Stelle "Praecipuus Hunnorum rex Attila, pa...; (De origine actibusque Getarum (Getica) (550 - 555), 49.257-258 (pp. 124-125)) [2145]

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Keywords
ID 2145
Text De origine actibusque Getarum (Getica) (550 - 555) Jordanes
Quotation "Praecipuus Hunnorum rex Attila, patre genitus Mundzuco, fortissimarum gentium dominus, qui inaudita ante se potentia solus Scythica et Germanica regna possedit nec non utraque Romani urbis imperia captis civitatibus terruit et, ne praedae reliqua subderentur, placatus praecibus annuum vectigal accepit: cumque haec omnia proventu felicitatis egerit, non vulnere hostium, non fraude suorum, sed gente incolume inter gaudia laetus sine sensu doloris occubuit. quis ergo hunc exitum putet, quem nullus aestimat vindicandum?" postquam talibus lamentis est defletus, stravam super tumulum eius quam appellant ipsi ingenti commessatione concelebrant, et contraria invicem sibi copulantes luctu funereo mixto gaudio explicabant, noctuque secreto cadaver terra reconditum copercula primum auro, secundum argento, tertium ferri rigore communiunt, significantes tali argumento potentissimo regi omnia convenisse: ferrum, quod gentes edomuit, aurum et argentum, quod ornatum rei publicae utriusque acceperit. addunt arma hostium caedibus adquisita, faleras vario gemmarum fulgore praetiosas et diversi generis insignia, quibus colitur aulicum decus.
Translation pp. 340-342: 257: ‘The first of the Huns, king Attila, fathered by Mundzucus, lord of the most powerful nations, who with a power hitherto unheard of, held sole rule over the Scythian and Germanic kingdoms, who inspired fear in both empires of the city of Rome by taking its cities and who, lest all the rest be reduced to booty, was placated by their pleas and accepted a yearly tax. And when he had accomplished all of this with a very happy outcome he died not of a wound inflicted by an enemy, not by a conspiracy of his own men, but with his people unharmed and happy, loving in pleasure without feeling any pain. Who will believe in his death, of no one thinks that he needs to be avenged’ 258: When he had been lamented with such songs, they celebrated a strava, as they themselves call it, on his burial mound, with a vast banquet, switching back and forth between opposites, they gave vent to funeral grief mixed with happiness. At night and in secret they buried the corpse under the earth and fortified the lids, the first one with gold, the second one with silver and the third one with the strength of iron, signifying in this way that everything came together in the greatest of kings: iron, because he tamed nations, gold and silver because he received it as an honour from both parts of the state. They added the weapons of enemies acquired in battle, decorations, made precious by the varied flashing of stones, and insignia of various kinds, by which the standing of a court is maintained. And, so that human curiosity be held back from such riches, as an awful wage they killed the workmenm and a sudden death grasped the buriers alongside the buried.
Summary Description of the accomplishments, death and burial of King Attila.
Quotation source 49.257-258 (pp. 124-125)
Temporal Coverage 453 - 453
Associated use case(s)
Comment Attila's funeral in 453 concluded with a memorable rally. Hunnic horsemen who rode around the laid body sang the great ruler in a song. This passage is the Latin translation of this song. It might have been translated or adapted a few times before it was recorded by Cassiodorus and/or Jordanes.