Laudaricus
Laudaricus (died 451) was a prominent Hunnic chieftain and general active in the first half of the 5th century.
Biography
[edit]The Chronica Gallica of 511 under the year 451 noted him as Attila's blood relative (Latin: Cognatus Attilae), who died at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains in 451 AD.[1][2] He was the Huns' highest ranking casualty at this battle.[3] The outcome of the battle is uncertain, but Kim, pointing out that the death of a commanding general in battle often meant defeat at the time[4].
The only relic found at the site of the battle (Châlons) was a Hunnish cauldron.[4] Kim suggests this was likely used for the burial of Laudaricus, the Huns' most prestigious casualty.[4]
Etymology
[edit]M. Schönfeld considered the name to be of Germanic origin, *Lauda reiks (possibly "famous king"; compare Ludwig).[1][2] Omeljan Pritsak proposed possible Gothicization and correction of the name by the chronicler from Turkic *Valda > Velda (< *Belda > Bleda).[2] Otto J. Maenchen-Helfen thought the name was Germanic, *Laudareiks.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Maenchen-Helfen 1973, p. 388.
- ^ a b c Pritsak 1982, p. 445.
- ^ Kim, Hyun Jin (2015). The Huns. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781317340904. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ a b c Kim, Hyun Jin (2013). The Huns, Rome and the Birth of Europe. Cambridge University Press. pp. 76–77. ISBN 9781107009066. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ Maenchen-Helfen, Otto J. "The World of the Huns. Chapter IX. Language". www.kroraina.com. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
Sources
[edit]- Maenchen-Helfen, Otto J. (1973). The World of the Huns: Studies in Their History and Culture. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520015968.
- Pritsak, Omeljan (1982). The Hunnic Language of the Attila Clan (PDF). Vol. IV. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. ISSN 0363-5570.