ATTILA
? - 453
Painting by Eugene Delacroix

Attila, king of the Huns, was nicknamed 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.

However, from 434 until 445 Attila had a co-ruler, his elder brother Bleda. In 445 the partnership was dissolved when Attila murdered Bleda.

Attila's wife was Hereka.

WHO THE HECK 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.

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 defeated the Visigoths in 376 and arrived at the doors of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Romans paid to be left alone.

In 435, Attila, Breda, and Theodosius II renewed the agreements and signed a further peace treaty, the Treaty of Margus. This treaty 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, refused to pay the bill 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, declared Honoria officially his wife and ordered the Western Roman Empire 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 the Visigoths. 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 this girl Ildico who needed to be married and Attila arranged things accordingly. Attila died that very 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

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 tribes defeated the Huns at what is today approximately western Hungary. The Huns' heyday was officially over.

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.

VERDI'S OPERA ATTILA

In 1954, two Attila movies came out at the same time, "Attila" and "Sign of the Pagan" Go there for video clips and stuff.