Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/67

 Western Europe before the Barbarian Invasions 3 1 with the western Romans Latin ; but none of them speak Greek readily, except captives from the Thracian or Illyriari seacoast ; and these last are easily known to any stranger oy their torn garments and the squalor of their head, as men who have met with a reverse. This man, on the con- trary, resembled a well-to-do Scythian, being well dressed, and having his hair cut in a circle after Scythian fashion. Having returned his salutation, I asked him who he was and whence he had come into a foreign land and adopted Scythian life. When he asked me why I wanted to know, I told him that his Hellenic speech had prompted my curi- osity. Then he smiled and said that he was born a Greek and had gone as a merchant to Viminacium, on the Danube, where he had stayed a long time, and married a very rich wife. But the city fell a prey to the barbarians, and he was stripped of his prosperity, and on account of his riches was allotted to Onegesius [a Hunnish leader] in the division of the spoil, as it was the custom among the Scythians for the chiefs to reserve for themselves the rich prisoners. Having fought bravely against the Romans and the Acatiri, he had paid the spoils he won to his master, and so obtained free- dom. He then married a barbarian wife and had children, and had the privilege of partaking at the table of Onegesius. He considered his new li*e among the Scythians better Advantages than his old life among the Romans, and the reasons he of living urged were as follows : " After war the Scythians live at leisure, enjoying what they have got, and not at all, or very little, disturbed. The Romans, on the other hand, are in the first place very liable to be killed, if there are any hos- tilities, since they have to rest their hopes of protection on others, and are not allowed, by their tyrants, to use arms. And those who do use them are injured by the cowardice of their generals, who cannot properly conduct war. " But the condition of Roman subjects in time of peace is far more grievous than the evils of war, for the exaction of the taxes is very severe, and unprincipled men inflict injuries on others because the laws are practically not valid against all classes. A transgressor who belongs to the wealthy