Natural disasters in Ancient Rome

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Natural disasters had a significant, often overlooked impact on the Roman Empire. Here's a quote from Ammianus Marcellinus describing the earthquake from his work Res Gestae, Book XVII, Chapter 7:

“A terrific earthquake completely overturned the city and its suburbs … since most of the houses were carried down the slopes of the hill, they fell one upon another, while everything resounded with the vast roar of their destruction. Most people were killed at one blow. Others were imprisoned unhurt within slanting house roofs, to be consumed by the agony of starvation. Hidden in the rubble with fractured skulls or amputated arms or legs, injured survivors hovered between life and death, but most could not be recovered, despite their pleas and protestations resounding from beneath the rubble.”

Ammianus Marcellinus, Rerum Gestarum, Book XVII, chapter 7

Reflecting on the reports of the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, which caused over 100,000 deaths, I can only imagine how much more destruction ancient earthquakes—and other natural disasters like volcanoes and floods—might have caused in history. This highlights the importance of proper building standards and organized disaster responses, as without them, the death toll can be unimaginable. Clearly, the ancient world was just as vulnerable to the destructive forces of earthquakes and their tragic consequences as Haiti was.

Here's an article describing some of these disasters:

🌍 Earthquakes and Tsunamis in Ancient Greece and Rome

Ancient writers vividly described the devastation caused by natural disasters, providing insight into how these events influenced their world.:

🏛️ Famous Disasters

Nicomedia Earthquake (358 AD): Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus described the city’s destruction and the horrific suffering of trapped survivors.

Sparta Earthquake (464 BC): Plutarch wrote that it tore the land into chasms and destroyed almost all buildings.

Helice and Buris Tsunamis (373–372 BC): These Greek cities were permanently submerged, with their ruins described as moss-covered and silent.

North African Tsunami (365 AD): A massive quake caused the sea to retreat, exposing sea creatures and the seabed, before violently surging back, killing thousands and hurling ships inland.

🔊 Sounds of Disaster

Pliny the Elder observed that earthquakes produced terrifying sounds—resembling cattle bellowing or the clash of weapons.

🧠 Ancient Explanations

Divine Causes: Poseidon was frequently blamed; sacrifices were offered to appease him.

Natural Theories: Philosopher Anaximenes suggested earthquakes were caused by collapsing underground earth masses.

🧪 Early Predictions

Cicero mentioned Pherecydes of Samos predicting an earthquake by observing well water—although such methods were rare and unreliable.

 

 

‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome