Thrasco

Thrasco (Latin: Thrasucon, Drascon) (*Daržĭkŭ) (fl. 795 – 810) was the Prince (knyaz) of the Obotrite confederation from 795 until his death in 810. He succeeded his father, Witzlaus II, who had been ambushed and killed by the revolting Saxons. Thrasco defeated the Saxons in the battle on Schwentine River in 798. He was murdered in Reric in 810. Thrasco had a son, Cedragus, the Obotrite prince from 819 to 826.

==Background== The Obotrites were a confederation of West Slavic tribe that lived on the shores of the Baltic Sea on the areas of nowadays Mecklenburg and Holstein. Thrasco's father, Witzlaus II (r. 747-795), assumed power in 747, shortly after the death of his father Aribert II (r. 724–747). As allies to Frankish King Charlemagne, Witzlaus II marched against the Saxons in Magdeburg in 782 and devastated their army (see Saxon wars, middle phase). The Franks issued a blood court, and massacred 4,500 Saxon captives at Verden. This provoked the nearby Slavic tribe of Veleti, which hated the Franks, to assemble under their leader Dragovit, including the Linonen Slavs and the Danes. The Frankish-led contingent of Obotrites, Sorbs and Frisians crossed the Elbe and Havel and defeated the outnumbered army of Dragovit in 786, or by 789. The Veleti were forced to recognize Frankish suzerainty, and pledge loyalty, as well as surrender a large number of hostages. Dragovit was obliged to pay tribute to the Franks and to accept the baptism of his people by Christian missionaries.