Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-11-17
aAisrrllantous Readir9.
ArTILA, "scoUReE OF GOD"
Barbarous King Reiened in Fifth Gen.
turv and Looted All Europe.

tury and Looted All Europe.
The eloquence of the protest OF Pope
Benedict XIV against going back to the
times of Attila,' referring to the de-
struction of the great cathedral at
Rheims and other devastations OF the
present war, can only be understood
when one knows who Attila was, says
the Philadelphia Ledger.
Attila was a barbarous king of the
Huns who reigned from the year 434
to 453 of the Christian era, but he had
no religion except that Of brutality,
conquest, lust and loot. AT that period
the Christian religion had made little
progress and there were no great tenn
pies to destroy, but there were rich
cities and towns, rich barons and mer-
chants and landlords, for about twenty
years Attila, who was also called Etzel
made the most Of them.
He ruled with all the weapons known
in that day, and his hordes were COM
PEELED to follow him by the same means
as he had no mercy on any who show
ed the least lack of fealty to him or
mercy to the conquered. For consld-
erable part Of his reign it is said that
his individual word was law over
vast territory extending from the cas-
plan Sea to the River Rhine. AS
leader he was fearless and masterful
and savage. He may be said to have
aimed divine appointment" calling
himself THE Scourge of God"
He ruled jointly with his brother for
several years. but wanted no division or
the spoils, and his royal brother was
disposed of as others Of the royalties
of that region have been disposed of.
He founded the city of Buda, made 1t
his capital, and from it directed the
Staying and looting, Wherever there
was anything to get that was worth
having. He laid waste in the most
ruthless manner some Of the finest and
richest cities Of what are now Greece
Italy, Spain, France and all the terri
tory north of that, levy1ng heavy trl-
butte everywhere, burning and killing
where tribute was not promptly paid.
He conquered the powerful Byzan-
tine Emperor Theodosius, in 44s, de-
stroyed hundreds of gems Of architec-
ture and art, and compelled the emper-
or to pay him the all money possible.
He again laid waste all the eastern en-
pires in 450, and then gave his atten-
ton to Gaul in the west, with an army
said to have been 100000 strong, but
this is thought by some historians to
be an exaggeration. However, that
army was strong enough to do it's will
in all that region. He then made an
attempt by force and cunning to de-
tach Theodore, king Of West Goths,
from his alliance with the Romans un-
der their general, Aetins, but failing IN
that he gave battle to the allies near
Chlons, on the Catalaunian Fields, and
there had his first real reverse.
The allies failed to follow up their
victory and the following year Attila
and his savage hordes laid waste all
northern Italy, and had arranged for
an assault on Rome but he had just
had an example Of the prowess OF the
Roman soldiers, and when he heard
that they had concentrated there in
great numbers he desisted.
Arduous campaigns and intemperate
living had sapped his strength, and in
453, on the very night when he married
Ildiko, a Bergundian princess, THE
Scourge of Cod was himself scourged
into another world.