JORDANES

THE ORIGIN AND DEEDS OF THE GOTHS

551 AD

translated by Charles C. Mierow

Princeton University Press, 1915

Origin
of the Huns

But after a short space of time, as Orosius relates, the race of the Huns,
fiercer than ferocity itself, flamed forth against the Goths. We learn from old
traditions that their origin was as follows: Filimer, king of the Goths, son of
Gadaric the Great, who was the fifth in succession to hold the rule of the Getae
after their departure from the island of Scandza,–and who, as we have said, entered
the land of Scythia with his tribe,–found among his people certain witches, whom
he called in his native tongue Haliurunnae. Suspecting these women, he expelled
them from the midst of his race and compelled them to wander in solitary exile
afar from his army.

There the unclean spirits, who beheld them as they wandered through the wilderness,
bestowed their embraces upon them and begat this savage race, which dwelt at first
in the swamps,–a stunted, foul and puny tribe, scarcely human, and having no
language save one which bore but slight resemblance to human speech. Such was
the descent of the Huns who came to the country of the Goths.

This cruel tribe, as Priscus the historian relates, settled on the farther
bank of the Maeotic swamp. They were fond of hunting and had no skill in any other
art. After they had grown to a nation, they disturbed the peace of neighboring
races by theft and rapine. At one time, while hunters of their tribe were as usual
seeking for game on the farthest edge of Maeotis, they saw a doe unexpectedly
appear to their sight and enter the swamp, acting as guide of the way; now advancing
and again standing still.

The hunters followed and crossed on foot the Maeotic swamp, which they had
supposed was impassable as the sea. Presently the unknown land of Scythia disclosed
itself and the doe disappeared. Now in my opinion the evil spirits, from whom
the Huns are descended, did this from envy of the Scythians.

And the Huns, who had been wholly ignorant that there was another world beyond
Maeotis, were now filled with admiration for the Scythian land. As they were quick
of mind, they believed that this path, utterly unknown to any age of the past,
had been divinely revealed to them. They returned to their tribe, told them what
had happened, praised Scythia and persuaded the people to hasten thither along
the way they had found by the guidance of the doe. As many as they captured, when
they thus entered Scythia for the first time, they sacrificed to Victory. The
remainder they conquered and made subject to themselves.

Like a whirlwind of nations they swept across the great swamp and at once fell
upon the Alpidzuri, Alcildzuri, Itimari, Tuncarsi and Boisci, who bordered on
that part of Scythia. The Alani also, who were their equals in battle, but unlike
them in civilization, manners and appearance, they exhausted by their incessant
attacks and subdued.

For by the terror of their features they inspired great fear in those whom
perhaps they did not really surpass in war. They made their foes flee in horror
because their swarthy aspect was fearful, and they had, if I may call it so, a
sort of shapeless lump, not a head, with pin-holes rather than eyes. Their hardihood
is evident in their wild appearance, and they are beings who are cruel to their
children on the very day they are born. For they cut the cheeks of the males with
a sword, so that before they receive the nourishment of milk they must learn to
endure wounds.

Hence they grow old beardless and their young men are without comeliness, because
a face furrowed by the sword spoils by its scars the natural beauty of a beard.
They are short in stature, quick in bodily movement, alert horsemen, broad shouldered,
ready in the use of bow and arrow, and have firm-set necks which are ever erect
in pride. Though they live in the form of men, they have the cruelty of wild beasts.

When the Getae beheld this active race that had invaded many nations, they
took fright and consulted with their king how they might escape from such a foe.
Now although Hermanaric, king of the Goths, was the conqueror of many tribes,
as we have said above, yet while he was deliberating on this invasion of the Huns,
the treacherous tribe of the Rosomoni, who at that time were among those who owed
him their homage, took this chance to catch him unawares. For when the king had
given orders that a certain woman of the tribe I have mentioned, Sunilda by name,
should be bound to wild horses and torn apart by driving them at full speed in
opposite directions (for he was roused to fury by her husband’s treachery to him),
her brothers Sarus and Ammius came to avenge their sister’s death and plunged
a sword into Hermanaric’s side. Enfeebled by this blow, he dragged out a miserable
existence in bodily weakness.

Balamber, king of the Huns, took advantage of his ill health to move an army
into the country of the Ostrogoths, from whom the Visigoths had already separated
because of some dispute. Meanwhile Hermanaric, who was unable to endure either
the pain of his wound or the inroads of the Huns, died full of days at the great
age of one hundred and ten years. The fact of his death enabled the Huns to prevail
over those Goths who, as we have said, dwelt in the East and were called Ostrogoths.