Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Byzantine historian Procopius documented many details from the empire's numerous wars, but he also mentions something that modern historians can't quite figure out.
"Porphyrios is mentioned in the writings of the 6th-century Byzantine historian Procopius, both in the History of the Wars (VII 29) and The Secret History. According to Procopius, Porphyrios measured 13.7 meters (45 ft) long and 4.6 meters (15 ft) wide. Whales were not well understood in antiquity or in the Middle Ages and were often seen simply as great monsters.
It is not possible to confidently identify which species Porphyrios belonged to. It might have been a sperm whale or an unusually large orca. Identification as a sperm whale is supported by its size, lengthy lifespan and temperament.[8] On the other hand, identification as an orca is supported by its geographical location, since true whales rarely venture into the waters which Porphyrios is known to have frequented.[6] If the name is a reference to the skin color, it could support either identification since both the black of orcas and dark brownish gray of sperm whales could be misinterpreted as dark purple.
The most accepted theory on how Porphyrios ended up in the waters of Constantinople is that when it was young, it swam through the Dardanelles while hunting and the strong currents of the strait prevented it from returning to the Aegean sea. It also could not enter the Black Sea, a sea that whales avoid due to the low levels of oxygen in its waters[clarification needed]. Consequently, Porphyrios was trapped in the Sea of Marmara. It is probable that it was the only whale in these waters and as a result had an abundance of prey to feed on. If it was an orca, this could explain its enormous size.
Porphyrios harassed ships in the waters of Constantinople for over fifty years, though not continuously since it at times disappeared for lengthy periods. It most frequently appeared in the Bosporus Strait. Porphyrios made no distinctions in regard to which ships it attacked, recorded as having attacked fishing vessels, merchant ships and warships. Many ships were sunk by Porphyrios, and its mere reputation terrified the crews of many more; ships often took detours to go around the waters where the whale most commonly swam. Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565), perplexed by the whale attacks and wishing to keep sea routes safe, made it a matter of great concern to capture Porphyrios, though he was unable to devise a means to do it.
When chasing dolphins one day, Porphyrios ran aground near the mouth of the Sakarya River and was beached. Though Porphyrios struggled and attempted to get out of the mud, it only managed to sink deeper into the mud, and become more stuck. Locals in the vicinity quickly organized themselves into a mob to kill the famous sea monster, rushing out with axes and ropes. They first attempted to kill Porphyrios using their axes, but their cuts into its flesh had little effect. Using ropes and wagons, Porphyrios was then hauled further up the beach and the whale was attacked and cut into pieces. Some of the attackers stored away their portion of the meat whereas others began to consume it on the spot."
More on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_DeS...
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Byzantine historian Procopius documented many details from the empire's numerous wars, but he also mentions something that modern historians can't quite figure out.
"Porphyrios is mentioned in the writings of the 6th-century Byzantine historian Procopius, both in the History of the Wars (VII 29) and The Secret History. According to Procopius, Porphyrios measured 13.7 meters (45 ft) long and 4.6 meters (15 ft) wide. Whales were not well understood in antiquity or in the Middle Ages and were often seen simply as great monsters.
It is not possible to confidently identify which species Porphyrios belonged to. It might have been a sperm whale or an unusually large orca. Identification as a sperm whale is supported by its size, lengthy lifespan and temperament.[8] On the other hand, identification as an orca is supported by its geographical location, since true whales rarely venture into the waters which Porphyrios is known to have frequented.[6] If the name is a reference to the skin color, it could support either identification since both the black of orcas and dark brownish gray of sperm whales could be misinterpreted as dark purple.
The most accepted theory on how Porphyrios ended up in the waters of Constantinople is that when it was young, it swam through the Dardanelles while hunting and the strong currents of the strait prevented it from returning to the Aegean sea. It also could not enter the Black Sea, a sea that whales avoid due to the low levels of oxygen in its waters[clarification needed]. Consequently, Porphyrios was trapped in the Sea of Marmara. It is probable that it was the only whale in these waters and as a result had an abundance of prey to feed on. If it was an orca, this could explain its enormous size.
Porphyrios harassed ships in the waters of Constantinople for over fifty years, though not continuously since it at times disappeared for lengthy periods. It most frequently appeared in the Bosporus Strait. Porphyrios made no distinctions in regard to which ships it attacked, recorded as having attacked fishing vessels, merchant ships and warships. Many ships were sunk by Porphyrios, and its mere reputation terrified the crews of many more; ships often took detours to go around the waters where the whale most commonly swam. Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565), perplexed by the whale attacks and wishing to keep sea routes safe, made it a matter of great concern to capture Porphyrios, though he was unable to devise a means to do it.
When chasing dolphins one day, Porphyrios ran aground near the mouth of the Sakarya River and was beached. Though Porphyrios struggled and attempted to get out of the mud, it only managed to sink deeper into the mud, and become more stuck. Locals in the vicinity quickly organized themselves into a mob to kill the famous sea monster, rushing out with axes and ropes. They first attempted to kill Porphyrios using their axes, but their cuts into its flesh had little effect. Using ropes and wagons, Porphyrios was then hauled further up the beach and the whale was attacked and cut into pieces. Some of the attackers stored away their portion of the meat whereas others began to consume it on the spot."
More on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_DeS...
Join membership: youtube.com/channel/UCGHDQtN_vzFYJaq_Fx1eikg/join
Second Channel: youtube.com/channel/UCt93hxFmjppL5nLRAX94UrA
Merch: qxir.creator-spring.com
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