Priscus of Panium (Πρίσκος ὁ Πανίτης) was a 5th-century CE Roman historian and sophist from Panium in Thrace [1]. His career is defined by his participation in a diplomatic mission to the court of Attila the Hun in 448/449 CE, where he recorded a famous encounter with a Greek-speaking Roman captive [1][2]. Following the death of Emperor Theodosius II, he entered the service of the general Marcian and was associated with the poet Christodorus [1][2].

His major work is a fragmentary eight-book History covering the period from Attila's rise to the reign of Emperor Zeno, which provides a detailed contemporary account of the Huns and late Roman affairs [1][2][3]. A separate rhetorical work is noted but lost [1].

Priscus is a paramount primary source for the 5th-century Roman Empire, the Huns, and the Barbarian invasions. His fragments offer invaluable ethnographic detail and a reliable critical narrative, heavily utilized by later historians like Jordanes [1][2]. His clear, classical prose provides a crucial Greek perspective on late antiquity [3].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Priscus-of-Panium 2. World History Encyclopedia: https://www.worldhistory.org/Priscus_of_Panium/ 3. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-5270