“New Ideas about the Destruction of Paphos,” D. Soren and E. Lane 1980David Soren and Eugene Lane

-6-

Still another indication that quakes of this time had severe results is given by Gregory of Nyssa (circa 340-394 A.D.). We do not know exactly when the following passage was written but it could obviously not have been as early as 342 and may well be in the 370s or early 380s, again describing events in recent memory: 15

τοιαῦτα καὶ περὶ τὰς χώρας τῶν Παφλαγόνων τὰ πάθη. ἔστι δὲ ὅπου καὶ οἰκήσεις ἀνθρώπων τοῖς χάσμασι συγκατεσπάσ- θησαν. πολλαχῇ δὲ τῶν οἰχητόρων γυμνὸς ὁ χῶρος ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ δεικνυται πάθει. καὶ τί χρῇ καθ' ἕκαστον Κυπρίους καὶ Πισίδας καὶ Ἀχαιούς, ἐν οἷς πολλὰ τῶν λεγομένων ἐμνησθημεν, ὅτι πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα, οὐ χάριν τῶν εἰρημένων ἐστι πάθη.

This may be translated:

"such also are the misfortunes concerning the lands of the Paphlagonians. In some cases even human habitations were drawn down into these chasms. And in many places, where such catastrophes occur, the land becomes deserted of its inhabitants. But why should I single out the Cypriotes, the Pisidians, the Achaeans, among whom there is much evidence for what I say? But the reason I mentioned the aforesaid is that all things of this sort are misfortunes of the earth."

It is important here that Gregory singles out the Cypriotes first among his lands savaged by the action of the earth. Human habitations were plunged into fissures at Kourion and this is still visible in an unpublished area near the house containing the well-known Achilles mosaic. And it is also noteworthy that the land appears to have been deserted by its inhabitants following the shock.

It would seem then that the city of Kourion, the Sanctuary of Apollo and Paphos fell by a gigantic earthquake about 370 A.D. There were no