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  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

  short sword

  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

  perditi

  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