Re: Historical Events Database
I managed to read through
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle up to AD 995 and stopped there. I added 33 entries from that source.
I just got back from one of the universities in the Triangle and finally got to read Ronald T. Ridley's rare translation of Zosimus'
Historia Nova, which is a better translation than the previous ones and with a good commentary.
Apparently, Zosimus contributed several aspects that led to the Empire's decline, such as failure to hold Saecular Games in 313 (which was "supposed" to cure everyone of diseases, or so he said), Constantine's conversion, death of Julian, anti-pagan campaign by Theodosius, and the sack of Rome in 410. There's basically two themes in his
Historia Nova: Decline of Paganism and Barbarisation of the Empire. He latched at Constantine and Theodosius for being Christians and being weak with how they handled the barbarians, which led to the downfall because around 394, the Empire gradually diminished and became a home for barbarians. Nowhere mentioned about the atmosphere or comet or even a star.
Ridley made good commentaries, including showing major distortions and contradictions in Zosmius; he also pointed out that while Zosimus used Eunapius and Olympiodorus (Greek sources), the latter two were using Nicomachus Flavianus'
Annales (in Latin).
Anyway, I already added a couple of things from that source to the database, rather minor things like plagues and earthquakes.
However, I found 3 things that I am not sure if they would need to be added or not:
Firstly, here's one during Emperor Probus' barbarian wars (this entry was marked as 277-78):
Zosimus said:
When the war was prolonged and a famine overtook the whole country, there was a heavy cloud-burst which poured down corn with rain and piled up heaps of grain. Everyone was so amazed at this phenomenon that at first they did not dare touch the grain to satisfy their hunger, but since necessity is stronger than fear, they finally baked bread and ate it, thus simultaneously, through the emperor's good fortune, banishing their hunger and easily gaining the advantage in the war.
A raining corn? Did that really happen?
Next entry put it between 308 and 311 during the reign of Maxentius:
Zosimus said:
A fire struck Rome, and burned the temple of Fortune. Everyone ran to help put it out, and a soldier uttering blasphemies against religion was killed when the mob attacked him out of piety. This induced the troops to mutiny and they almost have destroyed the city, had not Maxentius quickly calmed their fury.
Ridley's commentary regarding the fire: "Whether it came out of the air or the earth is unknown."
I'm not sure where to put the above: basically, it's fire that came from somewhere, burned the temple, one soldier cursed and was killed, by the mob, which in turned caused the troop to mutiny. What a strange chain of events.
This last piece is interesting because it involved "apparitions." This occurred around 396 about why Alaric I spared Athens and managed to sack every other city, including Rome in 410. This is considered a portent?
Zosimus said:
And I should not pass over in silence the reason for the city's miraculous preservation, because it will excite piety in all who hear of it. When Alaric and his whole army came to the city, he saw the tutelary goddess Athena walking about the wall, looking just like her statue, armed and ready to resist attack, while leading their forces he saw the hero Achilles, just as Homer described him at Troy when in his wrath he fought to avenge the death of Patrolclus.
These apparitions were too much for Alaric who, giving up his attempt against the city, sent heralds to treat for peace.... After accepting the terms and exchanging oaths, Alaric entered Athens with a few men. He was treated with every kindness and, after bathing and being entertained by select citizens and given gifts as well, he went off leaving the city and the whole of Attica unharmed.
Alaric, therefore, leaving the whole of Attica unharmed for fear of these portents, proceeded to the Megarid which he captured by a sudden attack, and the continued his march to the Peloponnese without resistance.
What's interesting about above is because it's "unbelievable." However, there's another possibility - earlier in Zosimus, there was an earthquake in 375 (after the big earthquake of 365 - I checked other sources, it's a different earthquake affecting Crete, the Peloponnese, and the rest of Greece) that affected a lot of cities in Greece, except for Athens and Attica, which were "spared." And, having read more about Rome between 400 and 410, there were plagues killing off its inhabitants, which rendered the city weak to defend itself, which was similar to other cities, adding with earthquakes, that Alaric sacked. Maybe Athens (and Attica) may not suffered as others did?
