Event #634: Comet of unusual size seen across the world

Text #7061

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As he¹ was preparing for war against the Parthians, who were then disturbing Mesopotamia, he died in the Villa Publica, at Nicomedia, in the thirty-first year of his reign, and the sixty-sixth of his age. His death was foretold by a star with a tail, which shone for a long time, of extraordinary size, and which the Greeks call a KOMH/THS. He was deservedly enrolled among the gods.

1. Constantine. [nE] ↩

Text #7062

AD 333/4

In Antioch a star appeared in the eastern part of the sky during the day, emitting much smoke as though from a furnace, from the third to the fifth hour.

Text #7026

He¹ died in a country villa very close to Nicomedia - they call it Anchyrona, as that star, so fatal to rulers, which they call a comet, had portended.

1. Constantine. [nE] ↩

Text #773

AD 336 Feb 16 [China] (Ho 168)

(a) 2nd year of the Xiankang reign period of Emperor Cheng of the Jin Dynasty, 1st month, day xinsi [18]; in the evening, a broom star appeared in the west in Kui [LM 15].

[Song shu: tianwen zhi] ch. 24 [Jin shu: tianwen zhi] ch. 13

(b) 2nd year of the Xiankang reign period of Emperor Cheng of the Jin Dynasty, 1st month, day xinsi [18]; in the evening, a broom star appeared in Kui [LM 15].

[Jin shu: Cheng di ji] ch. 7

AD 336 Feb 16 [Korea] (Ho 168)

33rd year of King Biryu of Baekje, spring, 1st month, day xinsi [18]; a broom star was seen in Kui [LM 15].

[Jeungbo munheon bigo] ch. 6 [China]

Text #774

336 February 16; China, Korea, Rome.

A broom star comet in Andromeda appeared in the western evening sky. The death of the Roman emperor Constantine in May 337 was presaged by a hairy star of unusual size.

Ho (168), Barrett (54), P301.

Text #7025

The Chinese texts Sung shu (489) and Chin shu (635) say this “broom star” was observed on 336 February 16. The comet appeared in the evening at the west within Khuei [β, δ, ε, ζ, η, μ, ν and π Andromedae, and σ, τ, φ, χ, ψ, and 65 Piscium]. The evening sky location implies a UT of February 16.5. The Chronicle of Paekche, contained in the Korean text Samguk Sagi (1145) gives the same details.

The Roman historian Eutropius wrote about the Roman emperor Constantine I in his book Breviarium ab Urbe Condita (369). This states, “His death was foretold by a star with a tail, which shone for a long time, of extraordinary size, and which the Greeks call a comet. He was deservedly enrolled among the gods.” Constantine died on 337 May 22, so this Roman portent happened over one year earlier.

The Byzantine monk and chronicler Theophanes the Confessor wrote Chronographia (813) and said, “In Antioch a star appeared in the eastern part of the sky during the day, emitting much smoke as though from a furnace, from the third to the fifth hour.” The year is given as 333-334.

Full moon: February 13

Sources: Sung shu (489), 159; Chin shu (635), p. 240; Chronographia (813), p. 49; Samguk Sagi (1145), p. 159; A.G. Pingré (1783), p. 301; J. Williams (1871), p. 27; Ho Peng Yoke (1962), p. 159; A.A. Barrett (1978), p. 103; Eutropius: Breviarium, translated by H.W. Bird, Liverpool: Liverpool University Press (1993), book 10, paragraph 8 & pp. 156-7.