The Huns

Ferocious, uncivilized and unpredictable, the Huns were nomadic warriors who terrorized Europe in the fourth and fifth centuries. After the death of their brutal but charismatic leader, Attila, they disappeared from the pages of history.

Nomads from the East

The Romans saw the Huns as half-animals who ate raw meat and lived like beasts. They had no interest in farming or building cities and left no written literature. Their talent lay in attacking and plundering settled peoples, using fear as their primary weapon.

The Huns were pastoralists who moved with their herds. Throughout history, pastoralists have generally been more warlike than farmers. With no permanent home, the Huns had no interest in settling on the lands they raided. As skilled horseback riders who traveled long distances, they could appear without warning, take what they wanted and ride off again, leaving behind chaos and panic as they destroyed villages in Asia and Europe.

The origins of the Huns remain mysterious, but by the late fourth century, they were sweeping westward across Asia toward Europe. The nomadic horde spread terror among those in its path. As they pushed west of the Caspian Sea, their violent raids forced the Visigoths and other Germanic tribes to move inside the borders of the Roman Empire.

The Huns and the Romans

The Romans sometimes fought the Huns, but they also hired Hunnic warriors and formed alliances with their leaders. To secure these agreements, Romans and Huns sometimes exchanged young nobles as guarantees of good faith. As a young man, Aetius was sent to live among the Huns. For several years, he learned their ways and gained respect for them as warriors. This experience served him later, when he became the dominant general of the Western Roman Empire.

Attila

In 434, Attila and his older brother Bleda inherited leadership of the Huns from their uncle. The brothers ruled together until about 445, when Bleda was killed, probably on Attila’s orders. As sole ruler, Attila led the Huns to amass wealth by collecting tribute and plundering cities throughout Southeast Europe.

A ruthless leader, Attila often impaled those who opposed him, leaving them to a torturous death. Yet he was more than a brutal warrior. Priscus, a Roman diplomat who visited his court in 449, described him as short and broad-chested. While others displayed wealth at banquets, Attila listened carefully and rarely showed emotion. He commanded respect without flaunting power and proved to be a skillful negotiator who knew when to threaten, bargain, or fight.

The Battle of Châlons

In 451, Attila led the Huns west into Roman territory, destroying cities until a Roman army confronted him at the Battle of Châlons in present-day France. The Romans were led by Aetius, the general who had once lived among the Huns. After brutal fighting, Aetius forced the Huns to retreat. He may have allowed his defeated enemy to escape because he feared that if he destroyed the Huns, other Germanic peoples would become an even greater threat to the Roman Empire.

Attila Retreats from Italy

In 452, his army suddenly retreated after a meeting with Pope Leo I. According to Church tradition, the pope, without an army, met Attila, a man he called the “scourge of God.” We do not know what the two men discussed or why Attila suddenly withdrew his forces from Italy. Leo may have bribed the Huns or persuaded Attila to leave. Attila’s army was also short of food and suffering from disease. Whatever the reason, he returned to present-day Hungary.

The Death of Attila

A year later, the Huns celebrated as Attila took a new bride, Ildico. According to legend, Attila ended the festivities in a drunken stupor. The next morning, Ildico was found quivering beside him. Attila had choked to death from a nosebleed during the night.

Attila’s death led to a civil war among his sons. Without him, the Huns quickly lost control of their empire. Subject peoples rebelled, and within a generation, the Huns disappeared from history as they assimilated into other cultures.