Zabergan

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Zabergan was a ruler of the Kutriguren in the middle of the 6th century.

In late antique sources Zabergan is mentioned in the years 558/59. The Kutriguren, who lived north of the lower Danube , had previously received annual money from the Eastern Roman Empire , for which they waived raids in return. But Emperor Justinian I had the ongoing disputes between the Kutrigurs and the Utigursused and this payment stopped. In 558 the conflict between Kutriguren and Utiguren was provisionally settled; Zabergan decided now to undertake raids against East Stream again. In the winter of 558/59 the Kutrigurs and probably some allied tribes crossed the Danube. The Kutriguren advanced into the Eastern Roman Balkan provinces without initially encountering any resistance worth mentioning, since most of the Eastern Roman troops were tied to the other borders due to the Justinian expansion policy.

A part of the Kutriguren advanced into Greece, while Zabergan advanced in the direction of the Eastern Roman capital Constantinople , making rich booty and defeating Roman blocking forces. Panic spread in Constantinople, especially since the strong fortifications had been badly damaged by an earthquake in 557. Justinian then reactivated his general Belisarius , who was in retirement. Belisarius organized a kind of militia because apparently no larger regular army units were available, although the details are unclear. In any case, he succeeded in repelling Zabergan's attack. Zabergan, however, continued to pose a threat; he could stay in Thrace and continue plundering. It was only when there was a danger that Eastern Roman troops would approach as reinforcements that Zabergan decided to negotiate and withdraw in exchange for gold payments.

Justinian continued to view the kutrigures as a potential threat and decided to act. He made an alliance with the Utigur leader Sandilch, who then attacked his old archenemies. The heavy battles that followed weakened both the Kutrigurs and the Utigurs, so that both were no longer a threat. The Avars now appearing had an easy time and defeated both tribes. Nothing is known about Zabergan's further life.

The Zabergan Peak , a mountain in Antarctica is named after him since, 2013.

literature

  • Alexander Sarantis: Justinian's Balkan Wars. Campaigning, Diplomacy and Development in Illyricum, Thace and the Northern World AD 527-65. Prenton 2016, p. 336ff.
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity . Vol. 2 (2018), p. 1605.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Alexander Sarantis: Justinian's Balkan Wars. Campaigning, Diplomacy and Development in Illyricum, Thace and the Northern World AD 527-65. Prenton 2016, p. 338ff.
  2. ↑ See Alexander Sarantis: Justinian's Balkan Wars. Campaigning, Diplomacy and Development in Illyricum, Thace and the Northern World AD 527-65. Prenton 2016, pp. 341f. and 343f.
  3. ↑ Alexander Sarantis: Justinian's Balkan Wars. Campaigning, Diplomacy and Development in Illyricum, Thace and the Northern World AD 527-65. Prenton 2016, p. 346.
  4. ↑ Alexander Sarantis: Justinian's Balkan Wars. Campaigning, Diplomacy and Development in Illyricum, Thace and the Northern World AD 527-65. Prenton 2016, pp. 346-348.
  5. ↑ Walter Pohl : The Avars. A steppe people in Central Europe 567–822 AD. 2nd edition Munich 2002, p. 21.
personal data
SURNAME Zabergan
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Ruler of the kutrigures
DATE OF BIRTH 6th century
DATE OF DEATH 6th century