- The Crete Tsunami of 365 CE was caused by a major undersea earthquake near Crete which produced a Tsunami which devastated all the towns in Crete.
- It also caused major damage to the coastal cities of Greece, Sicily, Libya, Egypt, Cyprus, and Spain.
Ammianus Marcellinus
- Ammianus Marcellinus (c.325-400 CE) wrote in ‘Res Gestae’, that a Tsunami struck Alexandria on this date.
- He described the earthquake, followed by the sea withdrawing and the subsequent tidal wave that engulfed the city of Alexandria and the coasts of the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Alexandria and the Nile Delta were devastated. Alexandria held a day of mourning every year thereafter.
Impact
- Thousands of people died across the Eastern Mediterranean and ships were left stranded miles inland.
- The Event was felt by the Ancient World to have been a Divine Act of Retribution.
- Valens (364-375 CE) was the Emperor of the East when the Tsunami occurred.
- It would have had a considerable impact on the economy of the Eastern Empire.
Cyrene
- Cyrene was the capital of the Roman Province of Cyrenaica and Crete before being ruined by the Crete Earthquake and Tsunami of 21 July 365 CE. After this it was abandoned.
- Cyrene is one of the most impressive complex of Ruins in the World where Greek and Roman Architecture co-exist. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982.
Source
- Ammianus Marcellinus
- Res Gestae
Crete
