March 20, 1389 Earthquake: Aegean Sea, Greece

1389 March 20, 38.4 N 26.3 E, M 6.8 Mytilene (IX). In two codes of the libraries of Palermo and Vatican, it is written that the earthquake of 20 March 1389 destroyed the largest part of Castro and fissured and broke most of the buildings. Many other houses of Neochorio which were close to the coast fell down. Two women were killed and many churches were seriously damaged. The sea wave, generated by this earthquake, reached up to the middle of the commerce place and forced people to leave. Smyrne, the tower ofPhocaea and Ikaria were also destroyed (Zolotas, 1921; Sgouros, 1937). (reference #4408)

A damaging earthquake occurred in the eastern Aegean. It did great damage on the islands of Ikaria and Chios as well as in Smyrna and Fokia (Foca) on the mainland. The shock was associated with a seismic sea wave, which advanced about 300 m inland on the east coast of Chios. The earthquake happened at the eighth hour of the day on Saturday, 20 March, in the 11th indiction 6897, in the 9th solar and 19th lunar cycles (20 March 1389). The fullest account gives 20 March a.M.Byz. 6897 (1389), the 2nd indiction (probably a scribal error for 12th), on a Saturday, during the 8th hour (2 pm), in the 9th cycle of the Sun and 19th of the Moon. The date of the event is confirmed by another historical fragment, which summarises the effects of the earthquake in Chios without adding any new information (Lampros 1910a, 147). (reference #9116)

The M = 6.7 Chios earthquake of 20 March 1389, wreaked havoc on the islands of Ikaria and Chios, as well as Smyrna and Focaea on the mainland [16, 18, 107, 109–111, 113, 118–120]. It obliterated Chios’ fortress and severely damaged nearly all of the city’s churches. It also triggered a tsunami that hit the town of Chios [17, 18]. Following the sea’s withdrawal, the sea rose and inundated the coast. It returned to its original location, then flooded the town again, this time up to the middle of the market square (300 m inland on Chios’ eastern coast), forcing people to flee. (reference #13873)