GOTH S. 723 
exerc’fes of the barbarfan camp, and hi tliofe of the 
Gallic fcliools ; from tlie diidy of the Koman jm ifprii- 
dence, they acquired the theory of law and of juflice; and 
tlie refined and exalted feiuiments of Virgil contributed 
to foften the afperity of their native manners. The two 
daughters of the Gothic king were given in marriage to 
the eldeft fons of the kings of the Suevi and of the Van¬ 
dals, wlio reigned in Spain and Africa ; but thefe illuf- 
trious alliances w'cre pregnant with milchiefand difcord. 
The queen of the Suevi bewailed the death of an huf- 
band, inluimanly malfacred by her own brother. The 
queen of the Vandals was the vidlim of a jealous tyrant, 
whom file was taught to call her father. 'J'he cruel 
Genfcric fufpedled, that his ion’s wife had confpired to 
poifon him ; tlie fuppoled crime was punillied by the 
atuputation of her nofe and ears ; and the unhappy 
daughter of Theodoric was ignominioully returned to 
the pourt of 1 houloufe in that deformed and mutilated 
condition. I'his horrid adt, which would feem incredi¬ 
ble to a civilized age, drew tears from every fpedlator; 
but Theodoric was urged, by the feelings of a parent 
and a king, to revenge Inch irreparable injuries. The 
imperial minifters, who always cheriflied the difcord of 
the barbarians, would have fupplied the Goths wirii 
arms, and fliips, and treaiures, tor the African war ; 
and the cruelty of Genferic might have been fatal to 
liimfelr, it the artful Vandal had not armed in his caufe 
the formidable power of the Huns. His rich gifts and 
prelling folicitations inflamed the ambition of Attila ; 
and the intended co-operation of ^tius and Theodoric 
was prevented by the unexpedfed invafion of Gaul. 
Attila, at the head of a numerous body of the Huns, 
had penetrated into the heart of Gaul, and fpread the 
horrors of defolatlon wherever he came, .ffitius was 
tile foie guardian of the public fafety ; and he repre- 
lented to Theodoric, that an ambitious conqueror, who 
afpired to the dominion of the earth, could be refilled 
only by the firm and unanimous alliance of the powers 
whom he laboured to opprels. 7 he lively eloquence of 
the fenator Avitus, all'o inflamed ¥lie Gothic warriors, 
by the defeription of the injuries which I'heir ancellors 
had fufl'ered from the rapacity of the Huns ; and whofe 
implacable fury Hill purlued iliem from the Danube to 
the foot of the Pyrenees. He llrenuoully urged, that 
it was the duty of every Chriilian to lave, from lacrile- 
gious violation, the churches of God, and the relics of 
the faints: that it was the iw',ereft: of every barbarian, 
who iiad aequired a fettlement in Gaul, to defend the 
fields and vineyards, which were cultivated for his ule, 
againlt the defolation of the Scytiiian Ihepherds. Theo¬ 
doric yielded to the evidence of truth ; adopted the 
meafure at once the moft prudent and the moll honour¬ 
able; and declared, that as the faithful allyof.&tius 
and tlie Romans, he was ready to expole his life and 
kingdom for the common lafety of Gaul. Tlie Vili- 
goths, who, at that time, were in the mature vigour of 
their fame and power, obeyed with alacrity the iignal of 
war; prepared their arms-and horfes, and affembled un¬ 
der the Itandard of their aged king, who was relolved, 
with his two elded fons, lorifmond and Theodoric, to 
command in perlon his numerous and valiant people. 
The example of the Goths determined feveral tribes 
tliat feemed to flubluate between the Huns and the Ro¬ 
mans. The indefatigable diligence of .iTitiiis gradually 
colletted the troops of Gaul and Germany, who liad 
formerly acknowledged themfelves the lubjecls, or fol- 
diers, of the republic, but who now claimed the re¬ 
wards of voluntary fervice, and the rank of independent 
allies; the Laeti, the Armoricans, the Breones, the 
Saxons, the Burgundians, the Sarmatians, or Alani, the 
Ripuarians, and the Franks who followed Merovtcus as 
th.eir lawful prince. Such was the various army, which, 
under the condutl of a^tius and Theodoric, advanced, 
by rapid marches, to relieve Orleans^ and to give battle 
to the iimumerahle hsfl of Attila, 
On their approach, the king of tlie Huns immediately 
raifed the fiege, and founded a retreat. The valour of 
Attila was always guided by his prudence; and as he 
forelaw tlie fatal coiifequcnces of a defeat in the heart 
ot Gaul, he repalTed the Seine, and expedted the enemy 
ill the plains of Chalons, wliofe fniooth and leVcl lur- 
face was adapted to the operations of his Scythian ca¬ 
valry. This I'pacious jdain was diflingnilhed by fome 
inequalities of ground ; and the importance of an heiglit, 
which commanded tlie camp of Attila, was underflood, 
and difputed by the two generals. Tlie young and va¬ 
liant Torifmond firfl occupied the fumniit; th.e Goths 
rullied with irrefrflible weight on the Huns, who laboured 
to afeend from tlie oppofite fide ; and the yoireflion ot 
this advantageous poll infpired both the troops and their 
leaders wdtli a fair alliirance of vidlory. The unufual 
defpondency which now feemed to prevail among the 
Huns, engaged Attila to ufe every expedient to anintate 
their courage. “ I myfelf,” faid the king of the Huns, 
“ will throw the firfl javelin, and the wretch who re- 
fules to imitate the example of his fovereign, is devoted 
to inevitable death.” Tlie fpirit of tlie troops was re¬ 
kindled by the V’oice and example of their intrepid 
leader ; and Attila, yielding to their impatience, imme¬ 
diately formed his order of battle. At the head of his 
faithful Huns, he occupied, in perlon, the centre of the 
line. The nations fubjefl: to liis controul, the Rugians, 
the Heritli, the Thiningians, the Franks, the Burgun¬ 
dians, were extended, on either hand, over the ample 
f^ace of the Catalaunian fields ; the right wing was com¬ 
manded by Ardaric, king of the Gepidae ; and the three 
valiant brothers, who reigned over tlie Oftrogoths, were 
ported on the left to oppofe the kindred tribes of the 
Vifigoths. The difpofition of the allies was regulated 
by a dift'erent principle. Sangiban, the faithlefs king of 
the Alani, was placed in the centre; where his motions 
might be rtridlly watched, and his treachery might be 
inllantly punilhed. j^tius affumed the command of the 
left, and Theodoric of the right, wing; while Torifmond 
rtiil continued to occupy the heights which rtretched on 
tlie flank. The nations from the Volga to the Atlantic 
were allembled on the plains of Chalons; but many of 
thefe nations had been divided by failion, or conquell, 
or emigration ; and the appearance of fimilar arms and 
enfigns, w'hich threatened each other, prefented the 
image of a civil war. 
T he difeipline and taftics of the Greeks and Romans, 
formed an inlererting part of their national manners ; 
but the battle of Chalons can only excite our curiofity 
by the magnitude of the objeft. Cafliodoriiis, who had 
converfed with many Gotaic warriors who lerved in 
that memorable engagement, delcribes it to be “a con- 
flidl fierce, various, obrtinate, and bloody; fuch as could 
not be paralleled either in the prefent or in part ages.” 
The number of the flain amounted to one hundred and 
fixty-two tlioufand, or, according to another account, 
three hundred tlioufand perlbns. Alter the mutual and 
repeated difeharge of millile weapons, in which the 
archers of Scythia might fignalize tlieir fuperior dexte¬ 
rity, the cavalry and infantry of the two armies were 
furiouily mingled in clofer combtit. Tlie Huns, who 
fought under the eyes of their king, pierced through the 
centre of the allies, feparated their wings from each 
other, and, wlieeiing with a rapid eflort to the left, di- 
reCled their whole force againlt the Viligoths. AsT hco- 
doric rode along the ranks to animate his troops, he re¬ 
ceived a mortal rtroke from the javelin of Andages, a 
noble Oftrogotli, and immediately fell from his horl'e. 
The wounded king was opprefl'ed in the gbiieral difor- 
der, and trampled under the feet of his own cavalry, 
Attila already exalted in the confidence of vidtory, when 
the valiant Torifmond defeended from the hills, and 
turned the fate of the day. The Viligoths, who had 
been thrown into confufion by the fliglu, or deledlion, 
of the-Alani, graduaily rellorcd their order of battle; 
i 
