Musokios
Encyclopedia
Musokios or Mužok was a 6th-century Slavic
(Antes
) monarch that ruled around 592, during Maurice's Balkan campaigns
.
Menander Protector
writes about Musokios in his works.
, a commander of Musokios, was sent and raided Thrace
, which prompted Emperor Maurice
to deal with the Antae - sending an army with commander-in-chief Priscus
and infantry commander Gentzon to cross the Danube
at Dorostolon (present-day Silistra) and surprise attack the Slavs in their own territory (as the Slavs had long been pillaging the Byzantine Empire
). The Army arrived at the Antae camp at midnight, surprising the Slavs who fled in confusion, Ardagast fell on a tree stump and was almost captured, but luckily he was near a river and eluded the caption.
Priscus sent his lieutenant Alexander
across the Helibakion (Ialomiţa River
) to find Slavs who were hiding in the woods and swamps, they failed to burn out the people hiding, but a Gepid
Christian who was associated with the Slavs deserted and showed a secret passage after which the army easily captured the Slavs, who according to the Gepid, were spies sent by King Musokios that just heard about the attack on Ardagast.
and captives, the Gepid received handsome presents and arranged a strategy to bring Musokios and his army into the hands of the Byzantines.
The Gepid contacted Musokios and asked him to send a transport across the Paspirion river for the remaining army of Ardagast, Musokios assembled 150 monoxyles and 30 oarsmen which crossed the river. Meanwhile, Priscus approached the banks and met with the Gepid and arranged an ambush with 200 men in the guidance of Alexander.
On the following night, the boatmen were heavily intoxicated of wine and fell asleep. The Gepid gave the signal and the Slav colony was slaughtered, with the boats taken into Byzantine possession and filled with 300 soldiers heading towards Musukios.
A funeral ceremony of the brother of Musukios took place at the camp, with the people, as the boatsmen, being heavily intoxicated
. Musukios was surprised and taken alive, a massacre lasted til the morning. Some Slavs escaped and returned to kill some of the army, as a result, Priscus hanged
the negligent guards.
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
(Antes
Antes
Antes may refer to:*Antes people, an ancient tribe in Eastern EuropePeople named Antes*Horst Antes , German sculptor*John Antes , American composer-See also:...
) monarch that ruled around 592, during Maurice's Balkan campaigns
Maurice's Balkan campaigns
Maurice's Illyricum campaigns were a series of military expeditions conducted by emperor of Constantinopolis Maurice in an attempt to defend the Illyrian provinces of the East Roman Empire from Avars and Slavs...
.
Menander Protector
Menander Protector
Menander Protector , Byzantine historian, was born in Constantinople in the middle of the 6th century AD. The little that is known of his life is contained in the account of himself quoted by Suidas. He at first took up the study of law, but abandoned it for a life of pleasure...
writes about Musokios in his works.
Raid on Ardagast
ArdagastArdagast
Ardagast or Radogost was a 6th-century South Slavic chieftain under King Musokios.Menander Protector writes about Ardagast in his works, and he is mentioned in the Strategicon of Maurice....
, a commander of Musokios, was sent and raided Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
, which prompted Emperor Maurice
Maurice (emperor)
Maurice was Byzantine Emperor from 582 to 602.A prominent general in his youth, Maurice fought with success against the Sassanid Persians...
to deal with the Antae - sending an army with commander-in-chief Priscus
Priscus (general)
Priscus was a leading East Roman general during the reigns of the Byzantine emperors Maurice , Phocas and Heraclius . Although the contemporary sources are markedly biased in his favour, Priscus comes across as an effective and capable military leader...
and infantry commander Gentzon to cross the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
at Dorostolon (present-day Silistra) and surprise attack the Slavs in their own territory (as the Slavs had long been pillaging the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
). The Army arrived at the Antae camp at midnight, surprising the Slavs who fled in confusion, Ardagast fell on a tree stump and was almost captured, but luckily he was near a river and eluded the caption.
Priscus sent his lieutenant Alexander
Alexander (taxiarch)
Alexander was a Byzantine military officer, active in the reign of Maurice. He is styled a taxiarch in the accounts of Theophylact Simocatta. He is known for his part in campaigns against the South Slavs.- Biography :...
across the Helibakion (Ialomiţa River
Ialomita River
The Ialomiţa is a river of Southern Romania that rises from the Bucegi Mountains in the Carpathians and flows into the Danube.The upper reach of the river is sometimes known as Valea Obârşiei or Obârşia Ialomiţei.-Localities:...
) to find Slavs who were hiding in the woods and swamps, they failed to burn out the people hiding, but a Gepid
Gepid
The Gepids were an East Germanic tribe who were closely related to the Goths. The Gepids were recorded in the area along the southern Baltic coast in the 1st century AD, having migrated there from southern Sweden some years earlier...
Christian who was associated with the Slavs deserted and showed a secret passage after which the army easily captured the Slavs, who according to the Gepid, were spies sent by King Musokios that just heard about the attack on Ardagast.
End
When lieutenant Alexander returned with the GepidGepid
The Gepids were an East Germanic tribe who were closely related to the Goths. The Gepids were recorded in the area along the southern Baltic coast in the 1st century AD, having migrated there from southern Sweden some years earlier...
and captives, the Gepid received handsome presents and arranged a strategy to bring Musokios and his army into the hands of the Byzantines.
The Gepid contacted Musokios and asked him to send a transport across the Paspirion river for the remaining army of Ardagast, Musokios assembled 150 monoxyles and 30 oarsmen which crossed the river. Meanwhile, Priscus approached the banks and met with the Gepid and arranged an ambush with 200 men in the guidance of Alexander.
On the following night, the boatmen were heavily intoxicated of wine and fell asleep. The Gepid gave the signal and the Slav colony was slaughtered, with the boats taken into Byzantine possession and filled with 300 soldiers heading towards Musukios.
A funeral ceremony of the brother of Musukios took place at the camp, with the people, as the boatsmen, being heavily intoxicated
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. Musukios was surprised and taken alive, a massacre lasted til the morning. Some Slavs escaped and returned to kill some of the army, as a result, Priscus hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
the negligent guards.
Sources
- J B Bury, History of the Later Roman Empire from Arcadius to Irene, Vol 2, p. 129, 130 and 172