479 BC Tsunami: North Aegean, Greece

479 B.C. Spring. 40 N, 23 E, earthquake magnitude 7 and intensity IX. Aegean Sea, northern Greece, Chalkidiki Peninsula including Kassandra. After a series of defeats of the Persians in Greece, the Greek city of Potidaea, located at the base of the Pallene (Kassandra) Peninsula in the lowest place and blocking the entrance to the peninsula, rejected Persian rule. The Persian commander Artabaz besieged Potidaea, which was surrounded by sea. After three months of siege, a strong and persistent drop in the sea level set in. The Persians saw that the coastal sand - bank had become a marsh and advanced along the Pallene coast. When they had covered two fifths of the distance to Pallene through the marsh, huge sea flood began, such as had never occurred here, according to inhabitants, although high floods of tide had been observed quite often. Those who could not swim drowned, and others were killed by inhabitants of Potidaea, who rowed up to them. The tsunami wave devastated the city. Artabaz withdrew the surviving warriors to Thessaly and Macedon. (reference #2130)

479 B.C. Winter. Chalcidice. Isthmus of Kassandra, Potidaea. (reference #15)

479 B.C. Chalcidice, Potidaea. (reference #14)

479 B.C. Winter. 40.25 N, 23.5 E, earthquake intensity IX. Chalcidice. Isthmus of Kassandra, Potodaea, tsunami intensity iii. (reference #20)

479 B.C. Spring. Macedonia (Chalkidiki), 40 1/4 deg N, 23 deg E. A seismic sea wave in the Gulf of Kassandra devastated Potidaea; the wave was preceded by a large withdrawal of the sea. (reference #109)

479 B.C. Winter. 39.7 N, 23.3 E, magnitude 6.7, Chalkidiki, Kassandra, Isthmus, Potidaea (tsunami intensity iii). (reference #330)

479 B.C. 39.7 N, 23.3 E, magnitude 7, reliability 2. Cause uncertain: possibly an earthquake. The sea withdrew and then returned in the gulf of Kassandra (Chalkidiki). Persian army, attacking Potidea, was invested by the wave: a lot of victims. (reference #4139)

The Herodotus Histories (Urania, Book 8, 129) report an unusual sea withdrawal followed by inundations by several large waves. Many soldiers of the Persian troops perished by drowning and the survivors were killed by the Potideans. The description of this event did not refer to neither a storm (Smid 1970), nor reported association with earthquakes (ref #9116). Other possible causes for this event could be related with meteorological effects or submarine slumping (ref #9116); these cannot be ruled out in the studied case. (reference #12669)

In the spring of 479 BC, the M 7.0, Potidaea earthquake triggered a great tsunami in the Gulf of Kassandra, which resulted in fatalities and damage to the coastal part of Potidae. The wave was preceded by a large withdrawal of the sea giving the opportunity to Persian soldiers to advance along the Kassandra coast. During their marching to Kassandra, the sea rose and a tsunami was generated. Those who could not swim drowned, while others were killed by Potidaea defenders and their ship attacks. (reference #13873)