of Attila. This was what the soothsayers had told
to Attila in prophecy, though he understood it of Aetius.
Then the Visigoths, separating from the Alani, fell upon 210
the horde of the Huns and nearly slew Attila. But he
prudently took flight and straightway shut himself and
his companions within the barriers of the camp, which
he had fortified with wagons. A frail defence indeed;
yet there they sought refuge for their lives, whom but a
little while before no walls of earth could withstand.
But Thorismud, the son of King Theodorid, who with 211
Aetius had seized the hill and repulsed the enemy from
the higher ground, came unwittingly to the wagons of
the enemy in the darkness of night, thinking he had
reached his own lines. As he was fighting bravely, someone
wounded him in the head and dragged him from his
horse. Then he was rescued by the watchful care of his
followers and withdrew from the fierce conflict. Aetius 212
also became separated from his men in the confusion of
night and wandered about in the midst of the enemy.
Fearing disaster had happened, he went about in search
of the Goths. At last he reached the camp of his allies
and passed the remainder of the night in the protection
of their shields.

At dawn on the following day, when the Romans
saw the fields were piled high with bodies and that
the Huns did not venture forth, they thought the victory
was theirs, but knew that Attila would not flee from
the battle unless overwhelmed by a great disaster. Yet
he did nothing cowardly, like one that is overcome, but
with clash of arms sounded the trumpets and threatened
an attack. He was like a lion pierced by hunting
spears, who paces to and fro before the mouth of his
den and dares not spring, but ceases not to terrify the
neighborhood by his roaring. Even so this warlike king
at bay terrified his conquerors. Therefore the Goths and 213
Romans assembled and considered what to do with the
vanquished Attila. They determined to wear him out by
a siege, because he had no supply of provisions and was
hindered from approaching by a shower of arrows from
the bowmen placed within the confines of the Roman
camp. But it was said that the king remained supremely
brave even in this extremity and had heaped up a funeral
pyre of horse trappings, so that if the enemy should attack
him, he was determined to cast himself into the
flames, that none might have the joy of wounding him
and that the lord of s