La sismicité vécue par les sociétés antiques : du phénomène naturel intégré à l'histoire, à l'événement fictif (How greek and roman societies lived with earthquakes : from natural phenomena in connection with history to fictions)

摘要

Abstract. - In comparison with the effects of present earthquakes (e.g. febr- march 1981), the descriptions of the earthquakes which occurred in the same unstable region of Central Greece (e.g. 426, 373, Illrd cent. BC) emphasize the great accuracy of the accounts coming from eye-witnesses in the classical ancient times. However, the earthquake was not yet clearly understood, so that it was also regarded by the ancient societies as a supranatural signal introduced in the History (cf. the earthquake of Sparta, in 464 BC) : therefore, some questions arise with regard to the textual criticism, especially in the works of the writers during the late centuries of the Roman Empire, who used to be somewhat less accurate. From actual natural phenomena, such as the tsunami of 365, they can build a fiction.