Feared By All
In 5th-century Europe, nearly everyone in power knew of Attila, and those who were wise hoped to never come face to face with him. With his legions of Huns, Attila became a terror, taking what he wanted and overcoming all who tried to stop him. Despite his legacy of conquest, he was far from the uncivilized barbarian that the Europeans painted him as—but he still capitalized on their fear.
1. They Wrote About Him
During his lifetime, and for centuries after, Attila’s reputation grew throughout the world as an indomitable enemy, both feared and respected. However, even with such an enormous presence, the more complex details of his life, reign, and even personality remain vague. This is because, ironically, while there are a few sources from his contemporaries, most of the surviving records telling his story come from those he called enemies.
As such, his history has prompted many debates.
Julio Strozza, Wikimedia Commons
2. He Had Many Names
Because so little is clear about Attila’s life, and since the Huns ruled over several cultural groups, the origin of his name is unclear. A widely accepted possibility is an East Germanic origin, which would translate to “little father”. Eventually, though, the 15th-century Chronica Hungarorum would refer to Attila as the “Flagellum Dei,” meaning the “Scourge of God”.
Of course, having several names is common for those of regal birth.
Anonymus (P. Magister), Wikimedia Commons
3. He Was Royalty
Many historians believe Attila’s birth year to be sometime between 390 and 410, but no matter when, he would soon grow up under the rule of his uncles, Octar and Ruga. It was common for two Hunnic chieftains to rule jointly as kings, and as his father was their brother,
Attila was on route to succeeding them.
Soon, he would assume this responsibility.
Creator:Pietro Rovaglia, Wikimedia Commons
4. They Stepped Up
Octar and Ruga led the Huns until they both perished sometime in the 430s, with Octar passing during a military campaign, and some saying a thunderbolt struck Ruga down. In their uncles' places, once again acting as joint kings, Attila and his brother, Bleda, ascended the throne.
Fortunately, they had prepared for this.
Mark of Kalt, Wikimedia Commons
5. They Developed Skills
The popular view of the Hunnic people became that of somewhat primitive barbarians, but Attila and his brother’s upbringing strongly suggests otherwise. They studied the tactics of both peace and conflict, and learned to speak Gothic and Latin. Of course, they were still skilled warriors who also trained in archery, swordplay, and managing horses.
At the same time, they weren’t the only ones considered extremely skilled.
Vincze Jozsef, Czinege Istvan, Wikimedia Commons
6. They Had A Reputation
Even before Attila and Bleda came to power, the Huns had made a name for themselves in Europe, despite not having been there for long. The surrounding Germanic tribes knew not to mess with them, much of which was due to the skill and tenacity of the Hunnic mounted archers, who many viewed as unbeatable.
As such, they had already carved out their place in society.
Bilal Selim Filiz, Wikimedia Commons
7. They Used Them
Relations between the Huns and Rome were tense, to say the least, but remained profitable for both sides. Although the Huns’ conquest pushed many Germanic tribes into Roman territory and created problems, the Romans often paid them to fight in the empire’s conflicts, whether against their foreign enemies or domestic ones.
In this, the two sides weren’t totally on the same page.
8. They Had Different Views
Both the Romans and Huns were proud peoples, and so while their agreement benefited both, they each viewed it differently. The Romans seemed to be under the impression that they were paying the Huns regularly for mercenary work, while the Huns asserted that these payments were tribute to them.
This kind of relationship led to several issues.
Georges Rochegrosse, Wikimedia Commons
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
9. He Negotiated With Them
Attila and Bleda assumed the rule of the Huns at a time of difficult negotiations, as they were searching for several Hunnic traitors who were hiding in Eastern Rome. Discussing the matter with the representatives of Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II, Attila and Bleda demanded that the Romans return the defectors.
This would settle in their favor.
Luigi Giarre (died in 18?) and Vincenzo Stanghi (died on 1860), Wikimedia Commons
10. They Came To An Agreement
In 435, Attila and his brother again met with the Romans to discuss their business, leading to a treaty in which Rome agreed to return the traitors—but that wasn’t all. The Romans had been paying a “tribute” of 350 Roman pounds of gold, but this new agreement doubled the amount and charged them eight solidi in exchange for every Roman prisoner of the Huns.
Meanwhile, Attila had other ambitions.
Carlo Brogi, Wikimedia Commons
11. They Left Them Alone
Whether the Romans would admit it or not, the Huns posed an insurmountable problem for them, which they were happy to get a break from in the following years. Having established a lucrative deal with the Romans, Attila and Bleda turned their gaze to the Sassanid Empire, against which they began an invasion.
This hiatus didn’t last forever, though.
Thomas A. Lessman, en:User:Talessman, Wikimedia Commons
12. They Came Back
The Huns may have had an unstoppable reputation in Europe, but they seemed to bite off more than they could chew with the Sassanid Empire. After experiencing a significant defeat in Armenia, the Huns gave up their invasion. They then returned to Europe in 440, marking their arrival with an attack on the market north of the Danube River.
As a result, others were able to capitalize on the chaos.
13. They Took Their Chance
Attila and Bleda didn’t stop with their attack on the market, and soon enough, the Huns had laid waste to many of the city-states that lined the Danube River. Taking advantage of Rome’s divided attentions, the Germanic people known as the Vandals overtook the Western Roman province of Africa, cutting the Empire off from its primary food source.
This only gave a greater advantage to the Huns.
14. They Cleared The Way
In response to the Vandals’ capture of Africa, Rome relocated virtually all of their forces from the Balkans to Sicily for their counterattack. However, this left the region undefended and allowed the Huns to proceed unchecked through Illyricum and invade the Balkans in 441. By this point, the Romans were done negotiating.
MapMaster, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
15. He Was Confident
Resolving finally to deal with the Huns’ presence, Emperor Theodosius categorically rejected each of Attila’s demands and prepared to fight him head-on. After withdrawing his forces from Sicily, he placed a large order of new coins as a fund for the coming conflict, never once doubting he would emerge victorious.
Naturally, Attila was all too eager to answer the Emperor’s challenge.
Internet Archive Book Images, Wikimedia Commons
16. He Retaliated
The following year, Attila and Bleda began their campaign against Rome, and the Huns were more advanced than Theodosius expected. With tactics never-before-seen from the Huns, Attila used rolling siege towers and battering rams to capture city after city, only being stopped by the double walls of Constantinople.
Suddenly, all the Emperor’s confidence faded away.
Eugene Delacroix, Wikimedia Commons
17. He Gave Up
Losing far more than he gained, Emperor Theodosius backpedaled and decided to negotiate a peace with the Hunnic kings, sending his officer, Anatolius, to meet with them. The result was an agreement that tipped the scales much more in the Huns’ favor, raising the price of the tributes and ransoms, and demanding 6,000 Roman pounds of gold.
Following this, the Huns backed off.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
18. They Withdrew
To Rome’s credit, they held up their end of the deal for a while, satisfying the Huns enough for them to recede from the Eastern Roman Empire back to the Great Hungarian Plain. Not long after, around 445, they experienced a power shift when Attila took sole control of the Huns as a result of Bleda’s passing.
Concerning Bleda’s demise, foul play is certainly plausible.
19. He Eliminated Him
While the exact details of Bleda’s passing are as foggy as the rest of Attila’s history, it’s widely accepted that it was all orchestrated by his brother. Some say this was during a direct challenge of combat by Attila to gain the throne, but others theorize that it was the result of a more secretive plot.
Either way, Attila’s thirst for conquest became renewed.
Spencer Arnold Collection, Getty Images
20. He Couldn’t Be Stopped
By 447, Attila had decided to again march against Rome, no matter what agreement they had previously made. Re-entering the Eastern Empire, Attila and his forces briefly met resistance at the Battle of the Utus, where they overcame the army of the magister militum, Arnegisclus. Off the back of this victory, they surged through the Balkans.
Fortunately for the Romans, one city still stood.
21. They Were Rescued
At last, Attila made another attempt at conquering Constantinople, aided by recent earthquakes which weakened the double walls that had stopped him before. However, thanks to the efforts of Roman Prefect Constantinus, the walls were quickly built back up and reinforced. Additionally, the arrival of an Isaurian army led to the city’s salvation.
On the other side of the Empire, someone else was ready to deal.
22. He Had A Friend
Attila had been battling the Eastern Roman Emperor all this time, but elsewhere, he had already established a good relationship with another ruler. Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III had no such hostility against Attila, especially after the Hunnic king agreed to ally with him against the kingdom of Toulouse.
Meanwhile, someone else sought Attila out.
Tony Querrec (photo), Wikimedia Commons
23. She Asked For Help
Not everything was well in Valentinian’s house, especially since his sister, Honoria, was set to marry a Roman senator—despite her extreme reservations. Wanting to stop the marriage, Honoria secretly sent Attila a letter with her engagement ring, asking for help. Through this, she may not have meant to offer her hand to Attila, but that’s certainly the impression he got.
This didn’t stay a secret for long.
24. He Found Out
It wasn’t long before Emperor Valentinian discovered that Honoria had requested Attila’s help, and that Attila had agreed in exchange for half of the Western Empire as a wedding gift. Exiling his sister, the Emperor wrote to Attila and told him that Honoria’s alleged proposal was illegitimate, but Attila responded, saying he would come to take her himself.
Needless to say, he fell out of their good graces.
Miguel Salgado Chinarro, Wikimedia Commons
25. They Targeted Him
Along with his and Valentinian’s friendship, Attila was an ally of the Western Emperor’s general, Flavius Aëtius. Now, all of that had changed, and as the Huns marched west, Aëtius prepared to receive them with as much strength as he could muster. His army soon became a mix of several cultural groups, and the newly allied army of the Visigoth king, Theodoric I.
This proved a worthy challenge for the Huns.
Julio Strozza, Wikimedia Commons
26. They Were Turned Around
With their full strength, Aëtius and his forces raced to meet the Hunnic army before Attila could do too much damage. The Huns, meanwhile, were making their way westward toward Orléans. The two armies finally met when Aëtius’ forces reached the city before Attila, successfully routing the Huns.
Still, Attila’s fight wasn’t done.
Richard Juha, Wikimedia Commons
27. He Was Strategic
Rather than stop at turning back Attila’s forces, Aëtius was eager to beat the Hunnic king once and for all. The Huns tried to lose his army, but he once again overtook them, leaving Attila no choice but to fight Aëtius off. However, Attila knew the advantages of his cavalry and tipped the scales a bit by choosing to fight Aëtius on the plains.
Even so, Attila’s victory didn’t seem so assured.
Stefano Bianchetti, Getty Images
28. He Lost
During the ensuing Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, Aëtius didn’t fully utilize his Visigothic forces for fear that they would achieve an overwhelming victory instead of the Romans. As a result, the outcome of the battle was messy, and King Theodoric perished. Still, Attila’s forces became scattered and ineffective, and had no alternative but to retreat.
He didn’t give up, though.
29. He Tried Again
Attila wasn’t about to let go of the proposal from Honoria, so in 452, he returned to ensure his claim to marry her. Just like before, the Western Roman Empire felt the immense power of his army as he rode from city to city, destroying everything in his path. Notably, his sacking of the city of Aquileia was allegedly so destructive, it was left unrecognizable.
However, Aëtius was still too cunning.
30. They Wasted Away
Just as Attila’s tenacity kept his campaign going, Aëtius wouldn’t give up trying to stop him, even if his forces had since diminished. He threw everything he had at the Huns, striking at them with stealth and precision to weaken them slowly. Of course, the condition of Attila’s forces was already poor as they were likely suffering from starvation and sickness.
Finally, Attila agreed to negotiate.
Fototeca Storica Nazionale., Getty Images
31. They Met With Him
Now that the conflict had pushed both the Huns and the Romans to the brink, Emperor Valentinian knew they could achieve peace. He sent a party of three to meet with Attila, which included Pope Leo I. Through these negotiations, allegedly due mainly to the Pope’s efforts, Attila gave his word that he would leave Italy and discuss peace with Valentinian.
Many would regard this as divine intervention.
32. They Had Visitors
The events of Attila’s life have seen many artistic renderings since his reign, and this meeting between him and Pope Leo I is no different. Many viewed the successful negotiation as nothing short of a miracle, and one unknown medieval source even chose to symbolize the event as including both Saint Paul and Saint Peter in attendance.
Of course, Attila had other reasons for withdrawing.
Post of Soviet Union, Wikimedia Commons
33. He Had No Supplies
Attila may have fully intended to march upon the rest of Rome from his place in Italy, but by the time of the negotiations, it simply wasn’t in the cards. Due to a mixture of famine and Attila’s invasion itself, Italy’s food stores were running dangerously low, leaving the Huns with little supplies to launch such a campaign.
Not to mention, he had his own empire to worry about.
34. His Home Was Unprotected
Attila had been focusing all his efforts on the Western Roman Empire, but it turned out the Eastern Empire hadn’t finished with him yet. Coincidentally, another Roman officer named Aetius had marched his forces into Hunnic territory and defeated those whom Attila left behind to stand guard. Naturally, Attila couldn’t be away from home any longer.
As such, the Eastern Empire popped back up on his radar.
George S. Stuart, Wikimedia Commons
35. He Stopped Paying
Attila had retreated from Italy as he agreed to and returned to his palace, but others in Rome were ready to confront him again. There had been a power shift in the Eastern Roman Empire as Marcian replaced Theodosius as emperor, but he also resented Attila and refused to give him any tribute. As a result, Attila planned to attack Constantinople.
However, what’s an invasion without some festivities first?
Internet Archive Book Images, Wikimedia Commons
36. They Partied Hard
Although Attila had been hellbent on claiming Honoria’s hand in marriage, he also had other wives already, and would continue marrying more. So, in 453, he tied the knot with a woman named Ildico, and he spent the entire night feasting and drinking to commemorate his newest relationship.
Perhaps he celebrated a little too hard.
37. They Found Him
During the extravagant celebrations, Attila disappeared with his new bride to his room, but he never returned. In the morning, when he still hadn’t shown himself, his men went to check on him—only to find him lifeless on his bed. Ildico was also there, but was so upset that she could do little but cry hysterically.
Needless to say, they were all distraught.
38. They Grieved
Whether Ildico was crying out of fear or sadness, she soon found that she was the only one doing so, even though Attila’s men were just as—if not more—upset. During that time, crying wasn’t seen as a proper way for a man to grieve, so his men pulled out their hair and cut their own faces to mourn him with their blood instead.
There are several theories as to what took Attila’s life.
Edvi Illes Odon (1877-1946), Wikimedia Commons
39. She Might Have Done It
Considering he had no shortage of enemies, many have theorized that someone plotted to end Attila’s life. Naturally, as his men found his new wife beside him, she became a prime suspect. Although historians don’t seem to take this seriously, one source—written several decades after Attila's death—stated that he “was pierced by the hand and blade of his wife”.
But historians believe the true cause of his death was something far more bizarre.
40. It May Have Been An Accident
As the accounts of Attila’s demise are few and vague, historians haven’t decided on a concrete cause for it, but it might be a simple answer. We know that Attila suffered some form of severe bleeding, and some have posited the idea that after all his revels and excess, he may have passed out and developed a nosebleed. This would have caused him to choke until he perished. Other historians think the veins in his esophagus may have ruptured, after being weakened from years of excessive drinking.
Regardless of how it really happened, news of Attila’s passing supposedly traveled fast.
ATTILA KISBENEDEK, Getty Images
41. He Had A Vision
Although Emperor Marcian was all too eager to fight Attila, the planning and worries of the coming conflict likely consumed his thoughts. However, he may have found relief in learning of Attila’s demise right away, as one source says it came to him in his sleep. According to the Greek historian, Priscus, Marcian dreamt of Attila’s broken bow and knew his enemy had fallen.
Sadly for the Huns, Attila’s empire wasn’t in the best hands.
Internet Archive Book Images, Wikimedia Commons
42. They Fought Too Much
After a lengthy mourning period for Attila, his empire moved on without him as his sons—Ellac, Dengizich, and Ernakh—stepped up to the throne. Unfortunately, the three of them could never see eye to eye, and occupied most of their time fighting over who deserved to rule until the empire was split between them.
As for their father, his people needed to take care of his body.
43. They Honored Him
Attila’s people had great respect for him, especially since his passing, and they treated his burial with the same reverence. Binding his coffin in three metals, they chose gold and silver to symbolize how both the Huns and Rome honored him, and iron to show the strength with which he conquered so much.
These weren’t the only lengths they went to.
44. They Hid Him
Before they finally buried him, Attila’s men wanted to make sure his tomb was properly extravagant to reflect the majesty they saw in him. After laying valuable items with him, such as precious gems and the armaments of those he had bested, they allegedly diverted a river to bury him at the bottom, and then released it.
In the efforts of secrecy, they took one more grisly step.
45. They Made Sure No One Knew
Obviously, those who saw to Attila’s final affairs didn’t bury him themselves, and instead used a team of servants—who didn’t exactly receive a thank you. As they also buried a collection of treasures, Attila’s men wanted to ensure no one would try to steal any of it. So, to keep his final resting place a secret, they also took the lives of the men who buried him.
Despite these many lavish ornaments, Attila seemed like a simple guy.
46. He Was Humble
From most accounts, especially toward the end of his life, Attila was rough, boisterous, and proud, but his demeanor allegedly didn’t match that of other rulers in his time. In the words of Priscus, Attila often displayed humility, such as in the “quite simple” manner of his clothes, which differed from the extravagant and gaudy style of those under him.
Still, he may have owned a particularly amazing weapon.
Mirv~commonswiki, Wikimedia Commons
47. He Had A Legendary Sword
If his overwhelming army and relentless battle tactics weren’t enough, Attila had another way of striking fear into his enemies’ hearts. According to the Roman historian Jordanes, Attila claimed to have received a legendary holy sword from the god Mars, but this may have been an embellishment of one of Priscus’ accounts.
Whether true or not, Attila’s attitude certainly matched this claim.
Stefano della Bella, Wikimedia Commons
48. He Enjoyed The Rumors
Not only did Attila permit the rumors and stories spread about him as he went from conquest to conquest, but he also encouraged the fear they created. He knew that this terror was one of his best tools, and his intense gaze became known for instilling dread, which he seemed to enjoy endlessly.
To this day, one big mystery remains.
DEA / A. DAGLI ORTI, Getty Images
49. He Is Missing
All of these legends and historical events are only a fraction of the possible information on Attila and the Huns as a people, but it may be all we ever get. While some evidence of their lifestyle and cultural practices has surfaced, many details have since been lost. Specifically, the location of Attila’s final resting place is still a mystery.
Summing up his life, Attila had one important quote.
50. He Was Feared
If someone asked an ancient Roman what Attila was like, they might say he was a vicious and barbaric warlord who destroyed everything in his path. While there may be truth to some of that, the reality is that he was also ruthlessly cunning and knew how to use that fearsome reputation to fuel his campaigns. Playing into this monstrous character he cultivated, he once stated, “There, where I have passed, the grass will never grow again”.
You May Also Like:
The Truth About History’s Most Ruthless “Barbarians”
The Most Bloodthirsty Conqueror People Haven't Heard Of
_(14581651908).jpg){kind=link}