▁the ▁late ▁ 8 th ▁century , ▁rel ates ▁that ▁an ▁enorm ously ▁huge ▁man ▁dressed ▁in ▁priest ly ▁ro bes ▁and ▁armed ▁with ▁a ▁sword , ▁visible ▁only ▁to ▁Att ila , ▁threatened ▁him ▁and ▁his ▁army ▁with ▁death ▁during ▁his ▁disc ourse ▁with ▁Leo , ▁and ▁this ▁prompt ed ▁Att ila ▁to ▁submit ▁to ▁his ▁request . ▁ ▁More ▁modern ▁histor ians ▁debate ▁other ▁possible ▁reasons ▁for ▁Att ila ' s ▁sudden ▁withdraw al . ▁The ▁po pe ▁may ▁have ▁offered ▁Att ila ▁a ▁large ▁sum ▁of ▁gold ▁or ▁Att ila ▁may ▁have ▁had ▁log ist ical ▁and ▁strateg ic ▁concerns : ▁an ▁army ▁probably ▁l aden ▁with ▁boot y ▁from ▁pl under ; ▁a ▁pl ague ▁in ▁northern ▁Italy ; ▁food ▁short ages ; ▁military ▁actions ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Emperor ▁Mar ci anus ▁on ▁the ▁Dan ube ▁front ier . ▁Besides , ▁the ▁where about s ▁of ▁A ë ti us ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁are ▁unknown , ▁and ▁Att ila ▁or ▁his ▁war riors ▁may ▁have ▁felt ▁end anger ed ▁by ▁their ▁arch - en emy ▁from ▁the ▁Catal a un ian ▁pla ins . ▁ ▁Writing ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁John ▁B . ▁B ury ▁remarked : ▁ ▁The ▁fact ▁of ▁the ▁emb ass y ▁cannot ▁be ▁doubt ed . ▁The ▁distinguished ▁amb ass adors ▁visited ▁the ▁Hun ' s ▁camp ▁near ▁the ▁south ▁shore ▁of ▁Lake ▁Gard a . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁certain ▁that ▁Att ila ▁suddenly ▁retre ated . ▁But ▁we ▁are