Vahan () was a

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 ...

military leader of Armenian origin. He was probably killed shortly after the

Battle of Yarmuk The Battle of the Yarmuk (also spelled Yarmouk; ) was a major battle between the Byzantine army, army of the Byzantine Empire and the Arab Muslim Rashidun army, forces of the Rashidun Caliphate. The battle consisted of a series of engagements ...

in 636. Vahan, an

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

who had been the garrison commander of Emesa and served as '' magister militum per Orientem'' during the

Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 The Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628, also called the Last Great War of Antiquity, was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire. It was the final and most devastating conflict of the Roman–Persian wars (54 BCAD&n ...

, was the overall field commander at the Yarmuk. While Vahan and part of his forces avoided destruction in the battle itself, they were pursued and killed by the

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

mobile guard during their subsequent retreat to

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

, although other accounts state that a disgraced Vahan may have retired to a monastery in Sinai. Arab sources emphasise the "noble and righteous conduct" of Vahan compared to other Roman commanders. Claims that Vahan or his soldiers had rebelled against Emperor

Heraclius Heraclius (; 11 February 641) was Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the Exarch of Africa, led a revolt against the unpopular emperor Phocas. Heraclius's reign was ...

prior to Yarmouk are likely to be smears intended to pin the blame for the defeat on the Armenian.

Negotiations with Rashiduns

Muslim sources record a conversation between Vahan and the Arab General

Khalid ibn al-Walid Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi (; died 642) was a 7th-century Arabs, Arab military commander. He initially led campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career ...

before the battle of Yarmouk: :Vahan: We know that it is your misguided beliefs that have brought you out of your lands. We will give you wine, women, and wealth if you return to your lands and promise to raise your arms in defense of my empire when I call upon you. I know you Bedouins will accept these concessions. :Khalid: "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his slave and messenger, whom Jesus son of Mary prophesied. You speak of wine, women, and wealth as if we are driven by lust and greed. But know this, O Caesar: We are a people whom God has honored through Islam. We were lost, and He guided us. We were divided, and He united us. We were weak, and He gave us strength. We do not fight for gold nor for the pleasures of this world. We fight to bring justice, to liberate the oppressed, and to raise high the Word of God. Your offers are insults to men who carry the Qur’an in their hearts and the sword in their hands. You see us as Bedouins, but I tell you, we are the soldiers of God. And we have come not for your treasures, but to break the chains of tyranny your empire has wrapped around the necks of men. You offer us servitude. We offer you Islam. Accept it and you will find peace. Refuse, and we shall meet you on the battlefield — where you will see what it means to face men who love death as you love life. :Hercules: “You dare speak to me of justice, desert-dweller? You — a sand-swept savage whose people lived in filth and ignorance until yesterday? You come here preaching about God as if you have a monopoly on truth, when your kind barely knew how to read before your so-called prophet started chanting verses in a cave like a madman. Then come — and I will drown your martyrs in their own blood. Your faith may promise you paradise, but my empire promises you annihilation. You will not just be defeated — you will be forgotten. Look around you, Bedoiun! You stand at the gates of a civilization a thousand years old. We are Rum — and you are nothing but wind and dust. Crawl back to your wastelands, or I will feed your corpse to the carrion birds before the sun sets. We will annihilate you!"

then began reciting the Koran and spoke of Muhammad. He then recited poetry. "You have spoken with pride. But pride is the mask of a soul drowning in fear. We do not fear you, your throne, nor your legions. We fear only the One who created you — and will end you. You offer us the filth of the world — wine, women, and coin. We offer you something far greater: Submission to the One God, and the chance to be free. But you have chosen mockery over mercy. Arrogance over truth. And so, negotiations are over. Tomorrow, we will meet on the field. And when the dust settles, you will know whether it is Rum that conquers — or the Word of God. Prepare your soul, Caesar For I have already prepared mine." “Then bring your faith and your God, Bedouin,” stated Hercules. “I will bury them beside your bones.” negotiations promptly ended there.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vahan 630s deaths Byzantine people of Armenian descent 7th-century Byzantine military personnel Year of birth unknown Arab–Byzantine wars 7th-century Armenian people Byzantine people of the Arab–Byzantine wars Byzantines killed in battle Generals of Heraclius