Musokios

Musokios[A] or Mužok[2] was a 6th-century (Antes) monarch that ruled around 592, during Maurice's Balkan campaigns.

Musokios
TitleLeader[B] of the Antes
Prince of the Slavs[1]

Menander Protector writes about Musokios in his works.

Raid on Ardagast

Ardagast, a commander of Musokios, was sent and raided Thrace, which prompted Emperor Maurice to deal with the Antae - 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). The Army arrived at the Antae 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, were spies sent by King Musokios that just heard about the attack on Ardagast.

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.

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 Musukios.

A funeral ceremony of the brother of Musukios took place at the camp, with the people, as the boatsmen, being heavily intoxicated. Musukios was surprised and taken alive, a massacre lasted til the morning. Some Slavs escaped and returned to kill some of the army, as a result, Priscus hanged the negligent guards.

References
  1. ^
    His name is transliterated as Musokios, Musukios or Musocius[3] from the works by Byzantine historian Menander Protector (l. mid-6th century).
  2. ^
    He is mentioned as rex,[4] in the works, but is mentioned as a "leader" in modern sources,[5] also there is no sources of him being crowned.
  1. page 475
  2. Pavel Jozef Šafárik, Über die Abkunft der Slawen nach Lorenz Surowiecki (1828), Buda, page 25
  3. Daniel Ziemann, Böhlau Verlag Köln Weimar, 2007, Vom Wandervolk zur Grossmacht:die Entstehung Bulgariens im frühen Mittelalter (7.-9. Jahrhundert) page 116
  4. 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
  5. page 82

Sources

  • J B Bury, History of the Later Roman Empire from Arcadius to Irene, Vol 2, p. 129, 130 and 172
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