HUNGARY. 



347 



Hutory. 



-^ 

 EMabli-h 



in Daoaia 

 376. 



tensive country between the Volga and the Danube ; 

 and, having either driven them out, or forced them to 

 submission, established themselves in Dacia in A. D. 376. 

 Theodosius I. dreading their presence in die frontiers of 

 die empire, and wishing to attach them to his service, 

 enoiumgrd many of diem, by large sums of money, to 

 enter into die Roman armies. They continued for 

 some time in their new possessions without molesta- 

 tion to the empire till A. D. 391, when diey pamed 

 die Danube, and, being joined by the Godis, commit- 

 ted dreadful ravages in MOJSIO and Thrace. They 

 were soon stopped, however, by the array of Stili- 

 cho, the imperial general, who overthrew diem ith 

 great slaughter, and would have completely destroy- 

 ed them, had not Theodosius agreed to term* of recon- 

 ciliation. 



Not discouraged by dieir late disasters, diey broke 

 unexpectedly into die eastern provinces, penetrated 

 a* far a* Antioch. destroying all with fire and sword, 

 and commit tiny everywhere unheard of cruelties. >t 

 Jerome, speaking of this irruption, says, " All the 

 East trembled when die dismal news were brought, 

 that warm* of Huns, coming from die far distant M o?- 

 one, and dwelling between die frozen Tanais and 

 the country of the savage Masmgsfs*. flew up and down, 

 and filled all piece* widi blood and slaughter. The 

 crnel enemy roved without controul, where diey plea- 

 sed, preventing by their speed die report of their com- 

 ing. They bad no regard either to religion or dig- 

 die tear* of the crying meant; but put those to 

 deadi who had scarce began to live, and who, not ap- 

 prised of their danger, ssniled, when in then- enemies' 

 hand*, at those very weapons dial were immediately to 

 destroy them." After haying overrun and plundered 

 several provinces, diey returned home loaded with 

 spoil, and carrying with diem an immense number at 

 piisonen. From this time diey made regular incursion* 

 into die empire, always extending their settlement*; 



JwadwRo. and in *, we find them in iun of Panonia, on 



" - the soudi side of die Danube. Their arms, however, 

 were sometime* also employed in defence of the em- 

 They joined die army of .hu* againut die Bur- 

 gun'u'sn* and Goths ; bat no sooner wa* djeir pay a* 

 withdrawn than diey renewed dieir hoetiH- 

 II. w*e mmaisMsd to I. 



Their 



ty.arxl I h, 

 rr*nn Kou i-* 



dMir king, with an yearly pension of 33O 



by bis nephew Attila, the 

 of their king*. The 

 between the Danube and th* 

 ga obeyed hi* ummouu, and he bicams the terror 

 alternately of the Eastern end Western Kmpim. The 

 cent of Con*tanl*nenle eompn*J with hi* demand* 

 with servile mbmnmnn j but die court ef Ravenna 

 prepared to repel hi* inroad* by force; and at die 

 iaili*sail* battle ef Chalons, Attila for the first time 



timtminmsrl m a^w**msmimsm*k f^mafW^f) ! A A ^ M I 



imjMeir (UTi.il. wi* ( "tvllrii tn r*- 

 cross the Rhine before jBtjnt the Roman general. 

 For die exploit* of Attila, and the progress which the 

 I lurn made under his dominion, see ATI 



Some idea, however, of die mmmtr* and civiliiatien 

 f the H uns. during die reign ef Attila, may he formed 

 from the account which Gibbon ha* given u* of the 

 entrant*) of that mensich into hi* capital, and of the 

 reyal feast. The entrance ef Attila into die royal vil- 

 wgewm marked by a very singular ceremony. Amime- 

 reu* troop of women came out to meet thesr hero and 

 dieir king. They marched before him distributed into 

 long and regular file* : the intervals between die files 



were filled by white veils of thin linen, which the wo- History. 

 men on either side bore aloft in their hands, and which > ""V - 

 formed a canopy for a chorus of young virgins, who 

 chanted hymns and songs in the Scythian language. 

 The wife of his favourite Onegesius, with a train of fe- 

 male attendants, saluted Attila at the door of her own 

 house, on his way to the palace ; and offered, aecordin^ 

 to the custom of the country, her respectful homage, 

 by entreating him to taste the wine and meat which 

 she had prepared for his reception. As soon as the 

 monarch had graciously accepted her hospitable pift, 

 his domestics lifted a small silver table to a convenient 

 height, as he sat on horseback ; and Attila. whrn he li.id 

 touched the goblet with his lips, again saluted the wit'r 



of Onegesius, and continued his march." 



" The Romans both of the East and of the West, were KoyS* 

 twice invited to the banqu.-t. whore Attila feasted with feMt - 

 the princes and noble* of Scythia. Maximin (the Roman 

 ambassador) and his colleagues wire stopped on the 

 threshold, till they had made a devout libation to the 

 health and prosperity of the king of the Huns ; and 

 were conducted, after this ceremony, to their respective 

 seats in a spacious hall. The royal table and couch, 

 covered with carpet* and fine linen, was raised by se- 

 veral steps in the midst of the hall ; and a son, an uncle, 

 or perhaps a favourite king, were admitted to share 

 the (imple and homely repast of Attila. Two lines of 

 small tables, each' of which contained three or four guests, 

 were ranged in order on either hand ; the right was 

 esteemed the most honourable, but the Romans ingenu- 

 ously confess, that they were placed on the lt-ft ; and 

 that Bertc, an unknown chieftain, moat probably of Uic 

 Gothic race, preceded the representatives of Theodosius 

 and Valentinian. The barbarian monarch received 

 from his cupbearer a goblet filled with wine, and cour- 

 teously drank to the heahh of the most distinguished 

 guest, who rose from his seat, and expressed in die 

 seme manner his loyal and respectful vows. This ce- 

 remony was successively performed for all, or at least 

 for the illustrious persons of the assembly ; and a con- 

 siderable time must have been consumed, since it wj 

 thrice repeated as each coarse was set upon the : 

 Hut the wine still remained after the meat had been 

 removed ; and the Huns continued to indulge their in- 

 temperance long after the sober and decent ambassa- 

 dor* ef the two empires had withdrawn themselves 

 from the nocturnal banquet. Yet before they retired, 

 they enjoyed a singular opportunity of observing the 

 manner* of the nation in their convivial amusements. 

 Two Scythians steed before the couch of Attila, and 

 recked the verses which they had composed to cele- 

 brate hi* valour and hi* victories. A profound silence 

 prevailed in the hall ; and the attention of the guest* 

 was captivated by the vocal harmony, which revived 

 and perpetuated the memory of their own exploits: a 

 martial ardour flashed from the eye* of the warriors, 

 who were impatient for battle ; and the tears of tin old 

 men expressed their generous despair, that they con 1. 1 

 no longer partake the danger and glory of the field. 

 This entertainment, which might be considered a* a 

 school of military virtue, was succeeded by a farce, 

 that debased the dignity of human nature. A Moorish 

 and a Scythian buwaoii eaccessively excited the mirth 

 of the rude spectators, by their deformed figure, ridi- 

 cule** dress, antic gesture*, absurd speeches, and the 

 strange unintelligible confusion of the Latin, the Go- 

 thic, and the Hunnic languages; ami the hall resound- 

 ed with loud and licentious peals of laughter. In the 

 midst of this intemperate not, Attila alone, without a 

 change of countenance, maintained his itediast and in- 



