THE HUMAN SPECIES. 323 



When the Hunnic empire had declined, we find a 

 large force of their cavalry under the command of 

 Iliphred and Apsich, in the service of the Byzantine 

 emperor, forming the left wing of the army at the 

 battle of Solacon, in the year 586, where Philippicus 

 defeated the Persians. 



Other Finnic nations, debris of the Hunnic empire, 

 such as the Avares, became predominant in eastern 

 Europe in the sixth century. In conjunction with the 

 Lombards, they destroyed the power of the Gepidae, a 

 tribe of Yeta, who had again risen to independence, 

 defeated Sigebert, king of the Franks, and rendered 

 the Bulgarians tributary; but, in the next century, 

 revolting under the conduct of Conviat, these in their 

 turn became puissant, and long held sway in Mcesia, 

 on the south of the Danube. 



THE KHAZARS. 



THE Khazars, already mentioned by Armenian 

 writers of the second century, were a nation both war- 

 like and agricultural; and being greatly intermixed 

 with Jewish exiles, they changed from Budhism to the 

 Mosaic tenets in the seventh century, and conferred 

 the title of Hake (king priest), to a Hebrew family, 

 while the temporal authority continued in the hands 

 of the Khagan. In 858, they became Christians, but 

 forsook the cross to please the Chorasmians. They 

 traded largely in peltry from the north, and in other 

 wares from the south-east of Asia. Usually the allies 



