Chanaranges ( el, ) was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

military officer, active in the late reign of

Justinian I Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized '' renov ...

(r. 527–565). He was an Armenian and his name is occasionally rendered as Charanges ( el, ). He is only known for his activities in the Gothic War, in particular the Battle of the Volturnus in 554. The main source about him is Agathias.. The name probably derives from '' Kanārang'', a military title of the

Sassanid Empire The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...

. He should probably not be confused with his contemporary, the Chanaranges who took part in the conspiracy of

Artabanes Artabanes ( el, , Armenian: ''Artawan'', from Parthian ''Artawân'', '' fl.'' 538–554) was an East Roman (Byzantine) general of Armenian origin who served under Justinian I (r. 527–565). Initially a rebel against Byzantine authority, he f ...

Biography

Chanaranges was reportedly a native of

Byzantine Armenia Byzantine Armenia, sometimes known as Western Armenia, is the name given to the parts of Kingdom of Armenia that became part of the Byzantine Empire. The size of the territory varied over time, depending on the degree of control the Byzantine ...

. Agathias gives his title in Greek as

taxiarch Taxiarch, the anglicised form of ''taxiarchos'' or ''taxiarchēs'' ( el, ταξίαρχος or ταξιάρχης) is used in the Greek language to mean "brigadier". The term derives from ''táxis'', "order", in military context "an ordered forma ...

( gr, ταξίαρχος), describing him as commanding a '' tagma''. His

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

title was probably ''

comes rei militaris ''Comes'' ( ), plural ''comites'' ( ), was a Roman title or office, and the origin Latin form of the medieval and modern title "count". Before becoming a word for various types of title or office, the word originally meant "companion", either i ...

''. He is first mentioned in late 554, serving under

Narses , image=Narses.jpg , image_size=250 , caption=Man traditionally identified as Narses, from the mosaic depicting Justinian and his entourage in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna , birth_date=478 or 480 , death_date=566 or 573 (aged 86/95) , allegi ...

. His forces took part in a campaign against the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools ...

of Butilinus. Narses set his camp near the river

Casilinum Casilinum was an ancient city of Campania, Italy, situated some 3 miles north-west of the ancient Capua. The position of Casilinum at the junction of the Via Appia and Via Latina, at their crossing of the river Volturnus by a still-existing thre ...

( Volturnus,

Volturno The Volturno (ancient Latin name Volturnus, from ''volvere'', to roll) is a river in south-central Italy. Geography It rises in the Abruzzese central Apennines of Samnium near Castel San Vincenzo (province of Isernia, Molise) and flows sout ...

). Chanaranges was stationed in the same camp, at the side nearest to the enemy. Chanaranges was sent against the supply wagons of the Franks. He easily captured the wagons and killed the drivers. The Franks had built a tower in the area, guarding the bridge that crossed the river. Chanaranges drove one of the captured wagons to the castle. He set the wagon on fire, the flames spreading to the tower and destroying it. The bridge passed under Byzantine control. The events directly led to the Battle of the Volturnus, a decisive Byzantine victory. Nothing further is known of him after that.; . Agathias describes Chanaranges as very brave and ready to take risks, but also as sufficiently cautious to avoid unnecessary dangers.

References

Sources

* * {{refend, 2 6th-century Byzantine military personnel Byzantine people of Armenian descent People of the Gothic War (535–554)