Carcasan was a

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

leader of the Ifuraces, one of the Marmarid tribes that resided in

Tripolitania Tripolitania (), historically known as the Tripoli region, is a historic region and former province of Libya. The region had been settled since antiquity, first coming to prominence as part of the Carthaginian empire. Following the defeat ...

and was active during the Berber insurrections in the

Praetorium The Latin term ''praetorium'' (also and ) originally identified the tent of a general within a Roman '' castrum'' (encampment), and derived from the title praetor, which identified a Roman magistrate.Smith, William. Dictionary of Greek and Roma ...

Prefecture of Africa in the mid-6th century. He first appears in the reports of General

John Troglita John Troglita (, ) was a 6th-century Byzantine Empire, Byzantine general. He participated in the Vandalic War and served in North Africa as a regional military governor during the years 533–538, before being sent east to the wars with the Sassan ...

's campaign in the winter of 546/547, when he was defeated with

Antalas Antalas (; c. 500 – after 548) was a Berber tribal leader who played a major role in the wars of the Byzantine Empire against the Berber tribes in Africa. Antalas and his tribe, the Frexes initially served the Byzantines as allies, but after 544 ...

and other

leaders by

Byzantine 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 the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

troops. In the spring of 547, after the death of the Laguatan chief Ierna, he united the scattered Berber tribes and was acclaimed as a leader by them. After consulting the oracle of Amon, he resumed the war against the Byzantines and inflicted a heavy defeat on them during the Battle of Marta In the spring of 548, he and Antalas clashed again with John and his ally Cusina. The Berber troops in revolt marched against

and camped in the plain of Mammès. Carcasan, confident after his victory last year, wishes to confront John's army immediately, but he gives way to

, who advocates a more cautious tactic, withdrawing and luring the Byzantines inland, forcing them to march away from their supply bases, and across the devastated country, with the aim of exhausting and demoralizing them. The

rebels put Antalas' tactics into practice, but when they camped in the plain of Caton's fields, in Latara, they decided to fight in pitched battle. In the ensuing confrontation, the Byzantines and their

allies were victorious and Carcasan, during a counterattack, was killed by Jean Troglita himself according to Corippe.

References

{{reflist 6th-century African people 6th-century Berber people 6th-century monarchs in Africa