Ascan
BornLate 5th century or early 6th century
Pannonia (?)
Died19 April 531 AD

Ascan (died 19 April 531) was a Byzantine dux[1] of Hunnish descent. He fought at the Battle of Dara in 530, and at the Battle of Callinicum one year later, where he put up a brave fight when his flank was exposed, dying on the field.[2]

Biography

He was one of several warriors of Hunnic descent fighting for the Byzantine Empire; the Huns were known to "fight like tigers when driven to bay" and to "die sword in hand".[3] Ascan fought at the Battle of Dara in 530 AD, where he commanded 600 horsemen (constituting the right-hand Hunnic cavalry force) together with fellow Hunnic commander Simmas. He, Simmas and the other two Hunnic commanders, Sunicas and Aïgan, played a fundamental role in the Roman victory of this battle.[4]

He led the greater part of the Byzantine cavalry, made up of cataphracts, at the Battle of Callinicum. Here, the Persians tried to defeat the Romans as they had in vain attempted at Dara, by deploying their cavalry to try and attack a weak spot in the Roman army. Belisarius did not observe this action, which proved to be a turning point. The Ghassanids, allies of the Romans in this battle, were easily routed (so much as to later arise suspicions of treachery). The Byzantine Lycaonian infantry were no match for the Persian cavalry, and were also routed, and their commanders killed. Finally, the right flank of Ascan's cavalry was exposed. He and his men fought as best as they could, but were ultimately defeated, and Ascan was killed.[5]

George Philip Baker remarked that "as soon as Belisarius saw that Ascan, the Hun leader, was down, he knew what to expect."[3] They dismounted and let loose their horses.[3] The Byzantines, pressed against the river, formed a U-shaped phoulkon formation to defend themselves. They withstood the Persian attacks until nightfall, when they safely escaped across the Euphrates to Callinicum (modern-day Raqqa in Syria).[5] The result of the battle was an inconclusive Sassanian Pyrrhic victory.

References

  1. ^ Malalas, John. "Chronography Bks 1-7, 10-18". Topos Text. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  2. ^ Hodgkin, Thomas (1885). Italy and Her Invaders: The Ostrogothic invasion, 476-535. 1885. Clarendon Press. p. 655. ISBN 9780598984241. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Baker, George Philip (1931). Justinian The Last Roman Emperor. Cooper Square Press. p. 66. ISBN 9780815412175. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  4. ^ Kim, Hyun Jin (2013). The Huns, Rome and the Birth of Europe. Cambridge University Press. p. 139. ISBN 9781107009066. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  5. ^ a b Hughes, Ian (2009). Belisarius: The Last Roman General. Pen and Sword. p. 55-59. ISBN 978-1-84468-941-5.
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