Matt 27:45, ancient historians on the darkness and earthquake:

2nd/3rd C. CE: “In the same hour, too, the light of day was withdrawn, when the sun at the very
time was in his meridian blaze. Those who were not aware that this had been predicted about
Christ, no doubt thought it an eclipse. You [Romans] yourselves have the account of the world-
portent still in your archives” (“Apology” by Tertullian 21; Ante-Nicene).
Phlegon’s account (2nd C. CE historian):
“Some have endeavored to link this occurrence with an eclipse mentioned by Phlegon of Tralles,
a freedman of the second century C.E. He wrote of a remarkable eclipse that caused such
darkness that the stars were seen in the heavens. The date he assigned to this, the fourth year of
the 202d Olympiad (four-year periods counting from 776 B.C.E.), appears to coincide with the
year Jesus died. While it is possible that a person with a limited knowledge of astronomy might
incorrectly credit the darkness associated with Jesus’ death to an eclipse, we cannot be certain
that this was the event to which Phlegon was making reference because he does not give details
as to the time of year that it happened” (W ’65 12/1 p. 736).
3rd C. CE references to him: A similar account of these occurrences by a pagan historian
referred to by Origen: “And with regard to the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose
reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place,
Phlegon too, I think, has written in the thirteenth or fourteenth book of his Chronicles” (“Against
Celsus” by Origen 2, 33; Ante-Nicene; c. 250 CE).
Origen also writes more extensively, and agrees with Eusebius (quoted below), in his Notes on
Matthew (as noted above, Phlegon does not report what month of the year this occurred in): “Ut
ne enim dicerent eclipsin fuisse quod acciderat, propterea decima quarta contigit, quando solis
deliquium contingere impossibile est. Media item die, ut omnes orbem inhabitantes discerent,
ubique terrarum diem fuisse. Quidam etiam Phlegon gentilis philosophus harum tenebrarum
mentionem facit, tanquam quae praeter fidem acciderint luna decima quarta, quando natura non
fert ut contingat solia deliquium; quando longe abest solis distantia, quantum ab initio ad
terminum coeli. Tunc enim fiunt eclipses, quando ad se mutuo accedant haec duo luninaria. Fit
enim solis eclipsis luna illum synodice subeunte, non in plenilunio, quando sol e diametro respicit
lunam.” “So that no one might say that an eclipse had happened, this took place on the
fourteenth [day of the month], when it is impossible for an eclipse of the sun to occur. Likewise,
this occurred in the middle of the day, so that all the inhabitants of the earth might discern it,
wherever on earth it was daytime. Furthermore, a certain gentile philosopher named Phlegon
makes mention of this darkness, even though this happened, contrary to expectation, on the
fourteenth day of the moon, when nature does not allow a solar eclipse, when the sun is far
distanct [from the moon], as much as one horizon is from the other. For eclipses occur when
these two luminaries approach each other, seeing that a solar eclipse is when the moon passes
by the sun in conjunction, which is not at full moon, when the sun looks at the moon, it being
directly across from it” (“Ex Origene In Evangelium Secundum Matthaeum” [“Notes on the Gospel
of Matthew by Origen”] in Patrologia Graeca vol. 17, col. 310; on Matt 27:45).
3rd/4th C. CE quotation of him by Eusebius: “Jesus Christ, according to the prophecies, which
had been spoken about him beforehand, came to the Passion in the 18th year of Tiberius [32-33
CE], at which time also we find these things written verbatim in other commentaries of the
gentiles: an eclipse of the sun happened, Bithynia shaken by earthquake, and in the city of
Nicaea many buildings collapsed: all of which agree with what occurred in the Passion of the
Saviour. Indeed Phlegon, who is an excellent calculator of olympiads, also writes about this, in
his 13th book writing thus: ‘However in the fourth year of the 202nd olympiad [32-33 CE], an
eclipse of the sun happened, greater and more excellent than any that had happened
before it; at the sixth hour, day turned into dark night, so that the stars were seen in the
sky, and an earthquake in Bithynia toppled many buildings of the city of Nicaea.’ These
things the aforementioned man (says). The proof however of this matter, that in this year the
Saviour suffered, the gospel of John presents, in which it is written that after the 15th year of
Tiberius Caesar, the Lord preached for three years” (Jerome Chronicle Eusebius2 pp. 256-258).
See Julius Africanus’ reference to Phlegon’s account below, where he adds the Phlegon also
mentioned the fact that it lasted from the sixth to the ninth hour. This would explain Phlegon’s
reference to the ‘greatness and excellence’ of the darkness.
Calculating the Olympiads: The Olympiads started in the summer. The first one was from
summer 776 to summer 772 BCE: the first year of the first Olympiad was summer 776 to
summer 775 BCE; the second year summer 775 to summer 774; the third 774 to 773; the fourth
773 to 772. Going forward to the 194th Olympiad (193 Olympiads, or 772 years later), it was
summer 4 BCE to summer 1 CE. The 195th Olympiad was from summer 1 CE to summer 5 CE.
Going forward to the 202nd Olympiad (7 Olympiads, or 28 years later), it was summer 29 CE to
summer 33 CE, the fourth year being summer 32 CE to summer 33 CE, and Jesus died in spring
33 CE.
2nd/3rd C. CE reference to him by Africanus, quoted by an 8th C. CE chronicler: This
chronicler, George Syncellus, records the work of a 2nd/3rd C. CE. historian, Sextus Julius
Africanus, who quotes Phlegon, as did Eusebius, about these events. Note that Africanus quotes
Phlegon as saying the darkness lasted from the 6 th to the 9th hour, whereas Eusebius only quotes
him as saying it started at the 6th hour (but does add that it was the greatest such that had ever
occurred). Evidently, Eusebius did not quote Phlegon as completely as did Africanus:
“[Excerpts] from [the Chronography of Sextus Julius] Africanus [Christian historian of 2nd/3rd C.
CE] concerning the events associated with the passion of the Saviour and the life-bringing
Resurrection … Phlegon [Greek historian c. 140 CE] records that during the reign of
Tiberius Caesar there was a complete solar eclipse at full moon from the sixth to the ninth
hour; it is clear that this is the one … [this occurred in] the sixteenth year of Tiberius Caesar
(which was the second year of the 202nd Olympiad [30/31 CE])” (Syncellus pp. 465-467, 469).
Africanus does not say this is the date assigned to the darkness by Phlegon; this seems to be his
own dating because Africanus only assigned a one year ministry to Jesus, whereas Eusebius
assigned 3 years (and so dated the eclipse and Christ’s death in 32/33 CE). Moreover, just
because he dates it two years differently than Eusebius is no reason to discount that he is
recording a darkness lasting 3 hours, a supernatural occurrence that is, without a doubt, the
same Eusebius is referring to.
Thallus’ account (middle 1st C. CE historian):
2nd/3rd C. CE reference to him by Africanus, quoted by Syncellus of the 8 th C. CE:
“Concerning the events associated with the passion of the Saviour and the life-bringing
Resurrection … A most terrible darkness fell over all the world, the rocks were torn apart by
an earthquake, and many places both in Judaea and the rest of the world were thrown
down. In the third book of his Histories, Thallos dismisses this darkness as a solar
eclipse. In my opinion, this is nonsense. For the Hebrews celebrate the Passover on Luna 14,
and what happened to the Saviour occurred one day before the Passover. But an eclipse of the
sun takes place when the moon passes under the sun. The only time when this can happen is in
the interval between the first day of the new moon and the last day of the old moon, when they
are in conjunction. How then could one believe an eclipse took place when the moon was almost
in opposition to the sun?” (Syncellus pp. 465-466).
The historian quoted by Africanus, Thallus, wrote especially of history around Syria: “The writers
on Syrian history, Castor and Thallus” (Preparation for the Gospel 10,10).

Bibliography:
Ante-Nicene: The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of The Writings of the Fathers down to A.D.
325, New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1913; (quotes refer to the work and ancient author)
Jerome Chronicle Eusebius2: Jerome’s Chronicle Being Eusebius’ Chronicle translated by Roger
Pearse (from Patrologia Latina vol. 27 text), 2005
Patro Graeca: Patrologia Graeca [Works of the Greek Fathers] edited by Jacques-Paul Migne,
1857-1866
Patro Latina: Patrologia Latina [Works of the Latin Fathers] edited by Jacques-Paul Migne, 1844-
1855
Prep Gospel: The Fifteen Books of The Preparation for the Gospel of Eusebius Pamphilius
translated by E.H. Gifford, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1903
Syncellus: The Chronography of George Synkellos: A Byzantine Chronicle of Universal History
from the Creation translated by William Adler and Paul Tuffin, Oxford, Oxford University Press,
2002