Abaskiron

Abaskiron ( ancient Greek Ἄπα Ἰσχυρίων Apa Ischyríon,; † 592 ?) Was an Eastern Roman topotērētēs (senior administrative officer) and / or tribune in Egypt in the late 6th century . He and his family rebelled against Emperor Maurikios from around 583 to 588 . The main source about him is John of Nikiu .

Life

Abaskiron came from a wealthy family in Aykilah ( Zawya Saqr , about 30 km southeast of Alexandria in the Nile Delta ). He had two younger brothers named Menas and Jacob and a son Isaac . First mentioned as a copyist , Abaskiron was installed with his brothers by the Praefectus Augustalis Johannes as governor of several Egyptian cities. However, they used their position to unauthorized attacks on local representatives of the faction of the Blue , who are traditionally Chalcedonite-orthodox and therefore close to the emperor. The conflict escalated to the point that the cities of Bana and Busiris were looted and set on fire.

The local prefect of Busiris escaped to Constantinople , where he briefed the emperor on the threatening situation. Maurikios instructed Johannes to dismiss Abaskiron and his family from the service, to which they responded with open rebellion . Abaskiron had the grain ships confiscated on the Nile by force of arms , which led to a famine in Alexandria . The population of the metropolis rose against Johannes, whom they made responsible for the critical situation. His life was reportedly saved by loyal members of the Coptic Church , but Paulos replaced him as prefect .

The rebels extended their sphere of influence from Aykilah to almost all of Lower Egypt , which threatened the empire to lose control of its richest province and most important granary. Isaac also assembled a fleet that patrolled the coast, brought in imperial ships and even raided Cyprus . The Patriarch Eulogios negotiated with the insurgents on behalf of the central government, but without result. These apparently intended to install a new prefect of their choice in Alexandria; whether they pursued more far-reaching political goals, such as secession of Egypt from the empire, is not clear from tradition.

Around 588 Johannes was reinstated as prefect by the emperor and charged with suppressing the uprising. One from Alexandria, Egyptian and Nubian contracted troops fighting force under the command of General Theodoros was now against the rebel stronghold Aykilah on the offensive. The two enemy camps met on the Nile. With the help of the prominent - probably involuntary - defectors Kosmas and Banon , Theodoros managed to persuade many of Abaskiron's supporters to change sides before the battle . The three brothers and Isaac fought desperately with their remaining troops until nightfall. In view of the hopelessness of their situation, they fled to Abusan, but were caught and captured by the imperial army.

The four rebel leaders were on camels in the streets of Alexandria presented and then put in chains. However, Johannes did nothing further against his former confidante. Only his successor, Constantine, had the brothers beheaded around 592, presumably on the orders of the emperor ; Isaac was sent into exile . The cities of Aykilah and Abusan were burned as punishment for their participation in the uprising.

swell

• Robert Henry Charles : The Chronicle of John Nikiu . London 1916 ( online ; chap. 97).

literature

• Edith Louisa Butcher: The Story of the Church of Egypt. An Outline Of The History Of The Egyptians Under Their Successive Masters From The Roman Conquest Until Now. Рипол Классик, London 1897, pp. 335–339 ( limited book preview in Google Book Search).
• John Robert Martindale: Abaskiron. In: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (PLRE). Volume 3B, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1992, ISBN 0-521-20160-8 , pp. 1-2.

Remarks

1. ↑ Johannes von Nikiu deals with Abaskiron in the sequence of chapters between the Sassanid confusion of the throne of 590/91 and the severe earthquake in Antioch , which is usually dated to October 588; however, the rebellion began as early as the first term of office of Prefect Johannes (approx. 582-585).