Opening the text

The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire

History

The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire

World history

For these importunate and oppressive embassies, Attila claimed a suitable
return; he weighed, with suspicious pride, the character and station of
the imperial envoys; but he condescended to promise that he would advance
as far as Sardica, to receive any ministers who had been invested with
the consular dignity. The council of Theodosius eluded this proposal
by representing the desolate and ruined condition of Sardica; and even
ventured to insinuate that every officer of the army or household was
qualified to treat with the most powerful princes of Scythia. Maximin, a
respectable courtier, whose abilities had been long exercised in civil
and military employments, accepted with reluctance the troublesome, and
perhaps dangerous, commission of reconciling the angry spirit of the king
of the Huns. His friend, the historian Priscus, embraced the opportunity
of observing the barbarian hero in the peaceful and domestic scenes of
life; but the secret of the embassy, a fatal and guilty secret, was
intrusted only to the interpreter Vigilius. The two last ambassadors of
the Huns, Orestes a noble subject of the Pannonian province, and Edecon
a valiant chieftain of the tribe of the Scyrri, returned at the same
time from Constantinople to the royal camp. Their obscure names were
afterwards illustrated by the extraordinary fortune and the contrast of
their sons; the two servants of Attila became the fathers of the last
Roman emperor of the West and of the first barbarian king of Italy.

The ambassadors, who were followed by a numerous train of men and
horses, made their first halt at Sardica at the distance of 350 miles,
or thirteen days’ journey from Constantinople. As the remains of Sardica
were still included within the limits of the empire, it was incumbent on
the Romans to exercise the duties of hospitality. They provided, with the
assistance of the provincials, a sufficient number of sheep and oxen; and
invited the Huns to a splendid or at least a plentiful supper. But the
harmony of the entertainment was soon disturbed by mutual prejudice and
indiscretion.

[Illustration: WEAPONS OF THE HUNS]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire

World history

For these importunate and oppressive embassies, Attila claimed a suitable
return; he weighed, with suspicious pride, the character and station of
the imperial envoys; but he condescended to promise that he would advance
as far as Sardica, to receive any ministers who had been invested with
the consular dignity. The council of Theodosius eluded this proposal
by representing the desolate and ruined condition of Sardica; and even
ventured to insinuate that every officer of the army or household was
qualified to treat with the most powerful princes of Scythia. Maximin, a
respectable courtier, whose abilities had been long exercised in civil
and military employments, accepted with reluctance the troublesome, and
perhaps dangerous, commission of reconciling the angry spirit of the king
of the Huns. His friend, the historian Priscus, embraced the opportunity
of observing the barbarian hero in the peaceful and domestic scenes of
life; but the secret of the embassy, a fatal and guilty secret, was
intrusted only to the interpreter Vigilius. The two last ambassadors of
the Huns, Orestes a noble subject of the Pannonian province, and Edecon
a valiant chieftain of the tribe of the Scyrri, returned at the same
time from Constantinople to the royal camp. Their obscure names were
afterwards illustrated by the extraordinary fortune and the contrast of
their sons; the two servants of Attila became the fathers of the last
Roman emperor of the West and of the first barbarian king of Italy.

The ambassadors, who were followed by a numerous train of men and
horses, made their first halt at Sardica at the distance of 350 miles,
or thirteen days’ journey from Constantinople. As the remains of Sardica
were still included within the limits of the empire, it was incumbent on
the Romans to exercise the duties of hospitality. They provided, with the
assistance of the provincials, a sufficient number of sheep and oxen; and
invited the Huns to a splendid or at least a plentiful supper. But the
harmony of the entertainment was soon disturbed by mutual prejudice and
indiscretion.

[Illustration: WEAPONS OF THE HUNS]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire

The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire

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