Chalazar (died June 548) was a

Hun The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...

military commander in the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

Biography

He served under

Belisarius Belisarius (; el, Βελισάριος; The exact date of his birth is unknown. – 565) was a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under the emperor Justinian I. He was instrumental in the reconquest of much of the Mediterranean terri ...

. Chalazar was the commander of the Byzantine garrison of

Rossano Rossano is a town and ''frazione'' of Corigliano-Rossano in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, southern Italy. The city is situated on an eminence from the Gulf of Taranto. The town is known for its marble and alabaster quarries. The town is t ...

together with the

Thracian The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...

Gudilas. He struck a deal with

Totila Totila, original name Baduila (died 1 July 552), was the penultimate King of the Ostrogoths, reigning from 541 to 552 AD. A skilled military and political leader, Totila reversed the tide of the Gothic War, recovering by 543 almost all the t ...

, who was besieging the fortress, whereby, if they were not relieved, he would surrender on a certain day, in exchange of the garrison being allowed to depart safely. They were in desperate need, but expecting help from Belisarius. The latter and

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

tried in vain to directly help them, and as they were insuccessfull in this, they attempted to divert Totila's attention to other places. However, Totila continued to besiege the fortress himself and sent just a small cavalry force in response to the diversion attempts. Thus the day they had agreed upon elapsed, and Chalazar failed to keep his promise. They surrendered to Totila, who pardoned all but Chalazar, who was mutilated and put to death.

References

Hun military leaders 548 deaths 6th-century Byzantine military personnel People of the Gothic War (535–554) Byzantine people of Hunnic descent {{Mil-bio-stub