E01204: In the year 498/9, the martyrium-church of the city of Arsamosata (Armenia) collapses as a result of a natural disaster during the yearly commemoration of the local martyr saint, bringing about many casualties. Record in the Syriac Chronicle of Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite (6th c.).

Chronicle of Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite 35

ܬܘܒ ܕܝܢ ܒܗ̇ ܒܓܪܒܝܐ ܐܝܬ ܗܘܐ ܒܝܬ ܣܗ̈ܕܐ ܚܕ ܕܡܬܩܪܐ ܕܐܪܫܡܫܛ. ܐܝܢܐ ܕܡܫܪܪܐܝܬ ܒܢܐ ܗܘܐ ܘܦܐܝܐܝܬ ܡܨܒܬ ܗܘܐ. ܘܒܝܘܡܐ ܝܕܝܥܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܒܗ ܗܘ̇ܐ ܗܘܐ ܕܘܟܪܢܗ ܕܩܕܝܫܐ: ܕܣܡܝܢ ܒܗ ܟܠ ܫܢܐ ܒܫܢܐ܇ ܐܬܟܢܫܘ ܣܓ̈ܝܐܐ ܠܬܡܢ ܡܢ ܟܠ ܦܢ̈ܝܢ. ܐܝܬ ܕܠܨܠܘܬܐ ܘܐܝܬ ܕܠܬܓܘܪܬܐ. ܦܘܪܢܣܐ ܓܝܪ ܣܓܝܐܐ ܗܘ̇ܐ ܗܘܐ ܠܐܢܫܘܬܐ ܒܟܢܫܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܡܬܟܢܫ ܗܘܐ ܒܗ. ܘܟܕ ܥܡܐ ܣܓܝܐܐ ܐܝܬ ܗܘܐ ܒܗ ܕܓܒܖ̈ܐ ܘܕܢܫ̈ܐ ܘܕܛ̈ܠܝܐ: ܘܟܠ ܩܘ̈ܡܢ ܘܟܠ ܡܘ̈ܫܚܢ܆ ܗܘܘ ܒܖ̈ܩܐ ܕܚ̈ܝܠܐ ܘܦܩ̈ܥܐ ܥܫ̈ܝܢܐ. ܘܩ̈ܠܐ ܕܙܘܥܬܐ. ܘܥܪܩܬ ܟܠܗ̇ ܐܢܫܘܬܐ ܠܒܝܬ ܣܗ̈ܕܐ ܗ̇ܘ܇ ܠܡܚܕ ܓܘܣܐ ܒܓܖ̈ܡܝܗܘܢ ܕܛܘ̈ܒܢܐ. ܘܟܕ ܒܕܚܠܬܐ ܪܒܬܐ ܐܝܬܝܗܘܢ ܗܘܘ܇ ܘܒܨܠܘܬܐ ܘܒܬܫܡܫܬܐ ܩܝܡܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܒܦܠܓܗ ܕܠܠܝܐ. ܢܦܠ ܒܝܬ ܣܗ̈ܕܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܘܣܘܓܗܘܢ ܕܒܢܝܢ̈ܫܐ ܕܐܝܬ ܗܘܐ ܒܗ ܟܒܫ ܬܚܘܬܘܗܝ. ܗ̣ܘ ܕܝܢ ܗܕܐ ܐܣܬܥܪܬ ܒܝܘܡܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܢܝܩܦܘܠܝܤ ܢܦܠܬ ܗܘܬ.

'Furthermore, up north there was a martyrion called Arsamosata, which had been strongly built and beautifully decorated. Every year on the day on which occurred the commemoration of the saint who placed in it, a multitude would gather there from all around, some for prayer, others for business. Many supplies, in fact, were brought in for the people assembled in that company. When there was a great crowd there, of men, women, and children, and of all ages and ranks, terrifying lightning and violent thunder broke out, and the rumblings of a quake. All the people fled to the martyrion to take refuge with the bones of the saints, but while they remained there in great fear and were praying and worshipping in the middle of the night, the martyrion collapsed and the majority of those inside were crushed beneath it. This happened on the same day as the fall of Nicopolis.'

Ed. Chabot 1927-1933, v. 1, pp. 261-262; trans. by Trombley and Watt 2000, p. 34.