The Whole North Into Gaul

[Flavivs Aetivs]

A better translation:

"Nam ibi admirandum reor fuisse spectaculum, ubi cernere erat contis pugnantem Gothum, ense furentem Gepida, in vulnere suo Rugum tela frangentem, Suavum pede, Hunnum sagitta praesumere, Alanum gravi, Herulum levi armatura aciem strui"

"For then, I think, must have occurred a most remarkable spectacle, where one might see the Goths fighting with pikes, the Gepidae raging with the sword, the Rugi breaking off the spears in their own wounds, the Suavi fighting on foot, the Huns with bows, the Alani drawing up a battle-line of heavy-armed and the Heruli of light-armed warriors."

I hadn't considered that. We know the Huns were skilled with the Bow and the Javelin, as well as the 'cutlass' (which means spatha). However, I hadn't thought of talking about their equipment in the section on Attila's army.

The use of Pikes, light armed warriors, javelins, and 'raging with the sword' is rather universal for barbarians. However it does describe the use of catafracts by the Alans and archers by the Huns.

Thanks Michael.