Chelchal () was a Hun commander serving as

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

under the

Byzantine Empire 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 History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

History

He was the deputy commander of

Aspar Flavius Ardabur Aspar (Greek: Ἄσπαρ, fl. 400471) was an Eastern Roman patrician and ''magister militum'' ("master of soldiers") of Alanic- Gothic descent. As the general of a Germanic army in Roman service, Aspar exerted great influe ...

's forces. Once, during a "barbarian" (Hunnic, Gothic and Scythian) invasion of the Roman Empire, Chelchal and three other Roman generals (

Basiliscus Basiliscus (; died 476/477) was Eastern Roman emperor from 9 January 475 to August 476. He became in 464, under his brother-in-law, Emperor Leo I (457–474). Basiliscus commanded the army for an invasion of the Vandal Kingdom in 468, which ...

, Anagast and Ostryis) managed to defeat the "barbarians", pushing them into a valley. Hard pressed by starvation, they sent an embassy to the Romans to treat their surrender, stating that if they surrendered and were allotted lands, they would obey to the Romans. The Roman generals said they would forward the request to the emperor, and meanwhile would give them food, provided they arrange in as many segments as those formed by Aspar and the Romans (in this way, Chelchal and the other generals could "better care for them"). Chelchal then summoned the (Goth) ''logades'' to communicate them that the land the emperor would give them would be given to the Huns among them, not the

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

. Though Chelchal was an ethnic Hun and he was proud of his origins, he informed the Goths out of a sense of justice, so that they may know of the injustice dealt on them and act accordingly. What Chelchal told them caused indeed a clash between Huns and Goths. Apparently, the revolt of the Goths caused

Dengizich Dengizich (died in 469), was a Huns, Hunnic ruler and son of Attila. After Attila's death in 453 AD, his empire crumbled and its remains were ruled by his three sons, Ellac, Dengizich and Ernak. Dengizich succeeded his older brother Ellac in AD 45 ...

(who was leading the invasion of the Roman Empire) to retreat. As soon as Aspar heard about the ongoing fight between the two people, he and the other commanders summoned their troops and started to kill all the "barbarians" they met. The Scythians "perceived the treachery", gathered together, and turned against the Romans, but Aspar and his commanders anticipated them, killing the Scythian troops allotted to them to the last man. The fight was difficult for Chelchal and the other generals, as the "barbarians" are said to have fought bravely, with some of them eventually managing to escape through the Romans' blockade. Ostyrs and Chelchal probably purposefully stirred up the revolt, possibly following Aspar's indications, but without informing the other generals, note even Basiliscus, who was the overall commander. This caused the Goths to be more successful against the Romans in this case.

Etymology

His name recalls that of another Hun, Chalazar. It might be of Turkic origin.

References

{{Huns Huns 5th-century Byzantine military personnel Byzantine people of Hunnic descent