A V A 



tame ftrain of hau.Tlity defiance ; and he derived his 

 confidence from the God of the Clirillians, the ancient glory 

 of Rome, and the recent triumphs of Juftinian. The Cha- 

 gan was awed by the report of his ambaffadors ; and inftead 

 of exercifing his threats againll the eallern empire, he march- 

 ed into the poor and lavage countries of Germany, which 

 were fubj;£l to the dominion of the Franks ; but after two 

 doubtful battles, he confented to retire. The fpirit of the 

 Avars being chilled by repeated difappointments, their pow- 

 er would have diffolved away in the Sarmatian defert, if the 

 alliance of Alboin, king of the Lombards, had not given a 

 new objefl to their arms, and a lafting fettleraent to their 

 wearied fortunes. (See Alboin, and Lombards.) By the 

 departure of the Lombards, and the ruin of the Gepidi, 

 between the years 570 and 600, the balapce o"f power was 

 deftroyed on the Danube ; and the Avars, at this time, 

 ipread their permanent dominion from the foot of the Alps 

 to the fea-coaft of the Euxine. The reign of Baian is the 

 brighteft xra. of their monarchy ; and the Chagan, who occu- 

 pied the riillic palace of Attila, appears to have imitated hfs 

 charafter and pohcy. The pride of Juftin IL, of Tiberius, 

 and of Maurice, was humbled by a proud barbarian, more 

 prompt to infliifl, than expofedto fuffer, the injuries of war; 

 and as often as Afia was threatened by the Perfian arms, 

 Europe was oppreffed by the dangerous inroads, or coflly 

 frienddilp, of the Avars. As the fucceflbrof the Lombards, 

 the Chagan afferted his claim to the important city of Sir- 

 mium, the ancient bulwark of the Illyrian provinces. The 

 plains of the Lower Hungary were covered with the Avar 

 horfe, and a fleet of large boats were built in the Hercynian 

 v/ood, for the purpofe of defcending the Danube, and tranf- 

 porting into the Save, the materials of a briJge. But as 

 the llronc garriion of Singidunum, which commanded the 

 ■conflux of the two rivers, might have Hopped their pafTage 

 and baffled his defigns, he difpclled their apprchenfions by a 

 folemn oath that his views were not hoitile to the empire. 

 Slrmium, however, was invellcd by the perfidious Baian, and 

 its defence was prolonged above three years ; but at length 

 dillreffed by famine, a merciful capitulation allowed the ef- 

 cape of the naked and hungry inhabitants. Singidunum, at 

 the diftance of fifty miks, experienced a more cruel fate ; its 

 buildings were razed, and the vancpiiOied people condemned 

 to fervitude and exile. From Belgrade to the walls of Con- 

 ftantinople a line extended of 600 miles, which was marked 

 with flames and blood. The horfes of the Avars vjcre al- 

 ternately bathed in the Euxine and the Adriatic ; and the 

 Roman pontiff, alarmed at the approach of a more favage 

 enemy, was reduced to cherilh the Lombards as the protec- 

 tors of Italy. The defpair of a captive, whom his country 

 refufed to ranfom, difclofed to the Avars the invention and 

 praftice of military engines, but in the firll attempts they 

 were rudely framed and aukvvardly managed ; and the refin- 

 ance of Diocletianopolis and Beraea, of Philipopolis and 

 Adrianople, foon exhaufted the ilvill and patience of the be- 

 fiegers. Although the warfare of Baian was that of a Tar- 

 tar, his mind was fufccptible of fentiments that were gene- 

 rous and huma-ne ; accordingly, he fpared Anchialus, by 

 whofe falutary waters the health of the bell beloved of his 

 wives was reftored ; and the Romans confcfs, that their 

 llarving army was fed and difmifled by the liberahty of a 

 foe. His empire extended over Hungary, Poland, and 

 Prnfiia, from the m.outh of the Danube to that of the 

 Oder ; and his new fubjcfts were divided and tranfplanted 

 by the jealous policy of the conqueror. The eaftern re- 

 gions of Germany, which had been left vacant by the emi- 

 gration of the Vandals, were replenifhed with Sclavonian 

 eoncjuefts ; the fame tribes are difcovercd in the neighbour- 



A V A 



hood of the Adriatic and the Baltic, and with the name of 

 Baian himfelf, the Illyrian cities of Neyfs and LifTa are again 

 found in the heart of Silefia. In the difpofition both of his 

 troops and provinces, the Chagan expofed the vafTals, whofc 

 lives he difregarded, to the firft alfault, and the fwords of 

 the enemy were blunted before they encountered the native 

 valour of the Avars. The emperor Maurice, after having, 

 for ten years, fupported the infolence of the Chagan, declared 

 his purpofe of marching againll the barbarians. Deaf to 

 the advice and intreaty of the fenate, the patriarch, and the 

 emprefs Conllantina, who dlffuaded him from perfonally en- 

 countering the fatigues and perils of a Scythian campaign, 

 he boldly advanced fevcn miles from the capital ; but An- 

 chialus was the limit of his progrtfs both by fea and land. 

 In five fucceffive battles, 17,200 barbarians were made prifo- 

 ners ; near 60,000, with four fons of the Chagan, were llain ; 

 the Roman general, Trifcus, furprifed a peaceful dillritl of 

 the Gepida;, protected by the Avars ; and his lad trophies 

 were erefted on the banks of the Danube and the Teyfs. 

 Baian, however, again prepared, with dainitlefs fpirit and re- 

 cruited, forces, to avenge his defeat under the walls of Con- 

 llantinople. In th.e reign of Heraclius, A.D. 610 — 622. 

 Syria, Egypt, and the provinces of Afia, were fnbdued by 

 the Perfian arms under Chofroes ; while Europe, from the 

 confines of Iftria to the long wall of Thrace, was oppreffed 

 by the Avarsj unfatiated with the blood and rapine of the 

 Italian war. They had coolly mafl'acred their male captives 

 in the field of Pannonia ; the women and children were re- 

 duced to fervitude, and the nobleil virgins were abandoned 

 to the promifcuous lull of the barbarians. 



When Heraclius was preparing to abandon his capital, 

 and to transfer his perfon and government to the more fe- 

 cure refidence of Carthage, the Chagan was encamped in 

 the plains of Thrace ; and ditTembhng his perfidious defigns, 

 folicited an interview, for the purpofe of reconciliation, 

 with the emperor, near the to>vn of Heraclea. On a fudden, 

 the Hljjpodrome was encompafTed by the Scythian cavalry ; 

 the tremendous found of the Chagan's whip gave the fignal 

 of aifault ; and Herachus was faved by the fleelnefs of his 

 horfe. So rapid was the purluit, that the Avars almoil 

 entered \he golden gate of Conllantinople with the flying 

 crowds ; but the plunder of the fuburbs rewarded their 

 treafon, and they tranfported beyond the Danube 270,000 

 captives. The Perfian king having ratified a treaty 

 of alliance and partition with the Chagan, A. D. 626 ; 

 30,000 Barbarians, the vanguard of the Avars, forced the 

 long wall of Conllantinople, and drove into the city a pro- 

 mifcous crowd of peafants, citizens and foldiers. In the 

 mean while the magillrates of the capital repeatedly flrove 

 to purchafe the retreat of the Chagan , but their deputies 

 were rejefted and infulted ; and he fufFcred the patricians 

 to Hand before his throne, while the Perfian envoys, richly 

 drcffed, were feated by his fide. For ten fnccefiive days, 

 the capital was affaulted by the Avars, who had made fome 

 progrefs in the fcience of attack. At length however, by 

 the vigorous refiilance of the inhabitants, the Avars were 

 repuUed ; a fleet of Sclavonian canoes was alfo dellroyed iu 

 the harbour ; the vallals of the Chagan threatened to defert; 

 his provifions were exhaufl;ed, and after burning his engines, 

 he gave the fignal of a flow and formidable retreat. To 

 the hollile league of Chofroes with the Avars, the Roman 

 emperor oppofed the honourable and ufeful alliance of the 

 Turks ; and the Perfians were then reduced to the neceffity 

 of retreating with precipitation. Gibbon's HiH. vol. vii. 

 viii. 



From the annals of France, cited by Bolandus, we learn, 

 that Thudun, a leader of the Avars, fent ambaffadors to 



Cba'rlo 



