Peter (Byzantine General)
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Peter (Greek: Πέτρος, Petros, † 602 in Constantinople) was a brother of the Byzantine Emperor Maurice, who reigned from 582 to 602 and was a major early Byzantine Ruler.
Together with Priscus and Comentiolus, he was one of the three commander-in-chiefs during Maurice’s Balkan campaigns.
Though less able than Priscus, he succeeded the latter as leader of the Roman forces in Moesia in 594, being more loyal to the emperor, his own brother. The reason for this replacement was Priscus’ refusal to obey the emperor’s orders to spend the winter on the northern Danube bank in 593 and to carry on fighting the Slavs.
Petros defeated the Slavs in 594 near Marcianopolis and maintained the Danube between Novae and the Danube Delta. Later on, he crossed the Danube and fought his way to the Helibacia river, defeating numerous Slavic tribes in the course. 601, he attacked the Avar homeland and defeated the Avars in several battles.
When in 602, his brother ordered his troops to spend the winter on the northern bank of the Danube, Petros made no attempt to disobey this order, as opposed to Priscus in 593. Mutiny was the result. Although Petros attempted to calm down his troops, they marched to Constantinople and overthrew Maurice.
Although Theophylact Simocatta portrayed Petros as unable, relying on Priscus as only surviving witness, Petros' expertise was sophisticated enough to put him forward as a candidate for the authorship of the Strategikon of Maurice.
[edit] Literature
- Michael Whitby: The Emperor Maurice and his Historian – Theophylact Simocatta on Persian and Balkan Warfare. Oxford 1988.
