Adamis Explained

Adamis (fl. 448) was a Hun manager and steward. He was mentioned by Priscus in his 448/449 account of the Hunnish court.^[1]

History

Adamis managed the affairs of Eracan (Kreka), the wife of Attila. He was the owner of a house in one of Attila's chief towns (where, according to Priscus, the Hunnish king had built one of his biggest abodes).^[2]

When Priscus visited the court of Attila, he also met Kreka, Attila's wife, who invited him and his embassy to dine at the house of her supervisor, Adamis, who had "charge of her affairs".^[3] Priscus accepted the invitation, and went to the house of Adamis. Here they greeted him with "gracious words and food". Priscus also reports that: "Each of those present, with Scythian generosity, arose and gave us each a full cup and then, after embracing and kissing the one who was drinking, received it back".^[4]

His name is hapax legomenon, meaning it appears only once in Priscus' account.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Book: Kelly . Christopher . Attila The Hun Barbarian Terror and the Fall of the Roman Empire . 2011 . Random House . 9781446419328 . 275 . 26 October 2022.
2. Book: Jones . Arnold Hugh Martin . Martindale . J. R. . Morris . J. . Morris . John . The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume 2, AD 395-527 . 1971 . Cambridge University Press . 7 . 9780521201599 . 26 October 2022.
3. Web site: Priscus Embassi to Attila . 26 October 2022.
4. Book: Priscus . Given . John . The Fragmentary History of Priscus Attila, the Huns and the Roman Empire, AD 430-476 . 2014 . Evolution Publishing . 9781935228141 . 77 . 26 October 2022.
5. Book: Maenchen-Helfen . Otto J. . Knight . Max . The World of the Huns Studies in Their History and Culture . 2022 . University of California Press . 9780520357204 . 382 . 26 October 2022.