Ierna (d. 547) was a

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

tribal leader of the

Laguatan The Laguatan (Lawata, Lawati) was a Zenata Berber clan that inhabited the Cyrenaica area during the Roman period. They have been described as primarily raiders and nomadic, but others consider them a settled group who also raided. The Laguatan eme ...

and also high priest of the god

Gurzil Gurzil was an important ancient Berber deity. He is known from two sources, the Latin poem ''Iohannis'' by the 6th-century Christian Roman poet Corippus and a Neo-Punic inscription from Lepcis Magna.A. F. Elmayer, "The Libyan God Gurzil in a Neo-Pu ...

who was active in the

praetorian prefecture of Africa The praetorian prefecture of Africa ( la, praefectura praetorio Africae) was an administrative division of the Eastern Roman Empire in the Maghreb. With its seat at Carthage, it was established after the reconquest of northwestern Africa from the ...

during the Moorish Wars of the mid-sixth century. Apparently he led the Laguatan at the Battle of Cilium in 544, when the Byzantine governor

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

was killed and many Byzantine soldiers were captured. In the winter of 546/547, he served as second-in-command in the army of

Antalas Antalas (; el, Ἀντάλας; c. 500 – after 548) was a Berber tribal leader who played a major role in the wars of the Byzantine Empire against the Berber tribes in Africa. Antalas and his tribe, the Frexes initially served the Byzantines as ...

, another tribal leader in revolt. He fought in the battle that caused the Berber defeat before the troops of

John Troglita John Troglita ( la, Ioannes Troglita, el, ) was a 6th-century Byzantine general. He participated in the Vandalic War and served in North Africa as a regional military governor during the years 533–538, before being sent east to the wars with t ...

. This defeat near Suffetula at the beginning of 547 resulted in: the submission of Antalas, the fleeing of Ierna with the image of Gurzil, being later captured and killed, and the image destroyed.G. Camps, « Antalas », ''Encyclopédie berbère, 5 , Anacutas – Anti-Atlas'', Aix-en-Provence, Edisud, 1988, p. 706-708 Carcasan succeeded him in power.

References

Sources

* {{Authority control 6th-century Berber people 547 deaths Berber rebels