Attila the Hun
Scourge (n) - source of widespread dreadful affliction and devastation such as that caused by pestilence or war (Guralnik 1278). The Huns, and their illustrious leader, Attila, were deemed the "Scourge of God" for the havoc they brought upon Europe for nearly a century. Many accounts of the Huns, both of today and centuries ago, bear such remarkable bias that it is difficult to draw a clear picture of Attila and the Huns. Ammianus Marcellinus' "A.D. 375: Huns Threaten the Goths" and Priscus' "Negotiating and Dining with Attila" are two contemporary accounts that insightfully detail the lives of the Huns and the attitudes that existed towards them. However, these two accounts contrast so heavily with one another that further evidence should be sought. Although many modern visual interpretations exist of the Huns, and particularly of Attila, many seem very uniform and biased themselves; they are then perhaps useless for the sake of this argument. Malcolm Todd's "Everyday Life of the Barbarians" is perhaps the most helpful account. The objectivity of this scholarly description provides great detail into the Huns' society; Todd also nicely illuminates the historical context that may explain
In everything else, too, he showed himself temperate; his cup was of wood, while to the guests were given goblets of gold and silver. Accounts may be very biased and engender disbelief, as with Marcellinus' work. Again, all biases aside, Marcellinus' remarks are still very valid. Todd writes about this aspect of their society: " The Huns lived from their herds, with additional supplies of food coming from hunting and food-gathering. With militaristic triumphs of his stature, Attila will invariably be remembered for those conquests and little else. Marcellinus almost certainly felt somewhat threatened by the Huns, and the story exposes his anxiety and hostility. Ironically, many of the Huns' conquests came at the hands of societies that were accustomed to such victories themselves, such as the case with the Roman Empire. Morris 3Priscus' "Negotiating and Dining with Attila" gives the incredibly genuine insight into Attila that Marcellinus' account lacks towards the Huns. The sword he carried at his side, the ratchets of his Scythian shoes, the bridle of his horse were not adorned, like those of other Scythians, with gold or gems or anything costly. Everyday Life of the Barbarians: Goths, Franks and Vandals.
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