Attila

Lore & Background

Attila and his elder brother Bleda succeeded their uncle Rugila to the throne in 435, ruling jointly until Bleda's death in 445. During his reign, Attila crossed the Danube twice and plundered the Balkans but was unable to take Constantinople, stopped by its double walls. The Huns defeated a second army near Callipolis. In 441, he invaded the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, which emboldened him to invade the West. He attempted to conquer Roman Gaul, crossing the Rhine in 451 and marching as far as Aurelianum (Orléans), before being stopped at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains. He subsequently invaded Italy, devastating the northern provinces, but could not take Rome. He planned further campaigns but died in 453. After his death, his close adviser Ardaric of the Gepids led a successful revolt, and the Hunnic Empire quickly collapsed.

Reader's Guide

Attila's significance lies in his role as a formidable adversary to both the Eastern and Western Roman Empires during a period of their decline. His invasions of the Balkans, Gaul, and Italy demonstrated the military power of the Hunnic confederation, which included diverse groups such as Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids. Although he failed to capture Constantinople or Rome, his campaigns caused widespread devastation and fear, earning him the epithet 'Scourge of God.' The collapse of his empire shortly after his death, triggered by a revolt led by his own adviser Ardaric, highlights the personal nature of his authority. Attila's legacy endured in Germanic heroic legend, appearing in medieval epics such as the Nibelungenlied and various Eddas and sagas. The historiography of Attila relies heavily on biased Greek and Latin sources, particularly the fragments of Priscus, a Byzantine diplomat who visited his court. Debates continue over the etymology of his name, with proposed origins in Gothic, Turkic, or Yeniseian languages, reflecting uncertainty about Hunnic language and origins.

Did You Know?

• Attila's name may derive from Gothic atta meaning 'father' with a diminutive suffix -ila, meaning 'little father'.
• He was unable to take Constantinople because of its double walls.
• After Attila's death, his close adviser Ardaric of the Gepids led a successful revolt against Hunnic rule.
• The only complete sources on Attila were written in Greek and Latin by his enemies.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"For what fortress, what city, in the wide extent of the Roman empire, can hope to exist, secure and impregnable, if it is our pleasure that it should be erased from the earth?" — Attila "If Attila the Hun were alive today, he'd be a drama critic." — Attila "Darius Arya, as quoted in Ancients Behaving Badly: Attila the Hun. History Channel, 13 November, 2009. Documentary." — Attila "What devil or what witch was ever so great as Attila, whose blood is in these veins?" — Attila