Prosper of Aquitaine, a Christian chronicler, writing about 455 CE, gives the following simple account of Leo's famous interview with the King of the Huns that had occurred three years before:
Now Attila, having once more collected his forces which had been scattered
in Gaul [at the battle of the Catalunian Plains, 451], took his way through
Pannonia [Hungary] into Italy. . . To the emperor and the senate and Roman
people none of all the proposed plans to oppose the enemy seemed so
practicable as to send legates to the most savage king and beg for peace.
Our most blessed Pope Leo--trusting in the help of God, who never fails the
righteous in their trials--undertook the task, accompanied by Avienus, a man
of consular rank, and the prefect Trygetius. And the outcome was what his
faith had foreseen; for when the king had received the embassy, he was so
impressed by the presence of the high priest that he ordered his army to
give up warfare and, after he had promised peace, he departed beyond the
Danube.
It is absolutely sad and unfortunate to tell, if one were to try to describe in words somehow the horrible disturbances of this age. We will compare no vague analogy of one man, Attila, with the singular dimension of strength in Leo. Attila, war-chieftain of the Huns, who was called God's whip, whose most cruel, barbaric eyes burned all people, and filth erupted from his mouth, inflamed with fury came into Italy, just as he had destroyed Thrace, Moestia, Achaia and Greece, Pannonia and Germany, in most monstrous madness, having slit the throat of his own brother Buda, co-heir to the crown, acting as another Romulus.
Entirely savage to those asking for mercy, greedy in pillage, arrogant in his abuse. What poets composing could describe this vast Charybdis, that could exhaust so many whirlpools, this man tearing out so much plunder from the Western provinces? He annihilated peace with fire, overturned the foundations themselves! of Aquilea, leveled Pavia and Milan, imperial cities. And with other Italian cities as well, some he wasted and burned, others in terror surrendered, he began to range far through the territory between the Adda, a tributary of the Po, and the Addiga feeding into the Adriatic, where beyond those cities he left all in ruin Mantua, Bressanone, Cremona, Bergamo and Ravenna. Even now, having devastated so many cities and so much all over, the Huns, as if destroying barriers with Attila as their leader, hurried to rush upon Rome. What would be Leo's spirit? What might he do in the matter and at that time? The prudence of cowardice would have impelled the most courageous to flight and concealment, the shamelessness and fury of the enemy would have forced them to desperation, the cries of the people promised, at worst, a most cruel and most funereal departure. This portended the burning of the city, the murder of its inhabitants, the destruction of Italy, even the surrounding Christian state. Indeed when the enemy army was nearly in sight, in large numbers, it appeared to cross where the Mincio flows into the Po (near Mantua); marvelously, that most sacred man Leo rushed there, since he pitied Italy's calamity as well as that of the city of Rome, against any argument concerning his own impending death; he rushed I say, great with years, with one of the Consuls and a large part of the Roman Senate.
An old man of innocent simplicity, of dignity in the white hair of old age and
in a more impressive demeanor, who by his own desire longed to spend
all in serving his flock; and there, in the vicinity of the stream of the
Mincio, speaking out, he said to the ferocious king, "The
Senate and the people of Rome, once victors over the world, now indeed
conquered, begging before you I come, and they
implore you to save them. Attila, king of
kings, you could have no greater honor nor could you be more remembered
by future generations than to have begging at your feet this
people, before whom once all peoples and kings lay begging.
You have subjected, Attila, the whole world of lands that were given to the
Romans, victors over all peoples, to conquer. Now we pray that you, who have
conquered others, conquer yourself. Now is the time, when you have arisen
to the height of human achievement, so that you appear like immortal God, by
whom you have conquered many, that you might want many to be saved. The people
have felt your whip; now make it that as beggars they might feel mercy,
achieved by your command.
The unconquered Leo said these things in good conscience, whose demeanor and
venerable aspect Attila, quiet, stood contemplating, as if he were considering
the matter deeply;
and suddenly he saw the apostles Peter and Paul, who not only were of noble
demeanor in honor of the Pontiff at whose side they stood, but truly
over his head they held and held out drawn swords, and they threatened him
with death at last, unless he obeyed the word of the Pontiff. On account
of this Attila was reconciled through Leo's intersession, Attila who had previously been
raging, and quickly promising a most fixed peace he withdrew beyond the Danube,
never to return. Not a long time after Leo left human affairs, and death
imposed the limit of the whole human species in longlasting sorrow. Asked
though by those who stood near, begging Leo, what was the cause, why so easily
by his request did the enemy allow such a sweet victory, and had ordered them
on the ground at his feet to rise and stand, Leo responded that it was won
plainly, it was necessary that it should be, when in the middle of the
petition, such and so many men appeared to Attila that he quickly decided
to change his mind. You therefore see in Leo another Moses, who
with holy weapons expelled barbarians, and reconciled the anger of God to
a sinful people. It followed that a privilege to this noble man bound him
fast to the Emperor Valentinian and the whole city, as never before; and
that privilege confirmed to the people and to all a proven judgment of
his holiness. After this returning to the city, not without the applause of
the whole commune,
first he thanked God the best and greatest [Deo optimo Maximo] and the
apostles Peter and Paul; ascribing all glory of goods and deeds to them,
whose protection the Roman See, conceding, was accustomed to attribute
to that divine community.
LATIN OF THE ANONYMOUS VITA:
Acta S. Leonis cum Attila Rege.
[5] Triste quidem dictu ac miserabile prorsus, si quis horrendos etiam illius
seculi motus stusque sermone consequi aliqua saltem ex parte conetur. Nos
unius hominis Attilae nihil obscurum exemplum cum illa singulari Leoninae
virtutis magnitudine componemus. Igitur Attila Hunnorum dux, qui flagellum
Dei vocitatus est, cujus omnium efferatissimi barbari ardebant oculi, totoque
ex ore crudelitas emicabat, inflammatus furore in Italiam venit, simul atque
jam Thracias & Illyricum, [Attilae ob ingentes victorias insolenti,] Macedoniam
& Moesiam, Achajam & Graeciam, Pannoniam & Germaniam [a] rabie immanissima
devastasset, adeoque germanum fratrem [b] Budam, regni consortem, alter ipse
Romulus jugulasset; crudelis totus in suppliciis, avarus in rapinis, superbus
in contumeliis. Quam obsecro tam immanem charybdim Poet fingendo exprimere
potuerunt, quae tantos exhaurire gurgites posset, quantas iste provinciarum
Occidentalium praedas exorbuit? [c] Concordiam incendio consumpsit,
[d] Aquileam funditus! evertit, Ticinum & Mediolanum regias urbes excidit. Hinc
ceteris Itali civitatibus, [post plures Italicas urbes devictas,] partim
direptis & incensis, partim metu deditis, late porro inter Abduam & Athesim
pervagari coepit: ubi praeter commemoratas urbes, [e] Mantuam, Brixiam, Cremonam,
Bergomum & [f] Ravennam pari clade afflixit. Jamque vastatis circumquaque tot
tantisque urbibus, Hunni velut ruptis claustris Attila Duce, Romam irrumpere
festinarunt. Quo tum Leonem esse animo oportuit? quae hic faceret tali in re ac
tempore? cum ignaviae ratio in fugam atque latebras fortissimum quemque
impelleret, improbitas autem & furor hostis ad desperationem cogeret, populi
denique clamor crudelissimum & luctuosissimum exitum promitteret; ita ut
incensionem urbi, internecionem civibus, vastitatem Itali, atque adeo
interitum totius Christianae Reipublicae vicina quaeque portenderent. [Romam
properanti occurrit:] Certe cum jam esset hostis propemodum in conspectu, ut
copias etiam, qua Mincius Padum influit, trajicere pararet; mirum dictu,
occurrit Leo vir sanctissimus, utpote calamitatem tum Itali tum
urbis Rom miseratus, ac Leonin mentis numquam interiturum editurus
argumentum; occurrit inquam, grandis jam natu, cum [g] altero Consulum & parte
non modica Romani Senatus.
[6] Occurrit omnia depopulanti tyranno senex innocu simplicitatis, & multa idem canicie simul & augustiore habitu venerabilis, [mitiorem reddit modesto alloquio,] qui sese totum pro servandis ovibus impendere vel non rogatus jamdudum exoptabat: atque illic circa Mincium amnem ita Regem truculentum affatus dicitur: Senatus populusque Romanus, quondam orbis victor, nunc vero victus, suppliciter abs te veniam & salutem precatur, Rex Regum Attila: Nihil tibi in tanta rerum gestarum gloria contingere potuit, aut ad praesens decus pulcrius, aut ad posteros memorabilius, quam ut is populus supplex ad tuos pedes jaceret, ante quem olim omnes gentes & Reges supplices jacuerunt. Subegisti quidem, Attila, omnem terrarum orbem, cui Romanos omnium victores gentium subigere tributum est: nunc tantum precamur, ut te ipsum vincas, qui vincis cetera. Nec est, quando jam omne humanitatis fastigium transcendisti, in quo Deo immortali similior esse possis, quam quo plures viceris, plures per te salvos esse velis. Senserunt mali flagellum tuum: sentiant nunc supplices clementiam; vel quia se victos fatentur, vel quia sunt ultro imperata facturi. Haec bona conscientia invictus Leo dixerat, in cujus habitu venerabilique aspectu contemplando cum tacitus staret Attila, deliberabundo similis; en [h] duo quidam dextera levaque viri, Petrus nimirum & Paulus Apostoli, subito ipsi conspecti sunt, [apparentibus SS. Petro & Paulo,] qui non solum augustiore habitu pro Pontifice quoque adstarent, verum etiam supra ipsius caput strictos tenerent intenderentque gladios, ac mortem demum minitarentur, nisi dicto Pontificis obtemperaret. Quamobrem hac Leonis intercessione placatus Attila, quamvis alioqui furiosus, confestim promissa pace firmissima ultra Danubium non rediturus abscessit. [ultro ex Italia recedentem videt.] Nec enim diu post rebus humanis excessit, & humani generis diutin vexationi finem aliquando vel mortuus imposuit. Rogatus autem ab his qui proxime adstiterant Leoni supplicanti; quid in causa esset, cur tam facile pulcherrimam precibus hostium victoriam condonavisset, & prostratos ante pedes surgere ac stare jussisset (Bono sitis, inquiebat, animo, datur vobis venia) respondisse fertur palam, oportuisse sic fieri, quando medio affatu supplicantium, tales tantique viri sibi visi fuissent, ac subito mutare sententiam cogissent. Videas igitur alterum in Leone Mosen, qui spiritalibus armis barbarorum vires expugnet, iratumque Deum peccatrici genti conciliet. Proinde hoc tam insigni beneficio Principem Valentinianum urbemque totam, [Romam redux ut Pater patri salutatur.] sicut numquam antea, sibi devinxit; & vulgo receptam su sanctitatis opinionem etiam atque etiam apud omnes confirmavit. Sub haec ad Urbem rediens, non sine communi omnium applausu (ut qui Patrem patri conspicerent, cui secundum Deum fortunas omnes, incolumitatem suam, nec minus orbis, quam Urbis salutem acceptas merito ferrent) in primis Deo optimo Maximo & Apostolis ejus Petro & Paulo gratias dixit; his omnem rei bene gestae gloriam adscribens, quorum & patrocinio concessae Sedis Romanae consortium tribuere solet.
ANNOTATA.
[a] Imo & Gallias, in quibus Attila Atrebatum vastavit, cujus templa
restauravit S. Vedastus, ut in ejus Vita dictum 6 Februarii; quando &
precibus eum Parisiis avertit S. Genovefa, ut Acta hujus testantur 3
Ianuarii.
[b] Hunc Budam aliqui Bledam vocant. Necem ejus refert
Prosper contigisse Theodosio XVIII & Albino Consulibus, anno 444.
[c] Concordiam, Altinum, sive Patavium solo coaequavit. Ita Paulus Diaconus lib.
15.
[d] Aquileia diruta est, cum Ticino Mediolano & aliis, anno 452.
[e] Vicentiam, Veronam, Brixiam, Bergomum, inquit Paulus Diaconus.
[f] Ravennae pepercisse creditur Attila, inductus precibus S. Ioannis
Episcopi, ut dictum 12 Ianuarii in ejus Vita. Eidem portas urbis Mutinensis,
per quas innoxie transivit, aperuit S. Geminianus Episcopus, uti Acta habent
31 Ianuarii.
[g] Prosper, cum viro Consulari Avieno, & viro Praefectorio
Trigetio.
[h] Eadem ex monumentis antiquis Romanis scribit Baronius, &
habentur in antiquis Breviariis, & apud Paulum Diaconum lib. 15, sed de uno
solo, qui creditur S. Petrus, apparente agitur, & loco Pauli Diaconi
citabatur hic Entropius, cujus nomen delevimus.