The building was destroyed by an earthquake and revealed by a downpour on the beach in Livanates Lamia

An earthquake destroyed it, a downpour revealed her. The reason for an unknown as of today, large early Christian basilica with ancillary additions, which came to light at Livanato beach, στα 70 kilometers from Lamia, in a privately owned olive grove, after a strong stream of water which first brought to the surface a small part of the mosaic floor. It was only the beginning.

The rescue research of the 24th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities, under the supervision of archaeologist Dr. Georgios Kakavas, director today of the Numismatic Museum of Athens will reveal an impressive, religious, building complex of the 5th m. X. century decorated to a large extent by elaborate mosaic floors with colorful geometrics, plant and animal subjects and extra, in a prominent position, with its approved founding inscription: FOR EYXHC KE COTIRIAC… / EVERYWHERE OF THE HOUSE [HIS]… / THE WONDERFUL (ACIOTATOC) FROM EKTICEN FOUNDATION…

"The excavation data and especially the inscription, the stone pillar on which the iconostasis was placed, the marble parts of columns and colonnades, the shards of well-worked glass and housing ceramics, the wide solid walls, the orientation and structure of the building allow the assumption that it is an early Christian basilica. In addition, the high art and solid technique of the mosaicists combined with the amazing variety of color and the naturalistic rendering of their subjects, lead us to attribute their construction to artisans, mosaicists and votaries, members of a well-organized laboratory, which probably operated in the wider area during the 5th century", he said yesterday during his speech – announcement of the results of the investigation – at the National Archaeological Museum, Mr. You bastard.

As he himself described the excavation, where did the 2009 reveal daily, colorful mosaic floors of high art and technique with high definition partridges, dolphins, fish, cuttlefish, eels, scallops, colorful plants and complex geometric ornaments. The ownership inscription was of particular interest, which is written in Greek in "tabula ansata" (roman plate shape with handles) behind the entrance of the sacred step. And as it follows from it, the owner was someone, who held the honorific title of "Your Excellency", title borne by low-ranking imperial officials or some prominent local lords from the 4th to the end of the 5th c.. X. century.

Moreover, the collapse of the basilica due to an earthquake particularly occupied the archaeological research, since it is considered likely that this happened from its strong earthquake 551, which created one of the largest recorded, post-seismic sea waves, a tsunami that is. And indeed, the historian Procopius describes a strong earthquake, that hit it 551 central Greece, from the Gulf of Crisa and Boeotia to East Locris and the shores of the Malia Gulf, who in fact, accompanied by huge sea seismic waves caused enormous damage to the ground, destroyed many villages, leveled eight cities and sank many of their buildings into the sea.

"It was during that period of time that unreal unusual earthquakes occurred in Greece, where also in Boeotia and Achaia and in the area of ​​the Chrysaion gulf, i.e. the gulf of Itea, badly shaken", writes Procopius. And below: "The earth in many places opened up and chasms were created. In the gulf between Thessaly and Boeotia a sudden sea wave struck the cities of Echinus and Scarfeia. Moving inland he overwhelmed the cities and leveled them instantly. And for a long time the inland was flooded in this way, so that people for a considerable time could walk on the islands of the bay, since the sea water, it had left its proper place and scattered towards the land, strangely as the mountains…».

As said by Mr. You bastard "Many modern experts believe that Prokopius' description records a seismic excitation in a wide area of ​​central Greece and can be attributed to three seismic sequences with three corresponding main earthquakes and aftershocks: in the gulf of Maliakos with tension 6.7 degrees of the Richter scale, in the northeastern Corinthian Gulf with intensity 7.0 degrees of the Richter scale and in the Gulf of Patras with intensity 6.5 degrees on the Richter scale". According to him, the above confirms excavation data in the area of ​​Eastern Locris so far as it is proven that many cities declined or were completely destroyed.

Source : tovima.gr