Priscus (general)
Priscus (Latin Priscus; † 613 in Constantinople Opel ) was an East Roman commander under Maurikios, Phocas and Heraclius, and the son of the Middle. He had his most prominent use during the Balkan campaigns of Maurikios, next to Peter and Comentiolus.
Priscus was evidently formed and needs in addition to Greek and Latin, at that time still the command language of the Eastern Roman army, have mastered certain: Theophylaktos Simokates reported by rhetorical speeches demanding " in the traditional language of the Romans " that Priscus was held in front of the soldiers (for B. Th Sim 6,7,9 ). Whether the soldiers understood their generals here, Theophylact, however, not reported.
In the service of Maurikios 587-602
587 Priscus should be the successor of General Philippicus as magister militum per orientem. As he had at the same time the order to announce the planned 25% pay cuts, the troops 588 who felt also disrespected by their new commander to recognize Priscus, so Philippicus to end the mutiny, again took command refused, after the soldiers had refused for a year to carry out military operations.
Priscus instead he had the command of the Roman troops in the Balkans. His first Balkan campaign with inexperienced forces failed 588 593 but he led a very successful army in Moesia against the Slavs, but was replaced 594 for insubordination by Maurikios ' brother Petros. Nevertheless, he received the following year upriver the command of another army, where he also acted successfully against the Avars them but not 596 nachsetzte to the displeasure of the emperor.
597/598, he was included in Tomis on the Black Sea with his men by the Avars and could only be horrified when Comentiolus came in the back of the Avars. As Comentiolus was in turn besieged by the Avars, Priscus, however, did not come to his aid. In the period following Priscus operated together with Comentiolus in the area of today's Banat very successfully against the Avars. This was so far a turning point in the history of the Avars, as they henceforth no longer were considered invincible. This should be for the rule of Avars over other nations have far-reaching consequences.
Services under Phocas ( 602-610 )
Of the three generals Priscus was the only survivor of the crash Maurikios. He was in November 602 in Armenia and had the task of digging there new troops for the Balkan front, as the soldiers of the Master of the Soldiers mutinied by Thracias, moved to Constantinople Opel, the Emperor Phocas killed and their spokesmen sat on the throne. Priscus was removed from the scene far enough and could come to terms with the new emperor. At the turn of 602/603, he was appointed comes excubitorum, an important asset in the immediate vicinity of the ruler. 606 he married the daughter of Phocas, but later fell out of favor, as the citizens of Constantinople Opel lined up statues of him.
Service under Heraclius ( 610-613 )
When 610 the overthrow of Phocas became clear conspired Priscus with Heraclius against his own father. Heraclius gave him 611/612 the command of an army and entrusted him with the destruction of the Persian garrison of Kaisereia. After a snub by Priscus and a successful outbreak of the Persian garrison Heraclius left him shear the tonsure and put him in a monastery, where he died the following year in 612.
Assessment
Overall Priscus seems to have been a very capable commander whose loyalty has often been strained over charge and therefore both Maurikios as well as Phocas and Heraclius playful confidence. After the experience, he had 588 made with the rebellious troops on the Persian front, he seems henceforth to have been intent on the wishes of his men to take into consideration, which meant that he sometimes not the orders of the Central nachkam and large risks avoided. Nevertheless, he managed to get through two coups and come to terms with the new regime, at least as long as his outstanding abilities as a commander made him appear untentbehrlich.
As one of the few survivors of the political turmoil 602-611 he played an important role as the protagonist of his work, especially for the Balkan campaigns for Theophylaktos Simokates. The historian reported some very negative about Peter, Comentiolus and Phocas, but partly also on Maurikios, the real hero of his presentation.