Gadar the Kadisene

Gadar was a prominent Sasanian military commander of the early 6th century AD. He was a leader of the Kadiseni, a warlike tribe integrated into the Sasanian military structure, and is primarily remembered for his role in the Anastasian War against the Byzantine Empire. Nina Pigulevskaya identifies the Cadiseni as a distinct group, typically associated with the Hephthalite confederation and with the ancient Cadusii.

Biography

Gadar served under the Sasanian King of Kings, Kavad I. He commanded a contingent of Kadiseni tribesmen, who were renowned for their ferocity and lived on the frontiers of the Sasanian Empire.
During the Persian invasion of Roman Mesopotamia in 502 AD, Gadar was a key figure in the Siege of Amida. According to the Chronicle of Joshua the Stylite, the Kadiseni under Gadar were instrumental in the grueling assaults against the city's fortifications.
Gadar was killed in action during the final stages of the siege in late 502 or early 503 AD. His death was a significant blow to the Sasanian morale. The Chronicle of Zachariah of Mitylene notes that the loss of their leader caused such distress among the Kadiseni troops that it nearly jeopardized the Persian operations at Amida. Despite his death, the city eventually fell to Kavad's forces shortly thereafter.