Mundus (general)

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Mundus (Greek: Μούνδος, died 536), was an East Roman general during the reign of Justinian I.

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Mundus was of the son of Giesmus, a king of the Gepids, and nephew to another Gepid king, Trapstila.[1] The exact date of his birth is unknown. His father was killed in battle against the Ostrogoths of Theoderic in 488, after which Mundus accepted the latter's invitation to join him. He remained in Italy until Theodoric's death in 526, at which point he returned to his homeland.

In 529, he sent envoys to Justinian, offering his allegiance. His offer was accepted, and Mundus was appointed magister militum per Illyricum, head of all military forces Illyria and the Danube frontier.[2][3] During the next two years, he defeated the incursions of Slavs and Bulgars into the Balkans, and sent large booty to Constantinople.[4]

In 531 he was for a short time appointed as magister militum per Orientem replacing Belisarius after his failure at Callinicum, but it seems that he never actually travelled to the East to assume that command. In January 532 he was again re-appointed as commander of the Illyricum forces. In the same month, he happened to be in Constantinople with a force of Heruli mercenaries, when the Nika riots broke out. Mundus remained loyal to Justinian and, along with Belisarius, was responsible for the massacre of the supporters of Hypatius in the Hippodrome.[5]

Mundus remained in command of the Illyricum forces thereafter. In 535, as Justinian launched his attempt to reconquer Italy from the Goths, he led his forces into Dalmatia, which the Goths held, while Belisarius invaded Italy by sea.[6] Mundus defeated the Goths and took the capital, Salona,[7] but early in the next year, a new Gothic army arrived to reclaim the province. In a skirmish near Salona, Mundus' son Mauricius was caught with only a few men by a larger Gothic force, and was killed. Enraged by the loss of his son, Mundus sallied out and defeated the Goths, but was mortally wounded in the pursuit.[8]

  1. ^ Theophanes, 6032
  2. ^ Theophanes, 6032
  3. ^ John Malalas, 450-451
  4. ^ Marcellinus Comes, AD 530
  5. ^ Procopius, De Bello Persico, I.XXIV.42-52
  6. ^ Procopius, De Bello Gothico, I.V.12-4
  7. ^ Procopius, De Bello Gothico, I.V.11
  8. ^ Procopius, De Bello Gothico, I.VII

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