Kreka or Hereka was the wife of Attila . She was described by Eastern Roman diplomat Priscus in his account of his stay at Attila's court in 448 or 449 AD. She and Attila had three sons: Ellac , Dengizich , and Ernak , who split among themselves what remained of Attila's empire after his death in 453.
21-559: Kreka also appears in Germanic heroic legend under the name of Helche or Herka. Priscus during his stay at Attila's court in 448 or 449 AD wrote " the next day I arrived at the wall of Attila's compound , carrying gifts for his wife... She had borne three children to him, of whom the eldest Ellac was ruling the Akateri and the other nations in the parts of Scythia near the Sea ." He then describes
42-437: A derivation also supported by Omeljan Pritsak . It has also been proposed that the name may be Gothic , meaning "Greek woman". A common Hungarian first name, Réka originates from this name. Priscus Priscus of Panium ( / ˈ p r ɪ s k ə s / ; Greek : Πρίσκος ; 410s AD/420s AD-after 472 AD) was a 5th-century Eastern Roman diplomat and Greek historian and rhetorician (or sophist ). Priscus
63-465: A full cup and then, after embracing and kissing the one who was drinking, received it back. After dinner, we went back to our tent and went to sleep ". Kreka also appears as a character in Germanic heroic legend, where, under the name Helche or Herka, she is the wife of Attila (Etzel/Atli) and a special confidant of the hero Dietrich von Bern in the Middle High German poems Dietrichs Flucht ,
84-460: A platter of meat, followed by bread and other foods of the time. All of the food was served onto plates of silver and gold. Priscus also notes that Attila didn't use any silver or gold plates but instead used a cup made of wood; also, his attire was not very grand. Once the first round was finished, they stood and drank again to the health of Attila. When evening arrived torches were lit and songs that were about Attila's victories were sung. Priscus
105-411: A soft mattress. The ground was covered with woolen felt pieces for walking on. A number of male servants were gathered round her while female servants sat on the ground opposite her, dyeing some fine linens that were to be placed over the barbarians' clothing as adornment. I approached her and, after a greeting, presented her with the gifts. I then withdrew and walked to the other buildings where Attila
126-631: Is an important character in Slave of the Huns by Geza Gardonyi . He is depicted as a kindly master and scholar, and part of the novel is based on his account of his visit to Attila. He is not to be confused with Priscus of Epirus , who lived in the 4th century and is one of two main interlocutors in Gore Vidal 's novel Julian . The remaining works of Priscus are currently published in four collections: Maximinus (diplomat) Maximinus ( Greek : Μαξιμίνος)
147-621: The Rabenschlacht and the Old Norse Thidrekssaga . She is portrayed as having just died in the Nibelungenlied . In the Eddic poem Guðrúnarkviða III , she appears as Atli's concubine. The name is recorded in various manuscripts of Priscus as κρέκα (κreka), ἡρέκα (hereka), ἡρέκαν (herekan), and ᾽᾽ἠρέκαν᾽᾽ (erekan). Some copyists dropped the ending -v (-n). On the basis of
168-802: The Byzantine Empire and in barbarian kingdoms. After an interlude in Rome , Priscus traveled to Alexandria and the Thebaid in Egypt . He last appeared in the East, circa 456, attached to the staff of Euphemios as Emperor Marcian 's (r. 450–457) magister officiorum . He died after 472 AD. Priscus was the author of an eight-volume historical work, written in Greek, entitled the History of Byzantium (Greek: Ἱστορία Βυζαντιακή), which
189-643: The author of the Souda . Priscus's writing style is straightforward and his work is regarded as a reliable contemporary account of Attila the Hun, his court, and the reception of the Roman ambassadors. He is considered a "classicizing" historian to the extent that his work, though written during the Christian era, is almost completely secular and relies on a style and word-choice that are part of an historiographical tradition dating back to
210-499: The city of Viminacium (located on the Danube east of modern-day Belgrade ) was sacked by the Huns . The trader explained to Priscus that after the sack of Viminacium, he was a slave of Onegesius , a Hunnic nobleman, but obtained his freedom and chose to settle among the Huns. Priscus ultimately engaged in a debate with the Greek defector regarding the qualities of life and justice in both
231-416: The compound: "Inside the wall there were very many buildings, some built of wooden timbers carved and fitted together with an eye for style, other made of beams cleaned, scraped to straightness and placed onto logs that formed circles. The circles, starting from the ground, rose up to a height of good proportion. This is where Attila's wife dwelt. I passed the barbarians at the door and found her lying on
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#1733085899534252-436: The cupbearers; they were to pray and have a drink before having a seat at the table. The seats were arranged parallel to the walls; Attila sat on the middle couch. The right side of Attila was reserved for his honored Chiefs, and everyone else including Priscus and the Roman embassies sat on the left. After being seated, everyone raised a glass to pledge one another with wine. Once the cupbearers left another attendant came in with
273-438: The fifth century BC. Priscus recounted the story of a dinner with Attila the Hun which took place at one of Attila's many houses. This house was said to be greater than the rest (having been made for celebration) due to it being constructed of decorative polished wood, with little thought to making any part of the place for defense. The dinner was at three o’clock; Priscus entered the house bearing gifts to Attila's wife; her name
294-471: The four principal ministers of the emperor Marcian (r. 450–457) and in later years held the supreme command in Egypt whence he made a successful campaign against the Ethiopians . He is invariably represented as a virtuous, firm, and highly talented man. (Priscus, p. 39, 40, 48–70; Socrat. Hist. Eccles., vii. 20; Priscus.) Maximinus is a minor character in Slave of the Huns by Geza Gardonyi, where he
315-443: The later Germanic forms of the name ( Herche , Helche , Herkja , and Erka ), Otto J. Maenchen-Helfen argues that the forms beginning with eta rather than kappa are original. He argued in favor of Willy Bang Kaup 's etymology, by which it derives from Turkic * arï(y)-qan (the pure princess), (cf. Karakalpaks name Aruvkhan ( aruv , "pure")). Pavel Poucha derived Kreka or Hreka from Mongolian appellation gergei (wife),
336-474: The plot, of which Maximinus was totally ignorant. Attila was well aware of this and consequently turned his resentment only against the emperor and his minister, disdaining even to punish Vigilius, who was the entire promoter of the scheme, and who was entrapped in his turn by Attila. This embassy of Maximinus is described by his secretary, Priscus , to whom is owed nearly all modern knowledge of Attila's person and private life. Afterwards, Maximinus became one of
357-486: Was Kreka and she had three sons. Priscus and the embassy of Eastern Romans were placed at the end of the table farthest from Attila but still in his presence; this was meant to show that he was greater than the Roman guests, and that Attila considered his people to be more important than Priscus and the Roman embassy. As Priscus and the Eastern Roman embassy stood, they followed the cultural tradition of being served tea from
378-661: Was a 5th-century East Roman official, serving as ambassador to Attila the Hun and as a senior minister at Constantinople . Maximinus was lieutenant of Ardaburius in the Roman–Persian war in 422. In 448, Theodosius II (r. 402–450) sent him to Attila; Orestes and Edeko , the Hunnic ambassadors at Constantinople , returned with him to Pannonia . Edeko had been bribed by the emperor's chief minister, Chrysaphius , to murder Attila, but on his arrival in Pannonia informed his master of
399-580: Was born in Panion (located in Thrace ) between 410 and 420 AD. In 448/449 AD, he accompanied Maximinus , the head of the Byzantine embassy representing Emperor Theodosius II (r. 402–450), on a diplomatic mission to the court of Attila the Hun . While there, he met and conversed with a Greek merchant , dressed in "Scythian" (or Hunnic) fashion, who was captured eight years earlier ( c. 441–442 ) when
420-611: Was probably not the original title name. The History probably covered the period from the accession of Attila the Hun to the accession of Emperor Zeno (r. 474–475), or from 433 up until 474 AD. Priscus's work currently survives in fragments and was very influential in the Byzantine Empire. The History was used in the Excerpta de Legationibus of Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (r. 913–959), as well as by authors such as Evagrius Scholasticus , Cassiodorus , Jordanes , and
441-496: Was spending his time. I waited for Onegesius to come out since he already set out from his compound and was inside ". At the last days of his mission to Attila, Priscus and Maximinus were " invited by Kreka to dinner at the house of Adames the man who oversaw her affairs. We joined him along with some of the nation's leading men, and there we found cordiality. He greeted us with soothing words and prepared food. Each of those present, with Scythian generosity, arose and gave us each
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