Antioch

Port city on the Mediterranean where everyone's a jerk, especially to Harald.

• Current Patriarch: Athanasius IV of Safa
• Current Governor: Hermogenes
• Patron Saint: St. Eusathius the Great
• Local Rabbi: Rabbi Enoch

Devastated by an earthquake in 526 that killed 250,000 people. The citizens fled to the countryside, where they were unceremoniously robbed by the rustics.

Also devastated by many other earthquakes (esp. in 458 & 528). Alas Antioch!

In 525, lightning struck the church of St Stephen Protomartyr, starting a fire that burned down much of the city.

Home for 60 days in the summer of 484 to the Anti-Emperor Leontius. Also a center of monophysite heresy.

Patriarch Anastasius was murdered by Jews here in 610, his desecrated corpse dragged through the streets. The effrontery of the Jews, to think they could get away with such a crime! It's almost unbelievable.

A Greek city for centuries, during which time it grew to become one of the world's largest and wealthiest cities, flourishing under the Seleucid, Roman, and Byzantine Empires.

A Persian city from 611–628.

A Byzantine city again 628–637.

An Arab city from 637–969, when it was reconquered by the Romans (i.e., the Greeks)

Former home of St Symeon Stylites (d. 459) and St. Symeon Stylites the Younger (b. 521).

See this entry on the quest blog: http://erinfinnegan.com/Quest/archives/000631.html