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Zabergan (Medieval Greek: Ζαβεργάν) was the chieftain of the Kutrigurs, a Turkic nomadic tribe of the Pontic–Caspian steppe, after Sinnion. His name is Iranian, meaning full moon.^[1] Either under pressure from incoming Avars,^[2] or in revolt against the Byzantine Empire, in the winter of 558, he led a large Kutrigur army that crossed the frozen Danube. The army was divided into three sections: one raided south far as Thermopylae, while two others the Thracian Chersonesus and the periphery of Constantinople.^[3] In March 559 Zabergan attacked Constantinople, and one part of his forces consisted of 7,000 horsemen,^[4] but Belisarius defeated him at the Battle of Melantias and he was forced to withdraw.^[5]

The transit of such big distances in a short period of time shows that the Kutrigurs were mounted warriors,^[3] and Zabergan's raiders were already encamped near the banks of the Danube.^[3] However, once again Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565) managed to persuade the Utigur chieftain Sandilch to attack the Kutrigurs, which resulted in the decimation of both.^[2] Nevertheless, according to the 12th-century chronicle of Michael the Syrian the remnant of those Bulgars were granted Dacia in the time of Maurice (r. 582-602).^[6] It is unknown if Zabergan was related to the Byzantine general named Zabergan, who in 586 defended the fortress Chlomaron against the Romans.^[1]

Honours

Zabergan Peak in Antarctica is named after Zabergan.

References

^ ^a ^b Maenchen-Helfen 1973.
^ ^a ^b Golden 2011, p. 140; Golden 1992, p. 100
^ ^a ^b ^c Curta 2015, p. 77.
^ Golden 2011, p. 107.
^ James C. Bradford, International Encyclopedia of Military History
^ "The Three Scythian Brothers: an Extract from the Chronicle of Michael the Great | Mark Dickens". Academia.edu. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2015-02-27.

Sources

Curta, Florin (2015). "Avar Blitzkrieg, Slavic and Bulgar raiders, and Roman special ops: mobile warriors in the 6th-century Balkans". In Zimonyi István; Osman Karatay (eds.). Eurasia in the Middle Ages. Studies in Honour of Peter B. Golden. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz. pp. 69–89.
Golden, Peter Benjamin (1992). An introduction to the History of the Turkic peoples: ethnogenesis and state formation in medieval and early modern Eurasia and the Middle East. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz. ISBN 9783447032742.
Golden, Peter B. (2011). Studies on the Peoples and Cultures of the Eurasian Steppes. Editura Academiei Române; Editura Istros a Muzeului Brăilei. ISBN 9789732721520.
Maenchen-Helfen, Otto J. (1973). "Chapter IX. Language: 5. Iranian names". The World of the Huns: Studies in Their History and Culture. University of California Press. p. 392. ISBN 9780520015968.

Preceded by Sinnion	Leader of the Kutrigurs fl. 558–586	Succeeded by Bulgarios

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