Priscus

Priscus is a masculine given name of Greek and Latin origin. It derives from the Greek Priskos, and in Latin usage the form priscus conveys notions of antiquity or old age. The name has been borne by several figures in late antiquity and the Middle Ages, though the most notable bearer is the 5th-century envoy and observer who traveled to Attila the Hun’s court.

The principal Priscus is known for his visit to Attila’s court circa 449–450 CE, as part of a Roman embassy. His account is preserved only in fragmentary form and through references in later writers, making it one of the few contemporary sources that shed light on Attila, his court, and the practices of the Huns. The surviving material provides ethnographic observations and descriptions of courtly life, although it is incomplete and interpreted through later historiography.

Because the surviving evidence is fragmentary, details about other individuals named Priscus are sparse and less securely documented. In scholarly references, the name appears occasionally in late antique and medieval sources, often without enough context to confirm precise identities or deeds. As a result, Priscus is primarily recognized in studies of Attila and the broader late Roman world.

In summary, Priscus is chiefly associated with the mid-5th-century envoy whose Attila-era observations contribute to our understanding of that period, with the name also appearing in other minor historical and literary contexts.