Ascum

Ascum ( Greek  Ασκούμ ) was a general of the Eastern Roman Empire who served in the time of Justinian I (reign 527-565). He was the prefect of the Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum . His name is passed down from Johannes Malalas . Both Theophanes and Georgios Kedrenos give his name as Ακούμ (Acum) .

biography

Ascum was of Hunnic descent and a godchild of Justinian . Modern historians believe it is possible that the "Huns" described in the sources were actually Bulgarians . Patrick Amory thinks the name Ascum is Germanic . Ascum appears for the first time in 528 in the rank of Stratelates of Illyricum ( Greek  ὁ τοῦ 'Ιλλυρικοῦ στρατηλάτης ). The Latin equivalent of the title would be magister militum per Illyricum.

In 528, Ascum joined forces with Constantiolus and Godilas to intercept an invading army of Bulgarians. After crossing the provinces of Scythia Minor and Moesia Secunda , the invaders sacked Thrace at that time . The Eastern Roman army defeated some of these invaders.

Shortly after their victory, the Eastern Romans were attacked and dispersed by a second group of invaders. Ascum and Constantiolus were captured in this battle. While Constantiolus was released for a ransom, Ascum was "taken prisoner". He is not mentioned again in the sources and his future fate remains uncertain.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Martindale, Jones & Morris (1992), p. 136
2. ↑ Amory, p. 484: "Other Eastern Roman generals in the Balkans with Germanic names Baduarius dux Scythiae, Ascum magister militum per Illyricum ... and Chilbudius magister militum per Thracias"
3. ↑ Martindale, Jones & Morris (1992), pp. 163-164
4. ↑ Martindale, Jones & Morris (1992), p. 748

literature

• Patrick Amory: People and Identity in Ostrogothic Italy, 489–554 . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1997.
• John Robert Martindale , Arnold Hugh Martin Jones , John Morris (Eds.) The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire . Volume III: AD 527-641. Cambridge 1992.