Attila (c. 406 – 453), king of the Huns and often referred to as the "Scourge of God", invaded Europe between 441 and 452.
In Attila's boyhood, the Huns comprised a group of nomadic people living to the east of the Volga River in separate tribes. Rua united them under his sole kingship by 432. In 434, Attila, the nephew of Rua, gained control over all Hun tribes together with his brother Bleda, whom he murdered in 445.
The Hun forces invaded the Balkans in 441, while Vandal and Persian conflicts preoccupied the Roman armies. After a short period of peace, Attila invaded Gaul with an army reputed to be half a million strong. He was encouraged in this by Honoria, the sister of the western Roman emperor Valentinian III, who was exiled to Constantinople for (allegedly for infidelity); she offered to marry Attila if he deposed her brother.
Despite his fearsome reputation, Attila was defeated by Aetius ("last of the Romans") with Visigothic and Burgundian allies at the Battle of Chalons in 451. Blocked in Gaul, Attila then invaded Italy in 452. He withdrew from capturing Rome, possibly because of shortages of goods and a pestilence, though according to tradition because a meeting with Pope Leo I the Great awed him.
The main source for information on Attila is Priscus a historian who traveled with Maximin on an embassy from Theodosius II, the Eastern Roman emperor. He describes the village the nomadic Huns had built and settled down in as the size of the great city with solid wooden walls. He described Attila himself as:
- "short of stature, with a broad chest and a large head; his eyes were small, his beard thin and sprinkled with gray; and he had a flat nose and a swarthy complexion, showing the evidences of his origin."
The other important source for Attila is Jordanes' The origin and deeds of the Goths.
Attila died from a nasal hemorrhage on his wedding night to his newest bride but the rumour that she murdered him is without foundation. His sons divided his empire amongst themselves. After his death, he lived on as a legendary figure: the character of Etzel in the Nibelungenlied (or Atli in the Volsunga Saga) possibly represented Attila.
The name Attila may mean "Little Father" in Gothic (atta "father" plus diminutive suffix -la) as many Goths were known to serve under Attila. It could also be of pre-Turkish (Altaic) origin (compare it with Atatürk and Alma-Ata, now called Almaty). It most probably originates from atta ("father") and il ("land"), meaning "Land-Father". Atil was also the Altaic name of the present-day Volga river which may have given its name to Attila.
"Attila" and "Ildikó" (Attila married Ildikó just before he died) still feature as popular names in Hungary and Turkey(Attila only).
External link
- A reconstructed portrait of Attila the Hun by Marco Bakker: Reportret: Attila the Hun.
Related facts
Atilla The Hun (sometimes rendered as "Attila the Hun") was the name taken by a prominent Calypso music performer; see Atilla The Hun (singer)