Hormidac

Last updated

Hormidac (fl. 466/467) was a military leader of the Huns, who commanded an expedition against the Eastern Roman Empire in the winter of 466/467. He raided Dacia mediterranea before being defeated by Anthemius. [1]

Contents

Biography

Taking advantage of the fact that the Danube had frozen over, Hormidac and his Huns descended on the city of Serdica (modern Sofia) so suddenly that they were able to enter it before the defenders could close its doors.

The emperor of the East Marcian then sent the magister militum Anthemius, future emperor of the West, with an army, which put the city under siege. The devastation of the countryside surrounding Serdica was such that it was difficult for Anthemius to find enough food and drink for his troops; the fact that it was winter could only make the situation worse. However, the fact that even the Huns were not in better conditions, locked up to defend themselves inside a city after they had foreseen a raid, played to the advantage of Anthemius; Hormidac then decided to break the delay and went out with his army to face Anthemius. [2] [3]

Shortly before the start of the battle, the commander of the cavalry of Anthemius (perhaps a "barbarian") [2] passed to Hormidac's side, who therefore found himself facing a Roman army without cavalry. Despite the advantage, the Roman infantry had the upper hand over the troops of Hormidac, who was forced to ask Anthemius for peace; the Roman general agreed to have the Hun contingent removed, on condition that he would receive the traitor. [1] The defector was then put to death in the sight of both armies. [2]

Etymology

Otto Manchen-Helfen thought the name be probably of Iranian origin, [4] though with the Huns etymology and ethnicity rarely go hand in hand. [5] Walter Bruno Henning connected it to Hormizdak, a popular Middle Persian name in Sassanian times. [6] Iranologists Mary Boyce and Ilya Gershevitch thought the name could not be etymologized. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huns</span> Extinct nomadic people in Eurasia (4th–6th centuries)

The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part of Scythia at the time; the Huns' arrival in Europe is associated with the migration westward of an Iranian people, the Alans. By 370 AD, the Huns had arrived on the Volga, and by 430, they had established a vast, if short-lived, dominion in Europe, conquering the Goths and many other Germanic peoples living outside of Roman borders and causing many others to flee into Roman territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthemius</span> Roman emperor from 467 to 472

Procopius Anthemius was the Western Roman emperor from 467 to 472. Born in the Eastern Roman Empire, Anthemius quickly worked his way up the ranks. He married into the Theodosian dynasty through Marcia Euphemia, daughter of Eastern emperor Marcian. He soon received a significant number of promotions to various posts, and was presumed to be Marcian's planned successor. However, Marcian's sudden death in 457, together with that of Western emperor Avitus, left the imperial succession in the hands of Aspar, who instead appointed a low-ranking officer known as Leo to the Eastern throne out of fear that Anthemius would be too independent. Eventually, this same Leo would designate Anthemius as Western emperor in 467, following a two-year interregnum that started in 465.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bleda</span> Chieftain of the Huns (co-rulership)

Bleda was a Hunnic ruler, the brother of Attila the Hun.

Charaton was one of the first kings of the Huns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uldin</span> Chieftain of the Huns

Uldin, also spelled Huldin is the first ruler of the Huns whose historicity is undisputed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balamber</span> Hun chieftain

Balamber was ostensibly a chieftain of the Huns, mentioned by Jordanes in his Getica. Jordanes simply called him "king of the Huns" and writes the story of Balamber crushing the tribes of the Ostrogoths in the 370s; somewhere between 370 and more probably 376 AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laudaricus</span>

Laudaricus was a prominent Hunnic chieftain and general active in the first half of the 5th century.

The history of the Huns spans the time from before their first secure recorded appearance in Europe around 370 AD to after the disintegration of their empire around 469. The Huns likely entered Western Asia shortly before 370 from Central Asia: they first conquered the Goths and the Alans, pushing a number of tribes to seek refuge within the Roman Empire. In the following years, the Huns conquered most of the Germanic and Scythian tribes outside of the borders of the Roman Empire. They also launched invasions of both the Asian provinces of Rome and the Sasanian Empire in 375. Under Uldin, the first Hunnic ruler named in contemporary sources, the Huns launched a first unsuccessful large-scale raid into the Eastern Roman Empire in Europe in 408. From the 420s, the Huns were led by the brothers Octar and Ruga, who both cooperated with and threatened the Romans. Upon Ruga's death in 435, his nephews Bleda and Attila became the new rulers of the Huns, and launched a successful raid into the Eastern Roman Empire before making peace and securing an annual tribute and trading raids under the Treaty of Margus. Attila appears to have killed his brother and became sole ruler of the Huns in 445. He would go on to rule for the next eight years, launching a devastating raid on the Eastern Roman Empire in 447, followed by an invasion of Gaul in 451. Attila is traditionally held to have been defeated in Gaul at the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields, however some scholars hold the battle to have been a draw or Hunnic victory. The following year, the Huns invaded Italy and encountered no serious resistance before turning back.

Aigan or Aïgan was a Hun general serving as a cavalry commander for the Byzantine Empire, active in the early 6th century.

Kursich was a Hun general and royal family member. He led a Hunnish army in the Hunnic invasion of Persia in 395 AD.

Mamas was a Hun royal family member who was impaled by Attila in Thrace.

Berichus or Berik was a Hun nobleman, ambassador, and lord, said to have "ruled over many villages".

Chelchal was a Hun commander serving as lieutenant general under the Byzantine Empire.

Zolban or Zolbon was a Hun general fighting for the Byzantine Empire. He fought alongside fellow Hun commander Sigizan against the Isaurians in 493 AD.

Tarrach was a Hun military officer for the East Roman Empire. He was the assassin of the officer Cyril. Tarrach was credited as the "fiercest of the Huns".

Turgun was a military officer of Hunnish descent of the Byzantine Empire.

Ultzindur was a Hun nobleman and a blood relative of Attila.

Althias was a Hun military commander in the Byzantine Empire. He is noted for defeating Iaudas, king of the Moors, and his army with just 70 men.

Theodimundus or Theudimund(Latin: Theodimundus; Greek: Θευδιμούνδος; fl. 541) was a Byzantine official of Barbarian origins.

References

  1. 1 2 Martindale, John R., ed. (1980). The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume II, AD 395–527. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 571. ISBN   0-521-20159-4.
  2. 1 2 3 Hodgkin, Thomas (1892). Italy and Her Invaders Volume 2. Clarendon Press. pp. 452–453. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  3. Kim, Hyun Jin (2015). The Huns. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   9781317340904 . Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  4. Maenchen-Helfen, Otto J. "The World of the Huns. Chapter IX. Language". www.kroraina.com. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  5. Kim, Hyun Jin (2013). The Huns, Rome and the Birth of Europe. Cambridge University Press. p. 204. ISBN   9781107009066 . Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  6. 1 2 Henning, Walter Bruno (1970). Boyce, Mary; Gershevitch, Ilya (eds.). W. B. Henning Memorial Volume. Lund Humphries. ISBN   9780853312550 . Retrieved 13 November 2022.