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Priscus of Panium was born in Thrace around 410 CE. Priscus studied rhetoric, philosophy, and practiced law in Constantinople. Priscus accompanied envoys sent by Theodosius II to meet with Attila and provided many details about the journey. It should be noted that Priscus’ work survive only in quoted form in other writers’ works. The works that contain Priscus’ writings are the Excerpta de Legationibus Iussu Imperator Constantini Prophyrogenti Confecta (which contains Priscus’ account of the Roman embassy to Attila), the Suda, Evargius’ Ecclesiastical History, Procopius’ Wars, Theophanes’ Chronicle, Jordanes Romana et Getica, John of Antioch’s Chronicle, and Malalas’ Chronicon. While more focused on the happenings of the Western Roman Empire, Priscus slipped in some interesting observation about the Sasanians. For one, he refers to the Sasanians as Persians or Parthians, but at times demonstrated knowledge of the different tribes of Iran. See, for instance, Priscus’ assertion that Attila would take Persia, Media, and Parthia if he were to take his army east to confront the Sasanians. Moreover, Priscus also demonstrated his dislike of the Sasanians. After he listed the parts of Iran Attila could conquer, he prayed that Attila would destroy the Sasanians, but only then included a report of a companion saying that if Attila destroyed the Sasanians, he would be more powerful than the Romans and would no longer be there equal. Thus the Romans would have a larger problem on their hands. Another manner in which Priscus portrays the Sasanians is how he demonstrates the efforts of the Sasanians to get the Romans to guard the Caspian Gates against Hunnic incursions. The Sasanians, according to Priscus, felt they kept the Huns at bay, and had the job of protecting both the empire of the Iranians and the Roman Empire. The Romans, of course, refused to send money or men to help keep the Huns out of Iran. Priscus, although this was probably not his aim, revealed the equal footing of both Iran and the Roman Empire. Here were two empires, both equal in strength, trying to assert dominance over each other. Of course Priscus’ writings are all about the Romans and Sasanians being equally strong. Priscus also suggested that the Sasanians were only able to fight against the Kidarite Huns using treachery, and they were not even successful doing that. Then, when Sasanians successfully crush the Kidarite Huns, Priscus wrote that they boasted about it in a “barbarian” fashion because they wanted to demonstrate to the Romans their large fighting force. Priscus, in this manner, isan example of a Roman’s mistrust and dislike of the Sasanian Empire, the rival to the RomanEmpire. (Entry by Keenan Baca-Winters)
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