April 1, 407 Earthquake: Marmara Sea, Turkey

407 A.D. April. Tyrrhenian Sea, Island of Ischia near Naples. A strong earthquake. The earth shuddered so that the cross of the Capitol crashed down to the ground. (reference #2130)

407 A.D. April 1. Marmara Sea. Earthquake 41 N, 29 E, magnitude 6.6, intensity VIII. Ships damaged in Constantinople. (reference #2427)

407 A.D. April 1. Constantinople. On 1 April 407 Constantinople was shaken by an earthquake at the same time as an exceptionally severe thunderstorm was raging in the region of the Sea of Marmara. The bronze tiles from the Forum of Theodosius were scattered over Caenopolis (the area immediately to the south of the Forum). Christ's emblem on the Capitol fell, many ships were damaged or sunk and not a few dwellings were 'cast forth' at Hebdomon (Makrikoy/Bakirkoy). Aftershocks may have lasted for seven days. The shock is not recorded as having affected any other centre of population and the reported damage seems to have been due to the weather conditions rather than to a seismic sea wave, for which there is no evidence. The damage to ships, probably those docked at Constantinople or sailing nearby, has led modern cataloguers to suggest that this earthquake may have caused a seismic sea wave (Guidoboni et al. 1994, 284). This does not seem valid, when the cause of the reported damage to the shipping was given explicitly as the storm. (reference #9116)