Empire was
the nation of Huns, a wild, savage race, who were of the same stock as
the Tartars, and dwelt as they do in the northern parts of Asia, keeping
huge herds of horses, spending their life on horseback, and using mares'
milk as food. They were an ugly, small, but active race, and used to cut
their children's faces that the scars might make them look more terrible
to their enemies. Just at this time a great spirit of conquest had come
upon them, and they had, as said before, driven the Goths over the
Danube fifty years ago, and seized the lands we still call Hungary. A
most mighty and warlike chief called Attila had become their head,
and wherever he went his track was marked by blood and flame, so that he
was called "The Scourge of God." His home was on the banks of the
Theiss, in a camp enclosed with trunks of trees, for he did not care to
dwell in cities or establish a kingdom, though the wild tribes of Huns
from the furthest parts of Asia followed his standard--a sword fastened
to a pole, which was said to be also his idol.

[Illustration: HUNNISH CAMP.]

He threatened to fall upon the two empires, and an embassy was sent to
him at his camp. The Huns would not dismount, and thus the Romans were
forced to address them on horseback. The only condition upon which he
would abstain from invading the empire was the paying of an enormous
tribute, beyond what almost any power of theirs could attempt to raise.
However, he did not then attack Italy, but turned upon Gaul. So much was
he hated and dreaded by the Teutonic nations, that all Goths, Franks,
and Burgundians flocked to join the Roman forces under Aetius to drive
him back. They came just in time to save the city of Orleans from being
ravaged by him, and defeated him in the battle of Chalons with a great
slaughter; but he made good his retreat from Gaul with an immense
number of captives, whom he killed in revenge.

The next year he demanded that Valentinian's sister, Honoria, should be
given to him, and when she was refused, he led his host into Italy and
destroyed all the beautiful cities of the north. A great many of the
inhabitants fled into the islands among the salt marshes and pools at
the head of the Adriatic Sea, between the mouths of the rivers Po and
Adige, where no enemy could reach them; and there they built houses and
made a town, which in time became the great city of Venice, the queen of
the Adriatic.

[Illustration: ST. MARK'S, VENICE.]

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