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Priscus

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5th-century Byzantine Greek historian and diplomat

For other uses, seePriscus (disambiguation).

Priscus (left) with the Roman embassy at the court ofAttila the Hun, holding his ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ (*History*, which the painter has incorrectly spelled ΙΣΤΩΡΙΑ). (Detail fromMór Than'sFeast of Attila.)

Priscus of Panium (/ˈprɪskəs/;Greek:Πρίσκος; 410s/420s AD – after 472 AD) was anEastern Roman diplomat andGreek historian and rhetorician (orsophist).^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Biography

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Priscus was born inPanion, inThrace, between 410 and 420 AD.^[1]^[2] In 448/449 AD, he accompaniedMaximinus, the head of the Byzantineembassy representing EmperorTheodosius II (r. 402–450), on adiplomatic mission to the court ofAttila the Hun.^[1]^[2]^[4] While Priscus was there, he met and conversed with aGreek merchant, dressed in "Scythian" (or Hunnic) fashion, who had been captured eight years earlier (c. 441–442) when the city of Viminacium on theDanube, east of modernBelgrade, was sacked by theHuns.^[5]^[6] The trader explained to Priscus that after the sack of Viminacium, he was a slave ofOnegesius, a Hunnic nobleman, but obtained his freedom and chose to settle among the Huns.^[6]^[7] Priscus ultimately engaged in a debate with the Greek defector regarding the qualities of life andjustice in both theByzantine Empire and inbarbarian kingdoms.^[1]

After an interlude inRome, Priscus traveled toAlexandria and theThebaid inEgypt.^[1]^[2] He last appeared in the East, circa 456, attached to the staff of Euphemios as EmperorMarcian's (r. 450–457)magister officiorum.^[1] He died after 472 AD.^[1]

History of Byzantium

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Priscus was the author of an eight-volume historical work written in Greek and known as theHistory of Byzantium (Greek: Ἱστορία Βυζαντιακή), though that was probably not the original title.^[1]^[2] When it was complete, theHistory probably covered the period from the accession of Attila the Hun to the accession of EmperorZeno (r. 474–475), or from 433 to 474 AD,^[2] but Priscus' work currently survives only in fragments. It was very influential in the Byzantine Empire:^[1] it was used in theExcerpta de Legationibus of EmperorConstantine VII Porphyrogenitus (r. 913–959), as well as by authors such asEvagrius Scholasticus,Cassiodorus,Jordanes, and the author of theSouda.^[1] Priscus' writing style is straightforward, and his work is regarded as a reliable contemporary account of Attila the Hun, his court, and the reception of the Roman ambassadors.^[2] He is considered a "classicizing" historian, to the extent that his work, though it was written during theChristian era, is almost completely secular, and relies on a style and word choices that are part of an historiographical tradition dating back to the fifth century BC.^[8]

Priscus' account of a dinner with Attila the Hun

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Priscus recounted the story of a dinner with Attila the Hun which took place at one of Attila's many houses. This house was said to be greater than the rest (having been made for celebration) due to it being constructed of decorative polished wood, with little thought to making any part of the place for defense. The dinner was at three o’clock; Priscus entered the house bearing gifts to Attila's wife; her name was Kreka and she had three sons. Priscus and the embassy of Eastern Romans were placed at the end of the table farthest from Attila but still in his presence; this was meant to show that he was greater than the Roman guests, and that Attila considered his people to be more important than Priscus and the Roman embassy. As Priscus and the Eastern Roman embassy stood, they followed the cultural tradition of being served tea from the cupbearers; they were to pray and have a drink before having a seat at the table. The seats were arranged parallel to the walls; Attila sat on the middle couch. The right side of Attila was reserved for his honored Chiefs, and everyone else including Priscus and the Roman embassies sat on the left. After being seated, everyone raised a glass to pledge one another with wine. Once the cupbearers left another attendant came in with a platter of meat, followed by bread and other foods of the time. All of the food was served onto plates of silver and gold. Priscus also notes that Attila didn't use any silver or gold plates but instead used a cup made of wood; also, his attire was not very grand. Once the first round was finished, they stood and drank again to the health of Attila. When evening arrived torches were lit and songs that were about Attila's victories were sung.^[7]^[9]^[10]

Priscus's mission to Attila was not successful and was marked by several odd incidents which only made sense to him in retrospect. It turned out that, unknown to his party, he and his mission were sent to Attila as essentially a cover operation to provide a respectable front while Constantinople worked behind the scenes to bribe one of Attila's advisors to assassinate the Hun leader. This became known to Attila and informed his dealings with Priscus's group of ambassadors.^[11]

Priscus in fiction

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Priscus is an important character inSlave of the Huns byGeza Gardonyi. He is depicted as a kindly master and scholar, and part of the novel is based on his account of his visit to Attila.

He is not to be confused withPriscus of Epirus, who lived in the 4th century and is one of two main interlocutors inGore Vidal's novelJulian.

Remaining works

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The remaining works of Priscus are currently published in four collections:

Given, John (2014).The Fragmentary History of Priscus. Merchantville, New Jersey: Evolution Publishing.ISBN 978-1-935228-14-1.
Blockley, Roger C. (2009).The Fragmentary Classicising Historians of the Later Roman Empire. Vol. II. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Francis Cairns.ISBN 978-0-905205-51-9.
Gordon, Colin Douglas (1966).The Age of Attila: Fifth-century Byzantium and the Barbarians. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press.ISBN 9780472061112.
Dindorfius, Ludovicus (1870).Historici Graeci Minores (Volume 1). Leipzig, Germany: B. G. Teubneri.

References

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Citations

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^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^jKazhdan 1991, "Priskos", p. 1721.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^gChisholm 1911, p. 361.
^Toynbee & Myers 1948, p. 14: "The renegade Greek business man from Viminacium whom the Greek historian and Roman diplomatist Priscus encountered in Attila'sordu on the Alföld in A.D. 449 has already come to our notice."
^^a ^bChristophilopoulou 1986, p. 209: "For information about Attila, his court and the organization of life generally in his realm we have the authentic and reliable evidence of contemporary Greek historian Priscus, who accompanied Maximinus, the head of the Byzantine embassy, in 448."
^Halsall 1996;Kelly 2004, p. 176;Toynbee & Myers 1948, p. 14.
^^a ^bJones 1964, p. 866: "Priscus of Panium met one of these in Attila's camp. He was, he said, a Greek who had settled at Viminacium on the Danube and prospered in trade and married a rich wife. He was wealthy enough to be allotted as a special prize toOnegesius, one of the Hunnic nobles, when the town was captured."
^^a ^bHalsall 1996.
^Given 2014, p. xvii.
^Robinson 1905.
^Ase Berit, Rolf Strandskogen (2016).Lifelines in World History. Routledge.ISBN 978-1317466031.
^The Fall Of The Roman Empire A New History Of Rome & The Barbarians.ISBN 978-0199741182.

Sources

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Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911)."Priscus" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 361.
Christophilopoulou, Aikaterinē (1986).Byzantine History (Volume 1). Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Adolf M. Hakkert.ISBN 90-256-0836-1.
Given, John (2014).The Fragmentary History of Priscus. Merchantville, New Jersey: Evolution Publishing.ISBN 978-1-935228-14-1.
Halsall, Paul (March 1996)."Priscus at the Court of Attila". Retrieved4 December 2011 – via Fordham University, Internet Medieval Source Book.
Jones, Arnold Hugh Martin (1964).The Later Roman Empire, 284-602 (Volume Two). Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press.ISBN 0-8018-3354-X.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
Kazhdan, Alexander Petrovich, ed. (1991).The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. New York, New York and Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6.
Kelly, Christopher (2004).Ruling the Later Roman Empire. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.ISBN 0-674-01564-9.
Robinson, J. H. (1905). "Priscus describes the court of Attila king of the Huns (448)".Readings in European History. Boston: Ginn. pp. 46–49. Retrieved2 December 2016 – via Fordham University, Internet Medieval Source Book.
Toynbee, Arnold Joseph; Myers, Edward DeLos (1948).A Study of History (Volume 8). Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

External links

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Media related toPriscus at Wikimedia Commons
Georgetown University: "Priscus at the Court of Attila" (Translation by J. B. Bury)

v t e Byzantine historians
5th century	Annianus of Alexandria Eunapius John Rufus Malchus Olympiodorus of Thebes Panodorus of Alexandria Philostorgius Priscus Sabinus of Heraclea Socrates of Constantinople Sozomen Theodoret
6th century	Agathias Cyril of Scythopolis Eustathius of Epiphania Evagrius Scholasticus Hesychius of Miletus John Diakrinomenos John of Ephesus John of Epiphania Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite Pseudo-Zacharias Rhetor Jordanes John Malalas Liberatus of Carthage Marcellinus Comes Menander Protector Nonnosus Peter the Patrician Procopius Theodorus Lector Theophanes of Byzantium Zacharias Rhetor Zosimus
7th century	John of Antioch Trajan the Patrician Theophylact Simocatta
8th century	Hippolytus of Thebes
9th century	Theophanes the Confessor George Syncellus Nikephoros I of Constantinople George Hamartolos Scriptor Incertus
10th century	Constantine VII Joseph Genesius John Kaminiates Leo the Deacon Pseudo-Simeon Symeon Logothete Theophanes Continuatus
11th century	Michael Attaleiates George Kedrenos Michael Psellos John Skylitzes John Xiphilinus Yahya of Antioch
12th century	Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger Niketas Choniates Eustathius of Thessalonica Michael Glykas Anna Komnene John Kinnamos Constantine Manasses Joannes Zonaras
13th century	George Akropolites Theodore Skoutariotes
14th century	Nicephorus Gregoras Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos John VI Kantakouzenos George Pachymeres Michael Panaretos
15th century	John Anagnostes John Cananus Laonikos Chalkokondyles Michael Critobulus Doukas George Sphrantzes Pseudo-George Kodinos

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