Attila The Hun

Attila The Hun is remembered now as the scourge of the Roman Empire, in both the east and west but very few people know much about the man himself. An insight into Attila is given by a man named Priscus who was a part of a group of envoys sent by the Eastern Roman Emperor to meet with Attila, hoping to make peace with him and put an end to the Huns devastating and destructive raids.

In the late 4th century, the Roman historian Marcellinus wrote a very unflattering description of the Huns. According to Marcellinus, the preparation of food that the Huns eat was primitive with the meat part of their diet consumed half raw. Unsurprisingly, they were fierce warriors. As the Huns joined battle with their enemy, they would ring the air with various battle cries and would rely on sudden movements rather than particularly organised battle plans to overwhelm their enemy. As a result, warfare with the Huns was especially chaotic.

Attila of course is the most famous of the Huns’ leaders. He came to power alongside his brother on the death of their uncle in 434. They ruled jointly for over a decade. During that time, the Huns attacked the Persian empire before firmly turning their attentions towards the Romans. Attila’s brother died in 445, leaving Attila as sole king. In the late 440s, Attila raided deep into the heart of Byzantine territory where his activities were described by one chronicler…”The barbarian nation of the Huns, which was in Thrace, became so great that more than a hundred cities were captured and Constantinople almost came into danger and most men fled from it. ... And there were so many murders and blood-lettings that the dead could not be numbered. Ay, for they took captive the churches and monasteries and slew the monks and maidens in great numbers.”

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Attila on his path of destruction. In 451, he was defeated in battle by the Western Romans. However, Attila was not one to be deterred by one mere setback and the following year he caused huge destruction across Italy. It must have been a huge relief for many when Attila died in 453.

So when Priscus and his fellow envoys made their journey to meet Attila, there must have been some trepidation. At 3 o'clock one afternoon, the envoys were invited to dine with Attila. The envoys made their gestures of respect to Attila who was sitting on a couch in the middle of his encampment before taking their own seats. Sitting on the couch with Attila was his eldest son who kept his eyes fixed firmly downwards, apparently in fear of upsetting his father. Attila’s youngest son would enter the camp later on and evidently he appeared to be the favourite as Attila treated him with affection. The reason for this favouritism was that, according to one of the Huns sitting near Priscus who happened to overhear Priscus speaking and who understood Italian, Attila had heard a prediction that his family would one day be exiled and would only be restored thanks to this youngest son. Sitting on Attila’s right hand side were the most important in his ranks whilst those of less renown sat on his left, alongside the Roman envoys.

Shortly before the food was brought out, Attila was offered some wine and it was here that he made a toast in honour of those present who had served him most nobly. The men, on hearing their name, would rise and wait for Attila to take a deep sip before returning the favour. The food that was brought out was lavish, more so than usual Hunnic custom,and wide ranging although Attila had a more simple meal of some meat presented to him on a wooden platter which was, in the words of Priscus, another example of his self discipline. His goblet was also wooden although the goblets of everybody else were either golden or silver. His clothing was basic with everything kept free of expensive and unnecessary adornments.

As the feast wore on, those inside the camp gradually became more and more raucous, laughing at the buffoonery of two individuals who had been brought in for the occasion. The one person inside the camp who did not join in the laughter was Attila himself who remained impassive. For Priscus and his fellow envoys, this must have been a remarkable meeting. Despite Attila’s seeming humility, he was still the man who had wrought such carnage across Europe and the effects of this embassy would have been limited to say the least. You would not blame Priscus if he was happy to get out of there as quickly as possible