July 21, 365 Tsunami: Crete, Greece

365 (possibly 355; 358, Aug 24; 362; 369, 376, 425). Eastern part of Mediterranean Sea, Hellenic Arc. 21 July 365 before sunrise a strong earthquake [35N 23E, intensity X] and a catastrophic tsunami occurred with source near Crete. The tsunami wave started with a large drop in water level; ships were left high & dry; many sea animals were beached; citizens rushed to the exposed shore to pick up fish with their hands. About 15min later a large wave appeared with a roar, sweeping everything in its path. This turned out to be unexpected for the many thousand people crowding the coast and resulted in their death. Broken ships were found 2km from the coastal line on the southwestern shore of Pelponnesus near Methone. Achaea & other districts (Boeotia, Epirus) in the north of Pelponnesus were damaged. About 5000 people were killed in Greece.

In the northern part of the Adriatic Sea, rivers flowed backwards; the sea retreated from the coastal line. Sailors testified that, as they navigated through the Mediterranean Sea, ships suddenly happened to go aground, but soon the water returned and they continued their voyages. Coast of Sicily was flooded.

In Alexandria (probably this was not Alexandria in Egypt, but Alexandria Troas in Asia Minor) the sea retreated to a great distance; big & small ships ran aground. Many people gathered to watch...ships were thrown over the coastal dam by the subsequent swift water roller; 700 people were killed according to chronicles, & about 5000-from other data.

Sea waves observed in Asia Minor. In Malaga, Spain, sea retreated far from the coastal line, returned later and threw ships over buildings; many citizens drowned. Hypotheses that the 21 July 365 tsunami in Malaga was generated by an earthquake in the south of Spain.

(ref #2130)

365 July 21. Major earthquake in the Hellenic Arc, over 900km NW of Lower Egypt, was responsible for a catastrophic sea-wave that played havoc with coastal settlements on the Nile Delta. Contemporary historians say that in Alexandria...sea passed beyond its boundaries and flooded a great deal of land, so that on the retreat of the waters the sea-skiffs were found lodged on the roofs of houses. In the region of the lagoon of al-Manzala, east of the Delta between Damietta and Port Said, the land previously rich became a desert:...the sea rose suddenly due to the earthquake, rushing over its limits, ruining all villages, covering with salt the land which before was fertile...only villages on high ground survived. Later writers add that in Alexandria alone 50000 houses were flooded and 5000 people were drowned; ships were carried by the waves over the city walls and boats in the Nile were deposited on dry land about 3.5km from river. The region of Tinnis and the town itself were totally destroyed. The sea-wave had equally destructive effects in other parts of the eastern Mediterranean region...more likely that the damaging effects of the earthquake were confined between Messenia and Laconia in the Peloponnese, the west part of Crete and Cyrenaiea, but not further west.(ref #3845)

365 July 21. 35N 23E, magnitude 8, intensity X, tsunami intensity VI. All sources are concentrated on the frightening effects of the very exceptional seismic sea waves which struck many localities in the Mediterranean basin, particularly involving thousands of people were drowned and the waves leveled many towns on the coasts of Crete, Peloponnesus, Boeotia, and even as far as Alexandria (Egypt), Sicily & Dalmatia.(ref #4139)

Monachos [ref #10490, v. 2, p. 560] uses poetic licence to create a cosmic earthquake. He gives specific, but mainly unreasonable, figures: 50000 people drowned (not killed by the earthquake), & ships driven (~32km!) inland and onto mountains (~11 km) high.(ref #9116)

impacts of 365 tsunami in Alexandria remain a matter of debate (ref #12968)