g else. These barbarians believe, by an article of faith
transmitted from their ancestors, that, among many, there is one sole
master of all things, whom they look upon as the author of the thunder;
and to him they sacrifice bulls and other victims. They do not know what
the goddess Fortune may be, nor believe that she has any influence on
human affairs. When they feel themselves threatened by death, either by
illness or wounds given in battle, they are told to promise a sacrifice
to God if they escape the danger. Then, if they soon get about again,
they fulfil the vow, firmly persuaded that by it they have recovered
their health. They offer worship to woods, to nymphs, and other genii,
immolating victims to them, and prophesying in the act. They live in
rough huts far away from each other, and often change the situation. The
greater part of them fight on foot, armed with shield and with darts,
but without corslet. Some of them do not wear their ordinary clothes in
battle, but draperies which scarcely reach to the thigh, and so they
present themselves to the enemy. They all speak the same barbarous
tongue, nor differ much in appearance, but are all tall and powerful.
The colour of the flesh and the hair is neither vermilion nor brown, but
reddish. They live a somewhat fatiguing life, somewhat neglected and
uncultivated, like the Massagetae, and, like them, on sordid food. They
are not cunning, nor evildoers, but follow the customs of the Huns in
sacking and rapine. They possess vast lands and occupy the greater part
of the further bank of the Danube." They have retained many
characteristics of an earlier age, though not of the period of
Procopius.

The men are tall and muscular, with strongly marked features. Their eyes
are generally either grey or blue, the forehead broad and prominent, the
teeth white and strong, the hair sometimes blonde, but ranging through
all shades to black, and the countenance intelligent and expressive. The
boys herd the flocks barefoot and half naked, so that their skin is
always bronzed, and the men generally have bare breasts. Their sight and
hearing are remarkably keen, and in Dalmatia they can make themselves
heard from one hill to another, a feat which is partly owing to the
quality of the air. Their excellent health enables them to support all
kinds of hardships; they sleep out of doors (covering the head), except
in winter, at which season they stay a good deal by the fire, though
they