Sunicas
Encyclopedia
Sunicas was a Hun who served in the Byzantine
military during the Iberian War
, in the early reign of Justinian I
(r. 527–565).
According to Zacharias of Mytilene, Sunicas was a Hun who fled to the Byzantine Empire, where he was baptized
. By 527, he was an officer stationed at the fortress of Dara
in Mesopotamia
along with Simmas, and defended it against Persian
attacks. In 530, he appears as a dux
, although it is not clear whether he held the territorial command of dux Mesopotamiae or if he just received the title. In this capacity, he participated at the great Byzantine victory in the Battle of Dara
in June 530, where, along with Aigan
, he commanded a 600-strong unit of Hun cavalry stationed on the Byzantine left flank. During the battle, Sunicas' Huns repelled the Persian attack on the Byzantine left and were then sent by Belisarius
, the Byzantine commander, to reinforce the threatened right flank. There, Sunicas killed the Persian second-in-command, Baresmanes, as well as his standard-bearer, and the Persians began to fall back in panic, cementing the Byzantine victory.
In the next year, he served again under Belisarius in his new campaign against Persia. On his own initiative, he led a force into the Persian rear, where he caught many Persians and their Arab allies out foraging. He killed some of them and captured others for interrogation. However, as he had acted without orders, Belisarius severely reprimanded him, and only through the mediation of Belisarius' co-commander Hermogenes
were the two reconciled. At the Battle of Callinicum
(19 April 531), Sunicas and Simmas were placed in command of the Byzantine left. Although they repelled the successive Persian attacks, the remainder of the army was defeated and forced to withdraw. Sunicas and his men, mostly infantry, nevertheless continued to fight, preventing the Persians from pursuing the defeated Byzantines. Nothing is known of him thereafter.
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
military during the Iberian War
Iberian War
The Iberian War was fought from 526 to 532 between the Eastern Roman Empire and Sassanid Empire over the eastern Georgian kingdom of Iberia.-Origin:After the Anastasian War, a seven-year truce was agreed on, yet it lasted for nearly twenty years...
, in the early reign of Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
(r. 527–565).
According to Zacharias of Mytilene, Sunicas was a Hun who fled to the Byzantine Empire, where he was baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
. By 527, he was an officer stationed at the fortress of Dara
Dara (Mesopotamia)
Dara or Daras was an important East Roman fortress city in northern Mesopotamia on the border with the Sassanid Empire. Because of its great strategic importance, it featured prominently in the Roman-Persian conflicts of the 6th century, with the famous Battle of Dara taking place before its walls...
in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia (Roman province)
Mesopotamia was the name of two distinct Roman provinces, the one a short-lived creation of the Roman Emperor Trajan in 116–117 and the other established by Emperor Septimius Severus in ca. 198, which lasted until the Muslim conquests of the 7th century....
along with Simmas, and defended it against Persian
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
attacks. In 530, he appears as a dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
, although it is not clear whether he held the territorial command of dux Mesopotamiae or if he just received the title. In this capacity, he participated at the great Byzantine victory in the Battle of Dara
Battle of Dara
The Battle of Dara was fought between the Sassanids and the Byzantine Empire in 530. It was one of the battles of the Iberian War.- Background :...
in June 530, where, along with Aigan
Aigan
is a Japanese retail outlet chain that sells glasses . The company is headquartered in Tennōji-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture.-External links:* * - Google Finance...
, he commanded a 600-strong unit of Hun cavalry stationed on the Byzantine left flank. During the battle, Sunicas' Huns repelled the Persian attack on the Byzantine left and were then sent by Belisarius
Belisarius
Flavius Belisarius was a general of the Byzantine Empire. He was instrumental to Emperor Justinian's ambitious project of reconquering much of the Mediterranean territory of the former Western Roman Empire, which had been lost less than a century previously....
, the Byzantine commander, to reinforce the threatened right flank. There, Sunicas killed the Persian second-in-command, Baresmanes, as well as his standard-bearer, and the Persians began to fall back in panic, cementing the Byzantine victory.
In the next year, he served again under Belisarius in his new campaign against Persia. On his own initiative, he led a force into the Persian rear, where he caught many Persians and their Arab allies out foraging. He killed some of them and captured others for interrogation. However, as he had acted without orders, Belisarius severely reprimanded him, and only through the mediation of Belisarius' co-commander Hermogenes
Hermogenes (magister officiorum)
Hermogenes was an East Roman official who served as magister officiorum, military commander and diplomatic envoy during the Iberian War against Sassanid Persia in the early reign of Justinian I .- Life :...
were the two reconciled. At the Battle of Callinicum
Battle of Callinicum
The Battle of Callinicum took place Easter day, 19 April 531, between the armies of the Eastern Roman Empire under Belisarius and the Sassanid Persians under Azarethes. After a defeat at the Battle of Dara, the Sassanids moved to invade Syria in an attempt to turn the tide of the war...
(19 April 531), Sunicas and Simmas were placed in command of the Byzantine left. Although they repelled the successive Persian attacks, the remainder of the army was defeated and forced to withdraw. Sunicas and his men, mostly infantry, nevertheless continued to fight, preventing the Persians from pursuing the defeated Byzantines. Nothing is known of him thereafter.