Kibyra may refer instead to an earthquake in AD 23. In Pergamon the Heroon of Diodoros Pasparos was remodelled after the earthquake.

Earthquake

There are very few extant details for this earthquake. It is known that it occurred during the night, in AD 17 and that it affected a series of cities. A variety of epicenters have been used in catalogues, near Ephesus in the NGDC database, at Sardis in the CFTI4MED database and near Magnesia in the IISEE catalogue.

Aftermath

The Roman Emperor, Tiberius, agreed to waive all taxes due from Sardis and the other cities for a period of five years after the earthquake. He further sent Sardis ten million sesterces and appointed Marcus Ateius, an ex-Praetor, to assess their needs. In recognition of the aid received and the tributes that were waived, twelve of the cities raised a colossal statue in Tiberius' honour in Julius Caesar's Forum in Rome, with each of the cities represented by a recognisable figure. Two additional figures were added later, representing Kibyra and Ephesus as they had also received aid from Tiberius. A copy of this statue, with the figures transferred to a frieze around the base, was erected in Puteoli where it can still be seen.

A statue was raised in Tiberius' honour at Sardis in AD 43, with an inscription calling him the "founder of the city". Another incomplete inscription, found at Sardis, is thought to have been a copy of a formal document from the cities to the emperor expressing their gratitude. The surviving part includes signatories from representatives of eight of the cities.

Commemorative coins were struck in AD 22–23 in Rome, showing Tiberius with the inscription "CIVITATIBVS ASIAE RESTITVTIS" (RPC I.2.48) or "to the cities of Asia restored". Provincial coins were also struck, including one from the city of Magnesia, bearing the inscription "ΤΙΒΕΡΙΟΝ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΝ ΚΤΙΣΤΗΝ" or "Tiberius Augustus Founder".

Some of the restored cities changed their names in honour of the emperor. Hieracome became Hierocaesarea, Kibyra added Caesarea after its name, Philadelphia was renamed Neocaesarea, and Sardis added "Caesarea" briefly to its name.

References

Keitel, E. (2010). "Tacitus and the Disaster Narrative". In Kraus C.S., Marincola J. & Pelling C. (ed.). Ancient Historiography and Its Contexts: Studies in Honour of A. J. Woodman. Oxford University Press. p. 335. ISBN 978-0-19-161409-5.
Holman Bible Editorial Staff (2011). Holman Concise Bible Dictionary. B&H Publishing Group. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-8054-9548-5.
Tacitus, Publius Cornelius (1870). Books I. and II. of the Annals of Tacitus: translated into English with notes and marginal analysis of the chapters. Translated by Beesly H.E. Longmans. pp. 117–118.
Murphy-O'Connor, J. (2008). St. Paul's Ephesus: texts and archaeology. Liturgical Press. pp. 117–118. ISBN 978-0-8146-5259-6.
^ Stillwell et al. 1976.
Mierse, W.E. (1999). Temples and towns in Roman Iberia: the social and architectural dynamics of sanctuary designs from the third century B.C. to the third century A.D. University of California Press. p. 168. ISBN 9780520203778.
National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (1972). "Significant earthquake". NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
Guidoboni, E.; Ferrari G.; Mariotti D.; Comastri A.; Tarabusi G.; Valensise G. "Catalogue of Strong Earthquakes in Italy (461 BC – 1997) and Mediterranean Area (760 B.C. – 1500)". INGV-SGA. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering. "Catalog of Damaging Earthquakes in the World (Through 2009)". Retrieved 8 March 2012.
Ando, C. (2000). Imperial ideology and provincial loyalty in the Roman Empire. University of California Press. p. 311. ISBN 978-0-520-22067-6.
Kuttner, A.L. (1995). Dynasty and empire in the age of Augustus: the case of the Boscoreale Cups. University of California Press. p. 75. ISBN 9780520067738. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
Yegül, F.K.; Bolgil, M.C. (1986). The Bath-Gymnasium Complex at Sardis. Report (Archaeological Exploration of Sardis (1958– )). Vol. 3. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-06345-7.
Buckley, W.H.; Robinson D.M. Greek and Latin inscriptions. Publications of the American Society for the excavation of Sardis. Vol. 7. E.J. Brill. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
"RIC I (Second edition) Tiberius 48".
Kreitzer, L.J. (2004). "Living in the Lycus valley: Earthquake Imagery in Colossians, Philemon and Ephesians". In Roskovec J., Mrázek J. & Pokorný P. (ed.). Testimony and interpretation: early Christology in its Judeo-Hellenistic Milieu : studies in honor of Petr Pokorný. Journal for the study of the New Testament: Supplement series. Vol. 27. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 83–84. ISBN 978-0-567-08298-5.
^ Ramsay 1904, pp. 409–410.
Ramsay 1904, pp. 366–367, 398, 409.

Sources

Ramsay, William Mitchell (1904), The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia, Hodder and Stoughton
Stillwell, R.; MacDonald, W.; McAlister, M.H.; Holland, Marian (1976). "Kibyra Maior (Horzum (Gölhisar)) Phrygia, Turkey.". The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites. Retrieved 9 March 2012.

38°29′N 28°02′E / 38.49°N 28.04°E / 38.49; 28.04

v t e Earthquakes in Turkey
Historical	AD 17 Lydia 115 Antioch 141 Lycia 262 SW Anatolia 447 Constantinople 526 Antioch 528 Antioch 557 Constantinople 840 Erzurum 847 Damascus 1114 Marash 1269 Cilicia 1509 Constantinople 1513 Marash 1598 Amasya–Çorum 1653 Smyrna 1668 North Anatolia 1688 Smyrna 1766 Istanbul 1766 Marmara 1840 Ahora 1855 Bursa 1856 Heraklion 1859 Erzurum 1866 Bingöl 1872 Antioch 1875 Dinar 1881 Chios 1883 Çeşme 1893 Malatya 1894 Istanbul 1898 Balıkesir 1899 Aydın–Denizli 1903 Manzikert 1912 Mürefte 1914 Burdur 1919 Ayvalık
Contemporary	1924 Pasinler 1926 Kars 1929 Suşehri 1930 Salmas 1935 Erdek–Marmara Islands 1935 Digor 1938 Kırşehir 1939 Erzincan 1941 Van–Erciş 1942 Niksar–Erbaa 1943 Adapazarı–Hendek 1943 Tosya–Ladik 1944 Bolu–Gerede 1944 Gulf of Edremit–Ayvacik 1946 Varto–Hınıs 1949 Karlıova 1951 Kurşunlu 1952 Hasankale 1953 Yenice–Gönen 1957 Fethiye 1957 Abant 1964 Manyas 1966 Varto 1967 Mudurnu 1968 Bartın 1969 Alaşehir 1970 Gediz 1971 Bingöl 1975 Lice 1976 Çaldıran–Muradiye 1983 Erzurum 1983 Biga 1986 Malatya 1992 Erzincan 1995 Dinar 1998 Adana–Ceyhan 1999 İzmit 1999 Düzce 2002 Afyon 2003 Bingöl 2004 Doğubayazıt 2010 Elazığ 2011 Kütahya 2011 Van 2014 Aegean Sea 2017 Aegean Sea 2019 Istanbul 2020 Elazığ 2020 Van 2020 Bingöl 2020 Aegean Sea 2022 Düzce 2023 Gaziantep–Kahramanmaraş

Earthquakes in Turkey

Historical

Contemporary

v t e 1st-millennium earthquakes
1st-century	AD 17 Lydia Lost body hypothesis AD 62 Pompeii
2nd-century	115 Antioch 139 Mcurn 141 Lycia
3rd-century	262 Southwest Anatolia
4th-century	363 Arsakawan 363 Galilee 365 Crete
5th-century	447 Constantinople 461 Apahunik' 499 Nicopolis
6th-century	526 Antioch 528 Antioch 542 Sea of Marmara 551 Beirut 551 Malian Gulf 554 Anatolia 557 Constantinople
7th-century	602 Surb Karapet Monastery 632 Armenia 679 Tsukushi 684 Hakuhō
8th-century	735 Vayots Dzor Province 740 Constantinople 743 Caspian Gates 749 Galilee 779 Gyeongju
9th-century	801 Apennine 803 Mopsuestia 840 Erzurum 847 Damascus 856 Damghan 859 Syrian coast 863 Dvin 869 Jōgan 881 Acre 893 Ardabil (false event) 893 Dvin
10th-century	906 K'argop' 957 Caspian Sea 991 Damascus 995 Balu

Categories:

Damage

Earthquake

Aftermath

See also

References

Sources