THE REAL SEA MONSTER A Giant Whale That Terrified the Byzantine Empire Social media lit up in spring of 2023 with news that orcas were attacking boats off the coasts of Portugal and Spain. Experts can’t agree on the reason behind this aggressive behavior, but history tells us it’s not the first time whales have gone rogue against sea vessels in their midst. Citizens of the Eastern Roman Empire (aka the Byzantine Empire) dealt with a similar problem in the form of a fearsome giant whale they named Porphyrios. Porphyrios struck terror into the hearts of fishermen, merchants, and soldiers who frequented the waters around Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey) during the 6th century; he spent roughly 50 years attacking boats of all sizes throughout the area. Then he would disappear for years at a time, but the locals never knew when he would reappear to sink more ships. The whale caused so many problems for commerce and defense that Roman Emperor Justinian I reportedly prioritized capturing or killing him. But even the greatest war strategists could not devise a way to take Porphyrios down. He was like a natural disaster, and leaders could stop him no more than they could hold off a hurricane. As with today’s killer whales, experts are unsure what drove Porphyrios’ behavior. Since cameras would not be invented for more than 1,000 years, there are no photographs of Porphyrios, and it’s impossible to know what species he was. Due to his enormous size and apparent long life, many marine biologists believe he was a sperm whale. However, others point out that sperm whales rarely live in the region where Porphyrios caused his mayhem and think he was an orca — perhaps an ancestor of the modern-day boat bashers around Europe.
Watch Our Epic Family Music Video! You’ve probably noticed by now that I have a big family. I’m one of 13 Packard kids, and in addition to working at the firm together, we throw epic Packard Family Reunions. This year, we used some of our reunion time at Lake Buchanan to do something new: Record a family music video! My brother David wrote the song “We Are One” with help from my daughter Sabrina. Then, my nephew Samuel (a professional DJ) produced it while my niece Christina shot the music video. Even the editing was done by the family! It was amazing to see Samuel turn a cabin on the lake into a recording studio. He brought in a truckload of equipment, and we all took turns singing a line or two. As a Packard Law Firm client, you’re part of our family, too, so I want to share the video with you! You can find “We Are One” on YouTube by searching “We Are One Packard Legacy” or scanning the QR code on this page. After you watch the video, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Music runs in our family, and my daughter, Sabrina, definitely has the gift. She’s only 16, but she has already released three singles (“Hollow,” “Honey,” and “Summer State of Mind”) and is in the middle of producing her first pop album under her stage name, Sabrina JaNae! Sabrina truly loves what she does. Even after school, sports, and other activities, she plays the piano late into the night. I’ve often walked past to find her writing songs and coming up with lyrics, chord structures, and melodies on the fly. As her dad, it’s incredibly fun to watch! There’s nothing quite like the magic of an artist in action. Samuel is recording and producing Sabrina’s music, and she asked me to help her release her songs on all streaming platforms (Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, and a bunch more). How cool is that? If you enjoy music like Taylor Swift and Shania Twain, I highly recommend looking up Sabrina JaNae. THE PACKARD FAMILY REUNION TOOK A MUSICAL TWIST
Unfortunately for Porphyrios and animal lovers, the whale’s antics eventually caught up with him. While chasing a school of dolphins, Porphyrios beached himself near the mouth of the Black Sea and struggled unsuccessfully to push his
body back into the ocean. Meanwhile, Byzantines caught wind that their enemy was helpless and attacked with ropes and axes, giving Porphyrios a gory death and themselves a feast of whale meat.
Despite his inauspicious end, Porphyrios is still the only whale to threaten the Roman Empire. We can only hope he will be the only marine life ever to pose such a threat.
– Michael Packard
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