Kutrigurs

The Kutrigurs were a living on the Black Sea late antique equestrian people in the 6th century.

The Kutrigurs are mentioned several times in late ancient sources of the 6th century, as in Pseudo- Zacharias (ie in the extended version of the Ecclesiastical History of Zacharias of Mytilene ), Prokopios, Agathias and Menander Protector. They seem to have been closely related to the Utiguren.

The origin of the Kutrigurs is controversial in research. From the classically oriented historians they were anachronistically often simply referred to as " Huns ". But this says nothing about its origins, as this term, as before " Scythian " was often just a stylistic device of late antique historians, so north of the Black Sea to designate those peoples in the Pontic steppe region. The main source for them is Prokopios (8th book of his histories ), but represents a strong adhesive legend embellished description about their origins. Whether they really are descended from the remnants Hun groups, therefore, is questionable. In research, they are equated times with the Proto-Bulgarians, sometimes clearly distinguished from them.

Middle of the 6th century, the Kutrigurs the first time historically tangible. Around 550 the Gepids asked the Kutrigurs in the fight against the Lombards for help. At that time she also came into contact with the Eastern Roman Empire. Although they received annual payments from the emperor in Constantinople Opel, they pressed repeatedly before on Eastern Roman territory; on the other hand served Kutrigurs in the Eastern Roman military, for example, fought a certain Sinnion as an officer under Belisarius.

Prokopios reported that the Kutrigurs then attacked the Eastern Roman territory before they were moved by the attacks Utriguren or imperial assurances to the deduction. In the years 558/59 but they took under their leader Zabergan again, penetrated to Greece before and even acted in the vicinity of the capital Constantinople Opel. Emperor Justinian I seem to have concluded an agreement with them, the sources do, however, no precise information. Apparently, the deduction of Kutrigurs had to be bought with gold. In other sources, these attackers are also referred to as Huns, Slavs or Bulgarians.

Justinian then came in with Sandilch, a leader of the Utiguren an alliance. The Utiguren attacked the Kutrigurs and both groups seem to have weakened in the following battles. This situation also took advantage of the first few years earlier appeared in sight Ostrom Avars, by 560 to subdue the majority of the remaining Utiguren and Kutrigurs. In the Avar services Kutrigurs fell by 568 in Dalmatia. Kutrigurs are mentioned in the sources as a counselor to the Avar Khagans; However, in the subsequent period they disappeared largely from the sources. You probably went to the Avars and Bulgarians without their exact relationship to the Bulgarians is clear. Whether remnants of Kutrigurs on the River Don was joined Kubrat in the early 7th century, is not unique.