a few words about the many 256
ways in which his shade was honored by his race. His
body was placed in the midst of a plain and lay in state
in a silken tent as a sight for men's admiration. The best
horsemen of the entire tribe of the Huns rode around in
circles, after the manner of circus games, in the place
to which he had been brought and told of his deeds in a
funeral dirge in the following manner: "The chief of the 257
Huns, King Attila, born of his sire Mundiuch, lord of
bravest tribes, sole possessor of the Scythian and German
realms--powers unknown before--captured cities and
terrified both empires of the Roman world and, appeased
by their prayers, took annual tribute to save the rest from
plunder. And when he had accomplished all this by the
favor of fortune, he fell, not by wound of the foe, nor
by treachery of friends, but in the midst of his nation at
peace, happy in his joy and without sense of pain. Who
can rate this as death, when none believes it calls for
vengeance?" When they had mourned him with such 258
lamentations, a _strava_, as they call it, was celebrated over
his tomb with great revelling. They gave way in turn to
the extremes of feeling and displayed funereal grief alternating
with joy. Then in the secrecy of night they buried
his body in the earth. They bound his coffins, the first
with gold, the second with silver and the third with the
strength of iron, showing by such means that these three
things suited the mightiest of kings; iron because he
subdued the nations, gold and silver because he received
the honors of both empires. They also added the arms
of foemen won in the fight, trappings of rare worth,
sparkling with various gems, and ornaments of all sorts
whereby princely state is maintained. And that so great
riches might be kept from human curiosity, they slew
those appointed to the work--a dreadful pay for their
labor; and thus sudden death was the lot of those who
buried him as well as of him who was buried.

[Sidenote: DISSOLUTION OF THE KINGDOM OF THE HUNS 454]

[Sidenote: Battle of Nedao 454]

L After they had fulfilled these rites, a contest for 259
the highest place arose among Attila's successors,--for the
minds of young men are wont to be inflamed by ambition
for power,--and in their rash eagerness to rule they all
alike destroyed his empire. Thus kingdoms are often
weighed down by a superfluity rather than by a lack of
successors. For the sons of A