Porphyrios (Greek: Πορφύριος) was a large whale that harassed and sank ships in the waters near Constantinople in the sixth century.
Porphyrios eventually met its end when it beached itself near the mouth of the Black Sea and was attacked and cut into pieces by a mob of locals.
[4] This idea was also supported by Sian Lewis and Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones in 2018, who believed the name alluded to the color of royalty and was a sign of great awe for the whale.
[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][8] 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.
Porphyrios harassed ships in the waters of Constantinople for over fifty years,[7] though not continuously since it at times disappeared for lengthy periods.
[4] Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565), perplexed by the whale attacks and wishing to keep sea routes safe,[11] made it a matter of great concern to capture Porphyrios, though he was unable to devise a means to do it.
[4] Locals in the vicinity quickly organized themselves into a mob to kill the famous sea monster, rushing out with axes and ropes.
The crew begin throwing harpoons and shooting arrows, though this has little effect as Porphyrios dives beneath the waves and swims away.