Stelle Maximum omnium quae ab illo gesta s...; (Vita Karoli Magni (814 - 830), Einhard Vita Karoli, c. 13, MGH SS 2, p. 449) [5105]

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ID 5105
Text Vita Karoli Magni (814 - 830) Einhard
Quotation Maximum omnium quae ab illo gesta sunt bellorum praeter Saxonicum huic bello successit, illud videlicet quod contra Avares sive Hunos susceptum est. Quod ille et animosius quam cetera et longe maiori apparatu administravit. Unam tamen per se in Pannoniam - nam hanc provintiam ea gens tum incolebat - expeditionem fecit, cetera filio suo Pippino ac praefectis provintiarum, comitibus etiam atque legatis perficienda commisit. Quod cum ab his strenuissime fuisset administratum, octavo tandem anno conpletum est. Quot proelia in eo gesta, quantum sanguinis effusum sit, testatur vacua omni habitatore Pannonia et locus in quo regia kagani erat ita desertus, ut ne vestigium quidem in eo humanae habitationis appareat. Tota in hoc bello Hunorum nobilitas periit, tota gloria decidit. Omnis pecunia et congesti ex longo tempore thesauri direpti sunt. Neque ullum bellum contra Francos exortum humana potest memoria recordari, quo illi magis ditati et opibus aucti sint. Quippe cum usque in id temporis poene pauperes viderentur, tantum auri et argenti in regia repertum, tot spolia pretiosa in proeliis sublata, ut merito credi possit hoc Francos Hunis iuste eripuisse, quod Huni prius aliis gentibus iniuste eripuerunt. Duo tantum ex proceribus Francorum eo bello perierunt: Ericus dux Foroiulanus in Liburnia iuxta Tharsaticam maritimam civitatem insidiis oppidanorum interceptus, et Geroldus Baioariae praefectus in Pannonia, cum contra Hunos proeliaturus aciem strueret, incertum a quo, cum duobus tantum, qui eum obequitantem ac singulos hortantem comitabantur, interfectus est. Ceterum incruentum poene Francis hoc bellum fuit et prosperrimum exitum habuit, tametsi diutius sui magnitudine traheretur.
Translation The greatest war of all that he led, except the one led against the Saxon and followed this campaign, was against the Avars or Huns. He was very diligently about it and made greater preparations than ever before. However, he only followed up a single campaign in person to Pannonia - for this country was inhabited that at the time by this people - the execution of the rest he entrusted to his son Pepin, the governors, the earls, and emissaries. Although these waged war with the greatest bravery, it was only ended in the eighth year. How many battles were beaten, how much blood was shed, is proven by the deserted Pannonia and the site, where the kagan's royal castle used to be lies now desolate in a way that not even a trace of human habitation is found. The entire nobility of the Huns perished in thisWars, all their glory went down. All money and the treasures accumulated for a long time fell into the hands of the Frank; for by no war, as far as can be remembered, captured such great riches for them. Because one could almost call them poor until then, they now found such a mass of gold and silver in the royal castle and made such precious booty in the battles that one could well believe, that the Franks rightfully snatched from the Huns what they had used to snatch unjustly from other peoples. From the Frankish great men only two died in this war, namely duke Eric of Friuli, who perished in Liburnia at the maritime city of Tharsatika (Tersatto) through the insidiousness of the inhabitants, and Gerold, the governor of Bavaria, who in Pannonia, while he ordered the battle against the Huns, was killed, one does not know by whom, with only two others, who accompanied him as he rode up and down and cheered the individuals. Apart from this the war was for the Franks almost bloodless and came to an extremely favorable end, though it dragged on for a long time because of its importance.
Summary A summary of the war against the Avars from 791 to 799: Charlesmagne led, according to Einhard, only one campaign against the Avars and the rest was done by his son Pippin. Not many frankish nobles perisehd, just Gerold, praefectus of Bavaria and Eric, dux of Friuli. The final victory against the Avars brought riches hitherto unseen to the Francish court.
Quotation source Einhard Vita Karoli, c. 13, MGH SS 2, p. 449
Temporal Coverage 791 - 799
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