Cours (Byzantine general)
Cours or Curs (Greek: Κούρς), also known as Coursos, Cursos (Greek: Κοῦρσος), Qwrys, Crous or Crus (Greek: Κρους), was an East Roman (Byzantine) general of the 6th century.
Biography
Cours is recorded as being a "Scythian", which in effect implies most probably a Hunnic (or perhaps Gothic) origin. Nothing is known of his early life, except that he served in Italy in the 550s under Narses.[1]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Roman-Persian_Frontier_in_Late_Antiquity.svg/275px-Roman-Persian_Frontier_in_Late_Antiquity.svg.png)
He first appears in 574, after the outbreak of a new
In 578, Cours served with Maurice, then the magister militum per Orientem and future emperor, on his first, successful campaign against the Persians. In the autumn of that year, Maurice sent him across the river Tigris to plunder Persian territory.[3][5] In the next year, Cours and John Mystacon together led Byzantine forces in Armenia, winning a victory over the Persians that resulted in the capture of the Persian commander himself and his son, as well as much booty. In late 582, however, serving as John's hypostrategos (deputy commander), through his inaction (allegedly due to jealousy towards John), the Byzantines were defeated in battle. He disappears thereafter from the sources, and may have been dismissed in the same year.[3][6]
References
- ^ a b Martindale 1992, p. 360.
- ^ Greatrex & Lieu 2002, p. 153.
- ^ a b c Martindale 1992, p. 361.
- ^ Greatrex & Lieu 2002, pp. 155, 286.
- ^ Greatrex & Lieu 2002, p. 161.
- ^ Greatrex & Lieu 2002, pp. 162, 167.
Sources
- Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N. C. (2002). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars (Part II, 363–630 AD). London, United Kingdom: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-14687-9.
- ISBN 0-521-20160-8.