The multidisciplinary study of Greeks, Jewish and Early-Christian legends and myths in the Denizli basin (Aegean Turkey) allowed to interpret the information derived from oral traditions as codified description of historical happenings, and thus recover important geologic data. In this area important sanctuaries have existed, all connected to legends which appear to derive from similar geologic fundaments, credited by pilgrimages through centuries: at Colossae, at the southern end of the basin, the Sanctuary of St. Michael; at Hierapolis, a few kilometres north of it, the Temple of Apollo, with a famous Plutonium, and the Martyrdom of Apostle Philip. The present study focus in particular on earthquake of AD 60, to which are related two important Early-Christian legends: the apparition of Archangel Michael at Colossae, the first apparition of the Archangel before eyewitnesses in Christian era, and the arrival and martyr of Apostle Philip in Hierapolis. The first one is of particular interest because it proves to have had a strong influence in the Christian world, and we can find echoes of it also in St. Paul's Epistles. In fact the apparition reported to have occurred at Colossae after this earthquake is known to have started a cult of Archangel Michael which lasted centuries, and still goes on. Moreover, the event marked a relevant turn-point of the Christian conversion of the pagan cults in the area. The same figure of Archangel Michael appear to derive from a syncretism between Jewish and pagan beliefs, a philosophy peculiar to that area and known as the "Colossian Heresy". The Denizli basin belongs to the Turkish Aegean extensional province, one of the most rapidly expanding region in the world, undergoing extension in a NNE-SSW direction. The basin is situated at the eastern ends of the Gediz and Menderes grabens, each more than 200 km long, where they meet. Active mainly normal faults, NW-SE and E-W oriented, capable of earthquakes of magnitudes exceeding 6 and with recurrence time of 500-1000 years, bound the basin on all its sides. The basin suffered many strong earthquakes, the most destructive one being the so-called "Neronian earthquake" in AD 60, which completely destroyed Hierapolis and Colossae. This paper illustrates multiple results: i) dating of the apparition itself to A.D. 60 and reconstructing the geomorphic evolution of the area of Colossae it identifies the natural phenomena at the base of the legend to be the occurrence of permanent coseismic geomorphic effects, for which the legend is the only existent eye-witness report, and recognises the relative seismogenic structure to be the master fault of the Denizli basin; ii) at Hierapolis it was possible to identifying evidence of surface faulting, and the recent evolution of the travertine deposition activity, relating this latter to major climatic changes; iii) finally, comparing this case history with similar sanctuaries of Apollo at Delphi (Greece) and of Michael on the Gargano (Italy), it provides a new insight into the origin and evolution of important popular beliefs which influenced the Late Classic and Medieval religious and political evolution of whole Europe.

Religious consequences of the AD 60, Denizli basin earthquake (Aegean Turkey).

Piccardi L
2005

Abstract

The multidisciplinary study of Greeks, Jewish and Early-Christian legends and myths in the Denizli basin (Aegean Turkey) allowed to interpret the information derived from oral traditions as codified description of historical happenings, and thus recover important geologic data. In this area important sanctuaries have existed, all connected to legends which appear to derive from similar geologic fundaments, credited by pilgrimages through centuries: at Colossae, at the southern end of the basin, the Sanctuary of St. Michael; at Hierapolis, a few kilometres north of it, the Temple of Apollo, with a famous Plutonium, and the Martyrdom of Apostle Philip. The present study focus in particular on earthquake of AD 60, to which are related two important Early-Christian legends: the apparition of Archangel Michael at Colossae, the first apparition of the Archangel before eyewitnesses in Christian era, and the arrival and martyr of Apostle Philip in Hierapolis. The first one is of particular interest because it proves to have had a strong influence in the Christian world, and we can find echoes of it also in St. Paul's Epistles. In fact the apparition reported to have occurred at Colossae after this earthquake is known to have started a cult of Archangel Michael which lasted centuries, and still goes on. Moreover, the event marked a relevant turn-point of the Christian conversion of the pagan cults in the area. The same figure of Archangel Michael appear to derive from a syncretism between Jewish and pagan beliefs, a philosophy peculiar to that area and known as the "Colossian Heresy". The Denizli basin belongs to the Turkish Aegean extensional province, one of the most rapidly expanding region in the world, undergoing extension in a NNE-SSW direction. The basin is situated at the eastern ends of the Gediz and Menderes grabens, each more than 200 km long, where they meet. Active mainly normal faults, NW-SE and E-W oriented, capable of earthquakes of magnitudes exceeding 6 and with recurrence time of 500-1000 years, bound the basin on all its sides. The basin suffered many strong earthquakes, the most destructive one being the so-called "Neronian earthquake" in AD 60, which completely destroyed Hierapolis and Colossae. This paper illustrates multiple results: i) dating of the apparition itself to A.D. 60 and reconstructing the geomorphic evolution of the area of Colossae it identifies the natural phenomena at the base of the legend to be the occurrence of permanent coseismic geomorphic effects, for which the legend is the only existent eye-witness report, and recognises the relative seismogenic structure to be the master fault of the Denizli basin; ii) at Hierapolis it was possible to identifying evidence of surface faulting, and the recent evolution of the travertine deposition activity, relating this latter to major climatic changes; iii) finally, comparing this case history with similar sanctuaries of Apollo at Delphi (Greece) and of Michael on the Gargano (Italy), it provides a new insight into the origin and evolution of important popular beliefs which influenced the Late Classic and Medieval religious and political evolution of whole Europe.
2005
Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse - IGG - Sede Pisa
Active Tectonics
Archaeoseismology
Denizli basin
Aegean Turkey
Archangel Michael
Apollo.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14243/115349
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