The Age of Attila

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This book chronicles the tragic collapse of Roman civilization in the West during the fifth century and the near devastation of the Eastern Roman Empire. The century following Theodosius I's death was marked by chaos and destruction, culminating in Theodoric the Ostrogoth's conquest of Italy. In the East, despite imperial confusion and palace intrigues, survival ensued. Eyewitness accounts from Byzantine historians like Priscus, Malchus, and Olympiodorus vividly depict this tumultuous period, known as the Age of Attila. C. D. Gordon's translations of these contemporary narratives are complemented by a running commentary, creating a cohesive story of the era. David S. Potter has enhanced this edition with additional translations, extensive notes contextualizing the work within modern scholarship, a new bibliography, and a concordance to contemporary editions. Potter's revitalization of Gordon's classic offers essential literary sources for understanding the transition from the Roman Empire to post-Roman kingdoms. This pivotal century, often debated, gains renewed significance amid growing interest in economic history and recent publications on Attila, making Potter's edition indispensable for historians and students of the later Roman Empire.