Baduarius (Scythia)

Baduarius was a Byzantine general who served Justinian I (ruled 527-565) in the province of Scythia Minor . The name could be of Germanic origin.

Baduarius is mentioned in the works of Johannes Malalas , Johannes von Nikiu , Theophanes and Georgios Kedrenos . In Greek, his rank is referred to as " Stratelates of Scythia ", and he was probably magister militum . In 528 Baduarius and Godilas led a campaign by Odessus (today's Varna ) against the Huns in the Crimea . Under their Khan Mougel, the Huns had plundered some coastal areas on the Black Sea that were under Eastern Roman rule.

Also in 528 Baduarius is reported as Dux Scythiae . He and Justin , Dux from Moesia Secunda , united their troops to fight enemy invaders. Johannes Malalas considers them "Huns", Theophanes identifies them as Bulgarians who attacked Scythia and Moesia. The battle against these invaders was lost for the Eastern Romans. Justin was killed and the invaders now invaded Thrace . Justin was replaced by Constantiolus .

Although the defensive efforts of the Eastern Romans continued, Baduarius is no longer mentioned as part of it, which can perhaps be explained by the fact that the further events shifted away from Scythia Minor. His further fate is unknown. A younger Baduarius appears in the reign of Justin II (ruled 565-578).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Amory, p. 484: "Other Byzantine officers active in the Balkans and bearing Germanic names included Baduarius dux Scythiae, Ascum MVM per Illyricum ... and Chilbudius MVM per Thracias"
2. ↑ ^{a b} Martindale (1992), pp. 163-164
3. ↑ Martindale (1992), p. 352

literature

• Patrick Amory: People and Identity in Ostrogothic Italy, 489–554 . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2003, ISBN 978-0-521-52635-7
• John R. Martindale: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire . Volume 3. Cambridge 1992.