ATTILA: THE SCOURGE OF GOD
ATTILA
THE SCOURGE OF GOD
The story of Flavius Aetius, the last great Roman general, and of his friend who became an enemy: Attila, King of the Huns
Ross Laidlaw
This eBook edition published in 2011 by
Birlinn Limited
West Newington House
Newington Road
Edinburgh
EH9 1QS
www.birlinn.co.uk
First published in Great Britain in 2004
This edition published in 2007 by Polygon, an imprint of Birlinn Ltd
Copyright © Ross Laidlaw, 2004, 2007
The moral right of Ross Laidlaw to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the express written permission of the publisher.
eBook ISBN: 978 1 85790 071 5
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
To Margaret my wife, Kenneth my son,
Ruth my daughter, Bill her husband, and their
little son William MacKinlay
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My warmest appreciation to the following for their generous help in supplying me with information from the Internet etc.: Bill Paget, Dr Alberto Massimo, Roy Ellis, and Barbara Halley; also to Helen Simpson for her superb editing. A special word of thanks to my publishers Hugh Andrew (who sowed the seed and made it grow) and Neville Moir, for their steadfast support and encouragement.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
List of Maps and Plans
Glossary of Latin Terms and Place Names
Historical Note
I Ravenna, AD 423–33
II Constantinople, AD 434–50
III The Catalaunian Plains, AD 451
IV Rome, AD 451–5
Afterword
Author’s Note
Appendices
Notes
MAPS AND PLANS
Journeys of Boniface and Titus in Africa and Byzacena
Titus’ Route through the Appenines
Attila’s Journey to the Seer Wu Tze
Gaius’ Journey to Fort Spolicinum
The East Roman Empire and the Persian Empire
The Roman Empire,450
Constantinople, c. 450
Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, 20 June 451
Rome, c. 450
GLOSSARY OF LATIN TERMS AND PLACE NAMES
Note: the short form of compound place names such as Augusta Treverorum or Tigernum Castrum is Augusta or Tigernum.
adscriptus glebae
(lit: tied to the land) serf, villein
adventus Saxonum
the coming of the Saxons
Aemilian Plain
Lombardy
agens (pl: agentes) in rebus
courier-cum-spy
ala
military ‘wing’
Aluatica
Tongres
Anderida
Pevensey
angon
barbed javelin
Appenini
the Appenines
Aquincum
Budapest
Aquitania
Aquitaine
Arar river
the Saône
Arduenna Silva
the Ardennes
Arelate
Arles
Aremorica
Brittany
Argentaria
Horburg, Alsace
Argentorate Stratisburgum
Strasbourg
Ariminum
Rimini
Arvernum
the Auvergne
Augusta Taurinorum
Turin
Augusta Treverorum
Trier
Aureliani
Orléans
Autissiodorum
Auxerre
auxilium
auxiliary infantry unit
ballista
giant crossbow-like catapult
Bantisus river
the Ob
barbaricum
barbarian territory
barbaricarii
officers’ armour-makers
barritus
battle-cry
Basilia
Basle
biarchus
junior officer, equivalent to NCO
Boiaria, Boii
Bavaria, Bavarians
bora
regional north wind
Boreal
far north, Arctic
Borysthenes river
the Dnieper
Branodunum
Brancaster
bucellarii
landowner’s private retainers
bucellatum
military rations biscuit
bucina
military trumpet
bucinator
army trumpeter
byrrus
hooded cloak
Caesarodunum
Tours
Caledonia
Scotland
calidarium
hot room of bath-house
Cambracum
Cambrai
Cambria
Wales
campidoctores
army drill-sergeants
canonicarius
financial overseer
Cantium
Kent
capsarius
army medical orderly
carae epistolarum
officials in charge of financial correspondence
carbonarii
charcoal-burners
cardo
main street
Carpathus Mountains
the Carpathians
Carthago Nova
Cartagena
catafractarius
heavily armoured cavalryman
Cebenna mountains
the Cévennes
centenarius
(i) junior army officer; (ii) horse which has won 100 or more races
Chersonesus of Thracia
the Gallipoli peninsula
Choson
Korea
circitor
foreman/NCO of bucellarii or regular troops
clibanarius
armoured cavalryman
Colchis
trans-Caucasia
colonus
tenant farmer
comes
count
comes rei privatae
Count of the Privy Purse
comes sacrarum largitionum
Count of the Public Purse
comitatus
retinue, group of followers
compulsores
collectors of tax arrears
conductor
foreman
cuculli
hooded cloaks
cuneus
attack formation
cuniculi
drainage channels
curialis
leading citizen
cursor
messenger
cursus velox
imperial post/courier service
Danubius river
the Danube
decemprimi
inner committee of city council
decurion
(i) army rank; (ii) town councillor
defensor, defensor civitatis
magistrate
Deva river
the Dee
Divonum
Cahors
Dor river
the Doré
ducenarius
army officer
Durocatalaunum
Châlons-sur-Marne
Durocortorum
Reims
femenalia
underpants
Elaver river
the Allier
Entia river
the Enza
erectores
chariot-race officials
Etruria
Tuscany
Florentia
Florence
foederatus
ally
foedus
i) alliance; (ii) oath of allegiance
follis
money-bag
francisca
throwing-axe
Fretum Gallicum
Straits of Dover
Gallia Narbonensis
Narbonne province
Garannonum
Burgh Castle
gladius
Grinnicum
Cannes
Hadrianopolis
Adrianople
Haemus Mons
Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria
harpastum
ball game
Hellespontus
Dardanelles
Hibernia
Ireland
Hispania
Spain
Imaus Mons
the Urals
insulae
‘high-rise’ buildings
Italia
Italy
iugatio
land tax
iugerum
unit of land measurement
kontos
heavy spear
Lacus Benacus
Lake Garda
Lacus Brigantinus
Lake Constance
laetus
P.O.W.-turned-soldier
lanista
gladiatorial instructor
lares et penates
household gods
latrocinium
robbery
Lauriacum
Lorch
Lerina
Lérins
Lexovium
Lisieux
Liger river
the Loire
limitanei
frontier troops
Limonum
Poitiers
lituus
cavalry trumpet
Locus Mauriacus
the Catalaunian Plains
ludus latrunculorum
board game
Lugdunum
Lyon
Magister militum
Master of Soldiers
mappa
white cloth used to signal start of chariot races at the Circus
Mare Caspium
Caspian Sea
Mare Suevicum
Baltic Sea
Massilia
Marseille
Matrona river
the Marne
Mediolanum
Milan
Metaris Aestuarium
the Wash
Metis
Metz
Mons Matronae Pass
Genèvre Pass
Mosa river
the Meuse
Mosella river
the Moselle
murcus
‘Draft-dodger’, self-mutilated to avoid conscription
Naissus
Niš
Narbo Martius
Narbonne town
Narbonensis
Narbonne province
naufragium
(lit: shipwreck) crash in chariot race
Nemetacum
Arras
Nicer river
the Neckar
Nemausus
Nîmes
Novae
Sistova, Bulgaria
Noviomagus
Chichester
numerarius
financial official
numerus
infantry unit
nummi
coins
Oceanus Germanicus
North Sea
Oechardis river
the Irtish
Old Dacia
Transylvania; Romania
onager
(lit: ‘kicking ass’) catapult
palatini
central groups of the Roman field army
papilio
army tent
Paralia
Malabar
pedites
foot-soldiers
criminals, outlaws
Phrudis river
the Somme
pilleus pannonicus
soldier’s cap
Placentia
Piacenza
Pontus Euxinus
Black Sea
Portus Adurni
Portchester
Portus Dubris
Dover
praenomen
forename
praepositus
regimental commander
pridie
the day before
primicerius
most senior NCO in Roman army
princeps
highest rank in courier service
principales
inner committee
procuratores
overseers, managers
Propontis
Sea of Marmara
protector
senior army officer
Provincia
Provence
quaestor
magistrate
Rauraris river
the Hérault
Regulbium
Reculver
res privata
Emperor’s private income
Revessium
Saint-Paulien
Rha river
the Volga
Rhenus river
the Rhine
Rhodanus river
the Rhône
Rutupiae
Richborough
Saba
Yemen
Sacrae largitiones
imperial finance ministry
Samarobriva
Amiens
Sapaudia
Savoy
Scaldis river
the Scheldt
scholae
Emperor’s personal bodyguard
scriptorium
book-room
scutarii
light cavalry
Secies river
the Seccia
Sequana river
the Seine
Serdica
Sofia
Singidunum
Belgrade
Sirmium
Mitrovica, Kosovo
solea ferrea
cavalry horseshoe
solidus
gold coin of high denomination
sparsor
chariot-cleaner
spatha
sword
spina
barrier down centre of the Circus
sponsio
bribe
status belli
state of war
Sufes
Sbiba, Tunisia
Sufetula
Sbeitla, Tunisia
suffragium
the going rate for purchase of office
susceptores
tax-collectors
taberna
inn
tablinum
study, library, office
Tamesa river
the Thames
Tanais river
the Don
Taprobana
Sri Lanka/Ceylon
Tarus river
the Taro
tessera
token; small cube of stone, glass, etc.
Thusuros
Tozeur, Tunisia
Ticinum
Pavia
Tigernum Castrum
Thiers
Tolosa
Toulouse
tractator
intermediary