John Cottistis

John Cottistis († 537 in Dara - Anastasiopolis ) was a late ancient usurper and rebel against the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian.

The place Dara in Mesopotamia from 505 by Emperor Anastasius expanded as a fortress against the Sassanid border town near Nisibis massive and after the Battle of Dara (530 ) was amplified by Justinian on. The city has since adopted a key position in the Eastern Roman defense against the Persians, and remained in the subsequent period between the two great powers highly controversial. Although a part of the imperial troops had been withdrawn after 532 first, still was in Dara 537 one of the largest concentrations of troops of the Roman Orient.

In the year 537 crack infantry officer John Cottistis, about whom nothing else is known on, in Dara power for itself and was proclaimed emperor by the troops. He found little support among the population. The by the Persians, with whom there was peace at this time, apparently unnoticed remaining uprising was put down after only four days of remaining loyal Imperial troops under the leadership of Anastasius, a respected citizen of the town, and the Bishop Mamas.

The anonymous continuator of the Chronicle of Marcellinus Comes noticed only tersely to the processes: In Oriente quoque Ioannes Cottistis, arripiens tyrannidem, antequam Adversi aliquid temptaret, Daras extinctus est. Prokopios is a little more detail: The usurper ( Bane ) John was already supported by only a small part of the soldiers had holed up in a palace and was then overwhelmed in a surprise attack. The palace they had burned down, John was initially detained, but had been killed by a single soldier in the dungeon.

The rapid collapse of the usurpation especially the lack of support of the rebels by many soldiers, the bishop of the city and the local upper class was apparently owed. The course of the episode is a sign that Justinian generally so great prestige enjoyed by the successes of the past years that even a potentially threatening elevation as that of John in no time collapsed in itself.

Swell

• Marcellinus Comes, Chronicon, Additamentum a 537, 4 ( online here )
• Prokopios of Caesarea, Bella I, 26, 5-12