Natural disasters
Sources of earthquakes, floods, famine and preventive
measures.
PD Dr. Ulrike Ehmig
SFB 933 – TP A03-UP2
Ústav klasických studií
Masarykova univerzita
Brünn, 12.10.2017
Ancient cities at Mount Vesuvius
Herculaneum
Pompeji
Excavations in Pompeii, late 19th century
Perfect condition in the disaster
Late evacuation in Herculaneum
Reconstruction and map of the boathouses
Again: Perfect condition in the disaster.
Shipwrecks with well-preserved and hardly shifted cargo
Lardier 4
Madrague
de Giens
Dolia ships: large containers - big disaster (Grand Ribaud D)
reconstruction of a dolia ship
Earthquakes mentioned in literary sources (BC 287 – 100 AD)
Nysa-Skythopolis, earthquake in 749 AD
Archaeological sources of earthquakes
Olympia, earthquakes in 522 and 551 AD
House of Caecilius Iucundus, Lararium: Representation of the Forum after the earthquake in 62 AD
Epigraphic sources of earthquakes:
Titus cares about the restoration of the sundial in Sorrento
AE 1902, 40 (Surrentum)
Imp(erator) Titus Caesar [divi] /
Vespasiani f(ilius) Vespasia[nus] /
Aug(ustus) pont(ifex) max(imus)
tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) I[X imp(erator)
XV] / co(n)s(ul) IIX censor
p(ater) p(atriae) horologi[um cum
suis] / ornamentis terrae
motib(us) [conlaps(um) restituit]
Titus has restored
the sundial, which
was destroyed
during the earthquake,
together
with its ornamen-
tation.
Epigraphic sources of earthquakes:
Restauration of the Colosseum in Rome in the late 5th century AD
CIL VI 1716b (p. 3173, 3813, 4742) = 32094b
(Roma) 484 AD
Decius Marius Venantius / Basilius v(ir)
c(larissimus) et inl(ustris) praef(ectus) / urb(i)
patricius consul / ordinarius arenam et /
podium qu(ae) abomi/nandi terrae mo/tus
ruina pros/travit sum(p)tu pro/prio restituit
Decius Marius Venantius Basilius, vir
clarissimus and inlustris, praefectus urbi,
patricius, consul ordinarius restored the
arena and the podium, destroyed by a
terrible earthquake, at his own expenses.
One of the rare epitaphs in the context of an earthquake:
tomb of Thrason for his children and their educator, Nikomedia 120 or 128 AD
Thrason, son of Diogenes, made the tomb for his two sons, Dexiphanes, 5 years old, and Thrason, 4 years old,
and for Hermes, 25 years old, who had educated them. In the ruins of the earthquake he held them in his arms.
Difficulties in the archaeological identification of earthquakes: example Augst (CH)
Remains of skeletons under architectural parts /
large parts of the wall fallen over
Difficulties in the archaeological identification of earthquakes:
example of the roman villa in Oberndorf-Bochingen
Oberndorf-Bochingen: fallen walls
Literary sources concerning
floods in ancient Rome
Ostia: construction of canals under the Emperor Claudius to reduce the risk of
flooding in Rome
... Claudius ... freed Rome from the danger of flooding by the construction of canals,
which were built because of the port … and drained into the sea
Construction of a canal under Emperor Trajan at the Iron Gate to bypass
the rapids of the Danube River
Imp(erator) Caesar Divi Nervae f(ilius)
Nerva Traianus Aug(ustus) Germ(anicus)
pont(ifex) max(imus) trib(unicia)
pot(estate) V p(ater) p(atriae) co(n)sul IIII
ob periculum cataractarum
derivato flumine tutam
Danuvi navigationem fecit
Dangerous roads: Great St. Bernard Pass
Votive offerings for Iupiter Optimus Maximus Poeninus for a good crossing
offering of a slaver (mango) reason: pro itu et reditu
Dangerous roads: Plöcken Pass – inscriptions
Excerpt from the inscription of Respectus
Excerpt from the inscription of Hermias:
Excerpt from the inscription of Valentinian:
Dangerous roads: Plöcken Pass – archaeology
Dangerous roads:
Plöcken Pass – inscriptions
Dangerous roads: Plöcken Pass – inscriptions
Excerpt from the inscription of Respectus
Excerpt from the inscription of Hermias:
Excerpt from the inscription of Valentinian:
Victims of the "Antonine plague"? (182 AD)
Squeeze of CIL III 5567 (Original lost)
… qui per luem vita functi sunt – who lost their lives through the plague
Pagan gods spread diseases (the
plague) by shooting arrows
- Hittites : Catalogue of Hittite Texts 425
- Ancient India : Rig-Véda 7,46,1–3; 11,2,26
- The Old Testament : e.g. Dtn 24,8. 32,23; Hi 6,4;
Ps 7,13. 38,2. 64,3. 91,5; Ez 5,16; Hab 3,11; Sach 9,14
- Greco-Roman World : Hom. Il. 1,43–53. Macr. Sat. 1,17
Iliadic table
The Capitoline Museum MC 0316
Pompeji, Casa del criptoportico
Gournay-sur-Aronde
Olympia, temple of Zeus
Finds of weapons, especially arrows in ancient sanctuaries
Weapons in greek sanctuaries
Ephesus, temple of Artemis
Also the christian God spreads diseases (the plague)
by shooting arrows
San Gimignano, St. AugustinMontone, museum of the town
votive arrow (collection
H. Hipp)
votive image at Ebersberg for the
preservation against smallpox
consecrated arrows of St. Sébastien
(Ebersberg near Munich)