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HOME   -   PEOPLE IN HISTORY A-Z   -   ATTILA THE HUN

 
   


Attila the Hun, ? - 453, PAINTING BY EUGENE DELACROIX
ATTILA - PAINTING BY EUGENE DELACROIX

 

Attila the Hun  ...-453

Image above:
Detail from the painting Attila and his Hordes Overrun Italy and the Arts.

Painter: Eugene Delacroix, who created this artwork 1843-1847.


Attila, king of the Huns, was nicknamed the Scourge of God, in Latin: Flagellum Dei. As the nickname indicates, Attila was rather the assertive type.

Priscus of Panium described Attila as a short man with a large head, deep-set eyes, flat nose, and a thin beard.

 

Attila the King

Attila's uncle Rua, or Rugila, ruled the Huns until his death in 434. Attila then ruled from 434 to 453.

During his reign however, Attila had a co-ruler. His elder brother Bleda ruled with him from 434 until 445.

In 445 the partnership was dissolved when Attila murdered Bleda.

Attila's wife was Hereka.


  Who in the world were the Huns?

 

Attila's Empire

Attila and Bleda inherited an empire that already posed a threat to neighboring nations. Under Attila's rule it expanded even further. See map below.


Map of Attila's Empire in 450
ATTILA'S EMPIRE IN 450
Click to enlarge

 


The Roman Empire in Attila's Days

While Attila roamed the earth, the Roman Empire was split into the  East Roman Empire and the  West Roman Empire.

The emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire was  Theodosius II and the emperor of the Western Roman Empire was Valentinian III.

Ever since the Huns had defeated the  Visigoths in 376, and had arrived knocking at the doors of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Romans paid the Huns good money to be left in peace.

In 435, Attila, Breda, and Theodosius II renewed the agreements and signed a further peace treaty, the Treaty of Margus. Margus is today's Passarowitz (think  Treaty of Passarowitz), or also called Pozarevac. It is located in Serbia and also home town of late Slobodan Milosevic.

Back to Attila.

The Treaty of Margus stated that the Huns would not attack the Romans if the latter would pay double the money they had paid previously.

The Romans didn't pay up and the Huns attacked in 441. The Balkan was invaded and Belgrade was sacked. The attacks continued. In 443 Sofia was sacked and Attila camped in front of Constantinople's gates. Theodosius II was obliged to agree to yet another treaty in 443, which tripled his payments.

In 447, Attila raided the East Roman Empire again. This time he went all the way down to Thermopylae. The stipulations of the following peace treaty topped even the previous treaty. Theodosius II did the only decent thing he could think of doing and died in 450.

Theodosius II's successor, Marcian, categorically refused to pay anything at all and Attila, presently preoccupied by preparations to invade Gaul, made a little note in his calendar to have Marcian for breakfast at a more opportune time.

 

Attila and Honoria

Honoria was the sister of Emperor Valentinian III, ruler of the Western Roman Empire.

In the year 450, Honoria or somebody who had access to Honoria's jewel box, sent Honoria's ring to Attila. The attached message read roughly summed up, "My name is Honoria and I'm desperate. Please rescue me from a marriage that has been arranged for me."

Attila, ever so fond of foolish mistakes made by the enemy, officially declared Honoria his wife and ordered the Western Roman Emperor to cede half the empire as Honoria's dowry.

Valentinian III cursed the day his sister was born and refused to cede anything.

Attila made another note in his calendar.

 

Attila in Gaul and Italy

Attila invaded Gaul in 451, which the Western Roman Empire felt was awfully close to home. However, Attila's official reason for this invasion were "just the Visigoths." He claimed to have no beef with the Western Romans.

But who could be so sure these days, especially with Atilla's demand of half of the Western Roman Empire still in the air.

So the Visigoths, led by Theodoric I, and the Romans, led by Flavius Aetius, joined forces and defeated Attila at the  Battle of the Catalaunian Plains in 451.

This was Attila's only defeat and he didn't like it. He went on to invade northern Italy in 452. He sacked Padua, Verona, Bergamo, and Milan, and was fixing to pay Rome a visit. But food shortage, disease, and Pope Leo I changed his mind.

 

Attila's Death

Attila checked his calendar and remembered Marcian, the Eastern Roman Emperor. Collecting his debts was next on the list but first things first.

There was the girl Ildico who was ready to get married and Attila arranged things accordingly. Attila died on his wedding night allegedly of a nasal hemorrhage. I know what you think but hey.

Supposedly the folks who buried Attila were killed right after the burial to ensure that nobody would ever find Attila's grave.

 

How Big Was Attila's Army?

On his attack on Gaul, Attila commanded approximately 500,000 men.

For the route of Attila, check this map

Germanic Migrations 150-1066
ROUTE OF ATTILA
Click map to enlarge



Attila's Legacy

After his death Attila's empire was divided among Attila's sons. But it went downhill with the Huns thenceforward.

In 455, the combined forces of several enemy tribes defeated the Huns at what is today approximately western Hungary.

The Huns' heyday was officially over.


Map of the Roman Empire 5th Century
Roman Empire 5th Century: Routes of the Barbarian Invaders




Attila the Legend

The Nibelungenlied, or Song of the Nibelungs, is a German epic poem written around the year 1200. It features Etzel, king of the Huns, who is Attila.

 

Attila Facts and Trivia

Giuseppe Verdi was 33 years old when he composed the opera Attila in 1846. For  more info on the opera Attila go here.


Opera Attila by Giuseppe Verdi, 1846
VERDI'S OPERA ATTILA

 

In 1954, two Attila movies came out at the same time,  Attila and  Sign of the Pagan

Check the links for video clips and stuff.

 

 

 

 

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