Chatzon

Chatzon (Greek: Χάτζων^[1][2]) or, in some modern Slavic studies, Hacon (Хакон^[3][4]), was a Slavic chieftain (έξαρχος Σκλαβίνων, "exarch of the Sclaveni" in the Greek sources) who, according to Book II of the Miracles of Saint Demetrius, led a coalition of Slavic tribes to attack the Byzantine city of Thessalonica in 615.^[1][2]

The Slavs with their families encamped before the city walls and even launched an attack by sea, but the latter failed due to a storm (attributed by the Byzantines to the intervention of Saint Demetrius, Thessalonica's patron saint) which sunk many of the Slavs' logboats, after which the siege was abandoned.^[1][2] Chatzon himself was allowed to enter the city during negotiations shortly after; however, the urban mob rioted at the instigation of the mothers of those slain during the siege and killed him, despite the city leaders' attempts to hide him.^[1][2] After this, the Slavs asked for the help of the Avars, resulting in the unsuccessful month-long siege of the city by the combined Avar and Slavic forces in 617/618.^[1][2][5]

References

1. Christophilopoulou, Aikaterini (2006). Βυζαντινή Αυτοκρατορία, Νεώτερος Ελληνισμός, Τόμος Γ' (in Greek). Athens: Herodotos. pp. 25–26. ISBN 960-8256-55-0.
2. Fine, John Van Antwerp (1991), The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century, University of Michigan Press, pp. 41, 44, ISBN 978-0-472-08149-3
3. Macedonian Review. Kulturen Zhivot. 1979. p. 243. Velegiziti, joined, in the second decade of the VIIth century, a great Slav tribal union, led by the leader of these Slavs, a man called Hacon. ...
4. Recueil de travaux de l'Institut des études byzantines. Naučno delo. 1996. p. 99. Из VII века остала су забележена имена Хакона15 и Првуда,16 као вођа приликом опсада Солуна — 614/16. Хакон, односно 674/77. Првуд.
5. Pohl, Walter (1988). Die Awaren. Ein Steppenvolk in Mitteleuropa 567–822 n. Chr. (in German). Munich: Verlag C.H. Beck. p. 241. ISBN 3-406-33330-3.