Nachoragan

Native name
Naxwaragān
AllegianceSasanian Empire
Service / branchSasanian army
Commandsoperations in the Lazic War
Battles / warsLazic War

Nachoragan was a commander in the military of the Sasanian Empire recorded in the Lazic War by the Byzantine historians. He succeeded Mihr-Mihroe as the commander of the operations in Lazica after the latter's death. As he took the command, the political situation favored the Sasanians, as the assassination of the Lazic king Gubazes by Byzantine generals had alienated the Lazi. Nachoragan relieved the Siege of Onoguris and subsequently destroyed the Byzantine base at Archaeopolis. In the spring of 556 AD, Nachoragan began a new invasion by attacking Nesus with 60,000 men, where Martin and Justin were positioned. After the rejection of his peace proposals by Martin, Nachoragan besieged Phasis, but was heavily defeated.[1] He then retreated to Kutais, left the command of the Sasanians in Lazica to his subordinate Vaphrizes shortly after, and retired to winter quarters in Iberia.[2]

The Greek name Nachoragan (Ναχοραγάν) recorded by the Byzantine historians probably represents not a name but the Middle Persian title naxwaragān[3][4] or naxwārakān/naxwāragān.[5] It corresponds to the Syriac nkwrgn (ܢܟܘܪܓܢ, "governor")[6] and the Armenian title nakharar, both of which are borrowed from Middle Iranian languages.

  1. ^ Martindale, J. R. (1992). The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire 2 Part Set: Volume 3, AD 527-641. Cambridge University Press. p. 846. ISBN 978-0-521-20160-5.
  2. ^ Rawlinson, George (2018). The Greatest Empires & Civilizations of the Ancient East: Egypt, Babylon, The Kings of Israel and Judah, Assyria, Media, Chaldea, Persia, Parthia & Sasanian Empire. e-artnow. ISBN 978-80-272-4425-6.
  3. ^ Dodgeon, Michael H.; Lieu, Samuel N. C. (1991). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars Ad 363-628. Psychology Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-415-46530-4.
  4. ^ Chaumont, M. L. (28 July 2011). "AGATHIAS". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  5. ^ Ferdinand Justi, Iranisches Namenbuch, 1895, Marburg, page 219b.
  6. ^ Ciancaglini, Claudia A. (2008). Iranian Loanwords in Syriac. Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag. p. 215. ISBN 978-3-89500-624-1.