THE DESTRUCTION OF CRETE (TIS KRITIS O CHALASMOS): A POEM ON THE EARTHQUAKE IN CRETE IN 1508

Year 2023, Volume: 12 Issue: 2, 471 - 490, 31.12.2023

Ferhan Kırlıdökme Mollaoğlu

https://doi.org/10.30903/Balkan.1411753

Abstract

At the beginning of the 16th century, in 1508, a very strong earthquake hit the island of Crete causing great destruction, especially in its eastern part. Manolis Sklavos, a poet, who is unknown to us from elsewhere, accounted in the Destruction of Crete (Tis Kritis o chalasmos) a poem of about three hundred verses, the tragic moments of the earthquake, the victims and the damage to the buildings. In his poem, Sklavos emphasized that the earthquake was a divine punishment that occurred due to people’s sins, and therefore called them to pray and repent. The Destruction of Crete is one most important historical sources of this earthquake. In this poem, we believe that the name “Crete” refers only to the city of Candia and not to the island in general. Based on the content of the poem, we may assume that Manolis Sklavos was a native of Candia and that he was in the city at the time of the earthquake. Another important source about the 1508 earthquake in Crete is the letter of Girolamo Donato, the Venetian Duke of Crete, dated July 15, 1508.

Keywords

Manolis Sklavos, Crete, Modern Greek Literature, Poem, Earthquake

GİRİT’İN YIKILIŞI (TİS KRİTİS O CHALASMOS): 1508 YILINDA GİRİT’TE MEYDANA GELEN DEPREM HAKKINDA BİR ŞİİR

Abstract

16. yüzyılın başlarında 1508 yılında, Girit Adası’nı çok şiddetli bir deprem vurmuş ve özellikle adanın doğu kesiminde büyük yıkıma neden olmuştur. Hakkında başka bir kaynaktan bilgi sahibi olamadığımız şair Manolis Sklavos, Girit’in Yıkılışı (Tis Kritis o chalasmos) adlı eserinde depremin trajik anlarını, kurbanları ve binalarda oluşan hasarı yaklaşık üç yüz dizelik bir şiirle anlatmıştır. Sklavos, şiirinde depremin insanların günahları nedeniyle meydana gelen ilahî bir ceza olduğunu vurgulamış ve bu yüzden onları dua ve tövbe etmeye davet etmiştir. Girit’in Yıkılışı şiiri, 1508 yılında Girit’te meydana gelen deprem ile ilgili en önemli tarihi kaynaklardan biridir. Şiirde yer alan “Girit” adıyla, Sklavos’un adanın geneline değil, sadece Kandiye şehrine atıfta bulunduğu düşünülmektedir. Şiirin içeriğinden, Manolis Sklavos’un Kandiye’li olduğu ve deprem sırasında kentte bulunduğu anlaşılmaktadır. 1508 yılında Girit’te meydana gelen depremle ilgili bir diğer önemli kaynak ise Girit Adasının Venedikli Dükü Girolamo Donato’nun 15 Temmuz 1508 tarihli mektubudur.

Keywords

Manolis Sklavos, Girit, Çağdaş Yunan Edebiyatı, Şiir, Deprem

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