Chatzon (Greek: Χάτζων) or, in some modern Slavic studies, Hacon (Хацон), was a Slavic chieftain (έξαρχος Σκλαβίνων 'exarch of the Sclaveni' in the Greek sources) who, according to Book II of the Miracles of Saint Demetrius, led a coalition of Slavic tribes to attack the Byzantine city of Thessalonica in 615.
The Slavs with their families encamped in front of the city walls and even launched an attack by sea, but the latter failed due to a storm (attributed by the Byzantines to the intervention of Saint Demetrius, Thessalonica's patron saint) which sunk many of the Slavs' logboats, after which the siege was lifted. Chatzon himself was allowed to enter the city during negotiations shortly after; however, the urban mob rioted at the instigation of the mothers of those slain during the siege and killed him, despite the city leaders' attempts to hide him. After this, the Slavs asked for the help of the Avars, resulting in the unsuccessful month-long siege of the city by the combined Avar and Slavic forces in 617/618.
References
- ^ Christophilopoulou, Aikaterini (2006). Βυζαντινή Αυτοκρατορία, Νεώτερος Ελληνισμός, Τόμος Γ' (in Greek). Athens: Herodotos. pp. 25–26. ISBN 960-8256-55-0.
- ^ Fine, John V. A. Jr. (1991) . The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. pp. 41, 44. ISBN 0-472-08149-7.
- Macedonian Review. Kulturen Zhivot. 1979. p. 243.
Velegiziti, joined, in the second decade of the VIIth century, a great Slav tribal union, led by the leader of these Slavs, a man called Hacon. ...
- Recueil de travaux de l'Institut des études byzantines. Naučno delo. 1996. p. 99.
Из VII века остала су забележена имена Хакона15 и Првуда,16 као вођа приликом опсада Солуна — 614/16. Хакон, односно 674/77. Првуд.
- Pohl, Walter (1988). Die Awaren. Ein Steppenvolk in Mitteleuropa 567–822 n. Chr (in German). Munich: Verlag C.H. Beck. p. 241. ISBN 3-406-33330-3.