Heraclius of Edessa
Heraclius of Edessa (
Eastern Roman Empire general who took part in the failed campaign against the Vandals
in 468.
Biography
Heraclius was born in
John of Antioch and Theophanes both identify him as a son of Florus.[1]
Before 468, Heraclius was probably the Iberians, but his allies failed to adequately supply his troops, forcing him to withdraw.[2]
In 468, he was sent from
Leo I the Thracian, was to land at a distance from Carthage with the main army, transported by an armada of over 1,000 ships, and link up with Heraclius, advancing from Tripolitania. Marcellinus was to secure Sicily and Sardinia.[4][5]
Heraclius landed in Tripolitania and defeated the Vandal forces. He occupied the local cities and continued overland to Carthage. However, the rest of the plan failed.
Geiseric, King of the Vandals, called for negotiations with Basiliscus. Basiliscus agreed, unaware that Geiseric was actually preparing a surprise attack. The Vandal monarch sent fire ships against Basiliscus' fleet, destroying most of his ships. The rest retreated. Marcellinus achieved his main goal of securing the two islands for the Western Roman Empire, but was assassinated in Sicily, probably at the instigation of his political rival, Ricimer. Heraclius, left to stand alone against the Vandals,[6][7] returned to Constantinople.[2]
In 471, Heraclius helped Emperor
magister militum per Thracias. In that capacity, he faced the Goths of Theodoric Strabo, but was captured in Thrace
. He was later freed when the emperor paid a ransom.
According to
Chersonese.[2]
Malchus criticizes Heraclius as hasty and impetuous, lacking foresight and prudence. Theophanes praises him as an energetic general. There are surviving fragments of a panegyric honouring a military commander called Heraclius, more likely than not, Heraclius of Edessa.[2]
Possible descendants
Heraclian Dynasty. There seems to be no primary source confirming the connection.[8]
References
- ^ Martindale 1980, p. 541.
- ^ a b c d Martindale 1980, p. 542.
- ^ Hussey (1967), p. 426
- ^ Stephen Williams and Gerard Friell, The Rome That Did Not Fall: Survival of the East in the fifth century, pp 178
- ^ Hussey (1967), p. 426
- ^ Stephen Williams and Gerard Friell, The Rome That Did Not Fall: Survival of the East in the fifth century, pp 178
- ^ Hussey (1967), p. 426
- ^ Kaegi (2003), p. 21
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Priscus, History, fragment 41
- Procopius, Vandal War, xvi.9, xvi.25.
- Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle, AM 5963
- Malchus, History, fragments 4 e 5
- John of Antioch, Historia chronike, fragment 210
Secondary sources
- Gerard Friell; Stephen Williams, The Rome That Did Not Fall, Routledge, 1998. ISBN 0-415-15403-0, p. 179
- Hussey, Joan Mervyn (1967), The Cambridge medieval history, Cambridge University Press
- Kaegi, Walter Emil (2003), Heraclius: emperor of Byzantium, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-81459-6
- ISBN 0-521-20159-4.