The history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire - Ganino.com

18 ALLIANCE OF E03IANS AND VISIGOTHS. [CU. XrXV.against tlie desolation of the Scythian shepherds. Theodoricyielded to the evidence of truth ; adopted the measure atonce the most prudent and the most honourable ; anddeclared, that, as the faithful ally of yEtius and the Romans,he was ready to expose his life and kingdom for the commonsafety of Gaul.* The Visigoths, who, at that time, were inthe mature vigour of their fame and power, obeyed withalacrity the signal of war ;prepared their arms and horses,and assembled under the standard of their aged king, whowas resolved, with his two eldest sons, Torismond and Theodoric,to command in person his numerous and valiantpeople. The example of the Goths determined several tribesor nations, that seemed to fluctuate between the Hvms andthe Romans. The indefatigable diligence of the patriciangradually collected the troops of Gaul and Germany, whohad formerly acknowledged themselves the subjects, orsoldiers, of the republic, but who now claimed the rewardsof voluntary service, and the rank of independent allies ; theLasti, the Armoricans, the Breones, the Saxons, the Burgundians,the Sarmatians or Alani, the Eipuarians, and theFranks who followed Meroveus as their lawful prince. Suchwas the various army, which, under the conduct of ^tiusand Theodoric, advanced, by rapid marches, to relieve Orleans,and to give battle to the innumerable host of Attila.t* The policy of Attila, of .^tius, and of the Visigoths, is imperfectlydescribed in the Panegyric of Avitus, and the thirty-sixthchapter of Jornandes. The poet and the historian were both biassedby personal or national prejudices. The former exalts the merit andimportance of Avitus ; orbis, Avite, salus ! &c. The latter is anxiousto shew the Goths in the most favourable light. Yet their agreement,when they are fairly intei-preted. is a proof of their veracity.t The review of the army of J^tius is made by Jornandes, c. 36,p. 664, edit. Grot., torn, ii, p. 23, of the Historians of France, with thenotes of the Benedictine editor. The Lwti were a promiscuous race ofbarbarians, born or naturalized in Gaul ; and the Riparii, or Ripuarii,derived their name from their posts on the three rivers, the Rhine, theMeuse, and the Moselle ; the Armoricar.s possessed the independentcities between the Seine and the Loire. A colony of Saxons had beenplanted in the diocese of Bayeux ;the BurgumUans were settled inSavoy; and the Breones were a warlike tribe of Rhfctians, to the eastof the lake of Constance. [The Burgundians are ranked by Jornandesin the army of iEtius, while, in a recent note (p. 14), the quotationfrom Sidonius places them under the command of Attila. Internal discordhad divided the Franks, and there was reason for posting soaieof them on each aide But no such civil strJe disunited the Burgun-