  Constantinople Tripoli Alexandria  | |
| Local date | 21 July 365 |
|---|---|
| Local time | Sunrise |
| Magnitude | Mw 8.5+[1] |
| Epicenter | near Crete 35°00′N 23°00′E / 35.0°N 23.0°E[2] |
| Fault | Unknown (HSZ) |
| Areas affected | Mediterranean Basin |
| Max. intensity | MMI XI (Extreme)[2] |
| Tsunami | Yes |
| Casualties | "Many thousands"[2][3] |
The 365 Crete earthquake occurred at about sunrise on 21 July 365 in the Eastern Mediterranean,[4][5] with an assumed epicentre near Crete.[6] Geologists today estimate the undersea earthquake to have been a moment magnitude 8.5 or higher.[5] It caused widespread destruction in the central and southern Diocese of Macedonia (modern Greece), Africa Proconsularis (northern Libya), Egypt, Cyprus, Sicily,[7] and Hispania (Spain).[8] On Crete, nearly all towns were destroyed.[5]
The earthquake was followed by a tsunami which devastated the southern and eastern coasts of the Mediterranean, particularly Libya, Alexandria, and the Nile Delta, killing thousands and hurling ships 3 km (1.9 mi) inland.[3] The quake left a deep impression on the late antique mind, and numerous writers of the time referred to the event in their works.[9]
- ^ Stiros, S. C. (2010). "The 8.5+ magnitude, AD365 earthquake in Crete: Coastal uplift, topography changes, archaeological and historical signature". Quaternary International. 216 (1–2): 54–63. Bibcode:2010QuInt.216...54S. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2009.05.005.
- ^ a b c National Geophysical Data Center (1972). "Comments for the Significant Earthquake". National Centers for Environmental Information. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ a b Ammianus Marcellinus, "Res Gestae", 26.10.15–19
- ^ Today in Earthquake History Archived 2007-03-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c Stiros 2001, p. 545
- ^ Stiros 2001, p. 546, fig. 1
- ^ Stiros 2001, pp. 558–560, app. B
- ^ Moreno, M. E., Los estudios de sismicidad histórica en Andalucía: Los terremotos históricos de la Provincia de Almería (PDF), Instituto Andaluz de Geofísica y Prevención de Desastres Sísmicos, pp. 124–126
- ^ For summaries of the sources, see: Stiros 2001, pp. 557f., app. A