Godilas

Godilas ( Greek Γοδιλᾶς ) was an Eastern Roman general who served in the time of Justin I (reign 518-527) and Emperor Justinian I (reign 527-565).

biography

Godilas is first mentioned in 518 as one of the officers who proclaimed Justin I emperor of the East. The ceremony is described in De Ceremoniis , compiled by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos in the 10th century, and also provides information about his rank, namely that of a campiductor ("drill master") of the Lanciarii ( Greek καμπιδούκτωρ τῶν λαγκιαρίων ).

In 528 Godilas led a punitive expedition from Odessus (today's Varna ) against the Huns from the Crimea together with Baduarius . Under their Khan Mougel, these had apparently conquered eastern Roman cities along the Black Sea . Later during the same year Godilas united his troops with Ascum and Constantiolus to be an invasion of Bulgarians in Thrace oppose. The Eastern Roman army managed to defeat some of the invaders in a field battle, but was ambushed by a second Huns / Bulgarian invading army and was put to flight. Both Constantiolus and Ascum were captured by the pursuing enemies using lassos . Only Godilas managed to escape, as reported by Johannes Malalas and Theophanes .

Godilas' military rank at the time of the battle is unclear. Ascum and Constantiolus both held the title of magister militum . Godilas' behavior and his description suggest that he was of equal rank, either magister militum per Thracias or magister militum vacans .

literature

John Robert Martindale , John Morris , Arnold Hugh Martin Jones : The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire . Volume 2. Cambridge 1980, ISBN 0-521-20159-4 .
John Robert Martindale: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. Volume 3. Cambridge 1992, ISBN 0-521-20160-8 .

Individual evidence

^ ^A ^b ^c Martindale, Morris, Jones: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. 1980, p. 516.
^ Martindale: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. 1992, p. 539.
^ Martindale: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. 1992, pp. 163-164, 540.
^ Martindale: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. 1992, pp. 352-353, 540.
^ Martindale: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. 1992, p. 540.

personal data
SURNAME	Godilas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Γοδιλᾶς (Greek)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Eastern Roman general
DATE OF BIRTH	before 518
DATE OF DEATH	6th century

[PLRE-1] A ^b ^c Martindale, Morris, Jones: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. 1980, p. 516.

[2] Martindale: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. 1992, p. 539.

[3] Martindale: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. 1992, pp. 163-164, 540.

[4] Martindale: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. 1992, pp. 352-353, 540.

[5] Martindale: The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. 1992, p. 540.