Bochas (died 537) was a Hun officer of the guard under Belisarius.
He was one of the bodyguards (or bucellarii) of Belisarius. He fought for Belisarius in the Gothic War in the 530s.
He once fought against twelve Goths. They encircled him and hit him with their lances but his armor withstood their blows. One of the Goths managed to hit him from behind, piercing him. This, however, was not a mortal blow.
Etymology
Ferdinand Justi listed the name as Iranian, though Otto J. Maenchen-Helfen was perplexed by such conclusion. The latter explained that Justi might've thought of "Beuca, mentioned in Getica 277 as king of the Sarmatians in southern Pannonia about 470".
It is possible that the name be of Turkic origin. Buqa (buga), literally "bull", occurs frequently in Turkic names, since early times.
References
- ^ Maenchen-Helfen, Otto J. (2022). Knight, Max (ed.). The World of the Huns Studies in Their History and Culture. University of California Press. p. 249. ISBN 9780520357204. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- Syvänne ·, Ilka (2021). Military History of Late Rome 518–565. Pen and Sword. p. 400. ISBN 9781473895317. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ Maenchen-Helfen, Otto J. "The World of the Huns. Chapter IX. Language". www.kroraina.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- Berck, Oliver (2014). Riding for the Powerful Buccellarii and the Ideal of Retainer Loyalty. Tectum Wissenschaftsverlag. p. 38. ISBN 9783828860704. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
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