E07734: John Diakrinomenos in his Ecclesiastical History mentions the miraculous survival during an earthquake of the church which housed the tomb of *Gregory the Miracle Worker (bishop and missionary in Pontus, S00687) in Neocaesarea (northern Asia Minor). Written in Greek in Constantinople, c. 513/515.

John Diakrinomenos, Ecclesiastical History, excerpts from Book 8

Ἐν Νεοκαισαρείᾳ σεισμοῦ τηνικαῦτα μέλλοντος γίνεσθαι στρατιώτης τις ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ὁδεύων δύο στρατιώτας ἀπιόντας ἐπ’ αὐτὴν ἐθεάσατο καὶ τούτων ὄπισθεν ἕτερον κράζοντα· «φυλάξατε τὸν οἶκον ἐν ᾧ ἡ θήκη Γρηγορίου ἐστίν.» καὶ ὁ μὲν σεισμὸς ἐγένετο καὶ τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος τῆς πόλεως ἔπεσεν, ὁ δὲ οἶκος τοῦ Θαυματουργοῦ διεσώθη.

'At that time, an earthquake was about to occur in Neocaesarea, and a soldier travelling towards the city saw two soldiers heading towards it and another behind them shouting: “Keep the house where the tomb of Gregory lies.” The earthquake took place, and the greatest part of the city collapsed, but the house of the Miracle-Worker survived.'

Text: Hansen 1995.
Translation: Efthymios Rizos.