Althias (;

fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...

530) was a Hun military commander in the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

. He is noted for defeating Iaudas, king of the Moors, and his army with just 70 men.

Biography

He commanded the Hun auxiliaries of the Byzantine Empire in about 530 AD. He fought for the Romans in the Moorish wars. Here, he accomplished the feat of defeating Iaudas, King of the Moors, and his troops with just 70 cavalrymen. He led his seventy men to capture a spring located near to where Iaudas and his troop were attacking. The Moors reached the spring thirsty and Althias, who wanted to recover some prisoners, refused half of their booty in exchange of allowing them to the spring, proposing that he and the king of the Moors fight in

single combat Single combat is a duel between two single combatants which takes place in the context of a battle between two army, armies. Instances of single combat are known from Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The champions were often combatants wh ...

. The Moors rejoiced, as Althias was skinny and not tall, whereas Iaudas was their finest man. They fought mounted. Iaudas threw his spear at him but Althias, to the Moors' surprise, caught it with his right hand. Althias, who was

ambidextrous Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well. When referring to objects, the term indicates that the object is equally suitable for right-handed and left-handed people. When referring to humans, it indicates that ...

, then drew his bow with the other hand, instantly shot and killed Iaudas' horse. The Moors brought their king another horse, he leapt on it and galloped away. The whole army fled with him, and the Huns recovered both the captives and the whole booty.

Procopius Procopius of Caesarea (; ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; ; – 565) was a prominent Late antiquity, late antique Byzantine Greeks, Greek scholar and historian from Caesarea Maritima. Accompanying the Roman general Belisarius in Justinian I, Empe ...

related that because of this deed, he achieved fame throughout Africa.

Etymology

His name is of Turkic origin. Rásonyi compared it to the Kazakh patronymic Altyev and listed many clan names and personal names containing ''altï'' as their first element (e.g. Altybai, Altyortak, Altyate).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Althias Hun military leaders Generals of Justinian I Byzantine people of Hunnic descent