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Musokios

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Musokios
TitleRex of the Sclaveni

Musokios was a 6th-century Sclaveni rex that ruled around 593, during Maurice's Balkan campaigns, mentioned by Theophylact Simocatta.

Raid on Ardagast

Ardagast, a commander of Musokios, was sent and raided Thrace, which prompted Emperor Maurice to deal with the Sclaveni - sending an army with commander-in-chief Priscus and infantry commander Gentzon to cross the Danube at Dorostolon (present-day Silistra) and surprise attack the Slavs in their own territory (as the Slavs had long been pillaging the Byzantine Empire). In 593 the Army arrived at the Slavic camp at midnight, surprising the Slavs who fled in confusion, Ardagast fell on a tree stump and was almost captured, but luckily he was near a river and eluded the caption.

Priscus sent his lieutenant Alexander across the Helibakion (Ialomiţa River) to find Slavs who were hiding in the woods and swamps, they failed to burn out the people hiding, but a Gepid Christian who was associated with the Slavs deserted and showed a secret passage after which the army easily captured the Slavs, who according to the Gepid, subjects of rex Musokios (distant three days of marching).

End

When lieutenant Alexander returned with the Gepid and captives, the Gepid received handsome presents and arranged a strategy to bring Musokios and his army into the hands of the Byzantines. The Gepid contacted Musokios and asked him to send a transport across the Paspirion river for the remaining army of Ardagast, Musokios assembled 150 monoxyles and 30 oarsmen which crossed the river. Meanwhile, Priscus approached the banks and met with the Gepid and arranged an ambush with 200 men in the guidance of Alexander (with additional 3,000 men crossing the river).

On the following night, the boatmen were heavily intoxicated of wine and fell asleep. The Gepid gave the signal and the Slav colony was slaughtered, with the boats taken into Byzantine possession and filled with 300 soldiers heading towards Musokios. A funeral ceremony of the brother of Musokios took place at the camp, with the people, as the boatsmen, being heavily intoxicated. Musokios was surprised and taken alive, a massacre lasted til the morning. Some Slavs escaped and managed to destroy a good part of the army led by Gentzon, as a result, Priscus hanged the negligent guards.

References

  1. His name is transliterated as Musokios, Musukios or Musocius from the works by Byzantine historian Menander Protector (l. mid-6th century). Some scholars saw Slavic name as Mužok.
  2. He is mentioned as rex, in the works, but is mentioned as a "leader" in modern sources, also there is no sources of him being crowned.
  1. Curta 2001, p. 327–328, 331.
  2. ^ Živković 2008, pp. 47–49.
  3. Curta 2001, p. 58, 318, 321, 344.
  4. Kardaras 2017, pp. 252–253.
  5. Živković 2008, p. 56.
  6. Curta 2001, p. 101.
  7. ^ Živković 2008, pp. 49–50.
  8. Curta 2001, p. 102.
  9. Živković 2008, p. 53, 64–66.
  10. Curta 2001, p. 102, 322.
  11. Daniel Ziemann, Böhlau Verlag Köln Weimar, 2007, Vom Wandervolk zur Grossmacht:die Entstehung Bulgariens im frühen Mittelalter (7.-9. Jahrhundert) page 116
  12. Pavel Jozef Šafárik, Über die Abkunft der Slawen nach Lorenz Surowiecki (1828), Buda, page 25
  13. Jan Filip, International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences, Actes du VIIe Congrés International des Sciences Prehistoriques et Protohistoriques, Prague 21-27 août 1966, Institut d'Archéologie de l'Académie Tchécoslavaque des Sciences à Prague, 1970, page 1085
  14. page 82

Sources

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