Attila the Hun

Attila the Hun was the Ruler of the Hunnic Empire from 434 CE until he his death in 453 CE.
Under his Rule, the Huns pursued continual invasions of the Roman Empire.

In 434 CE, Attila and his brother, Bleda, inherited the Hunnic Empire from their father, Rugila.
They then proceeded with the Hunnic Invasion of the Eastern Roman Empire between 434-445 CE, followed by the Hunnic Invasion of the Western Roman Empire between 451-2 CE.

In 435 CE, Attila and Bleda meet at Margus Pozarevac Serbia, and conclude a successful Treaty with the Legates of Theodosius II.
The Romans agreed to return Hunnic political refugees, pay double the previous Tribute of 350 Roman Pounds in Gold per annum, (ie 700 Roman pounds), pay 8 Solidi for the return of each Roman Prisoner, and open up to Trade with Hunnic merchants.
Theodosius II used the peace to reinforce the walls of Constantinople and build its first sea wall.

Attila and Bleda then invaded the Sassanid Empire, but were defeated in Armenia.

In 440 CE Attila and Bleda then invaded the Roman Empire, crossing the Danube at Margus Pozarevac and then reduced the cities of the Province of Illyricum.

Geiseric the Vandal then invaded Africa and took Carthage. In response, Theodosius II removed the armies from the Danube and sent them to Sicily.

In 441 CE, now that Moesia Superior was devoid of Roman Armies, Attila used the Via Militaris to attack and take Viminacium, the Capital of Moesia Superior, followed by Singidunum Belgrade and Sirmium.

In 442 CE, Theodosius II recalled the armies from Sicily intending to reoccupy the Danube, but he was too late. In 443 CE he stopped paying the annual Tribute agreed in previous the Peace Treaty.

In 443 CE, Continuing down the Via Militaris, Attila and Bleda moved quickly and using siege engines, destroyed the following military cities: Ratiara and Naissus Nis in Serbia, Serdica Sofia, and Philippopolis Plovdiv in Bulgaria and Arcadiopolis Luleburgaz in Turkey.
He finally arrived outside Constantinople where he defeated the Roman Army, but was unable to breach the double walls and enter the city.
Theodosius II negotiated a new Peace Treaty but it was crippling. He agreed to a fine of 6,000 Roman pounds of Gold for ceasing to pay the Tribute agreed in the previous peace treaty. Annual Tribute was tripled to 2,100 Roman pounds of Gold. Roman prisoners were ransomed at 12 Solidi.

Bleda died during the same year, and Attila became the Leader of the Hunnic Empire.

In 447 CE, Attila invaded the Roman Empire again through Moesia and defeated the Roman Army at the Battle of Utus, on the river Vit, in Bulgaria. The road to Constantinople now lay open, instead Attila laid waste to 100 cities in Illyricum, Thrace, Moesia, Scythia, and the two Dacias, according to Callinicus of Rufinianae. Attila only turned back when he reached Thermoplylae.

Theodosius II then agreed to a peace Treaty, which included a large annual Tribute and a no man’s land of five days travel south of the Danube.

Attila was on good terms with the western Roman Emperor Valentinian III and his General Flavius Aetius. They planned to unite and invade the Visigothic kingdom of Aquitania.

Meanwhile, Honoria, sister of the Emperor Valentinian III sent Attila her engagement ring and a request for help in extricating herself from her marriage to a Roman Senator called Herculanus. Attila interpreted this as an offer of marriage and asked for the Western Roman Empire as her Dowry.
Valentinian III wrote to Attila to deny that there was any Marriage Proposal, and sent Honoria into Exile. Attila wrote to the Emperor in Ravenna that he considered the Proposal legitimate, and was coming to claim his Bride.

In 451 CE, Attila marched across the Rhine into Gallia Belgica with an army some sources have estimated at half a million men. They consisted of Gepids, Ostrogoths, Rugians, Scirians, Heruls, Thuringians, Alans, Burgundians.
On the 7th April, Attila captured Metz, followed by Rheims. Troyes was saved by Bishop Lupus’ personal entreaty, Paris was saved by St. Genevieve‘s prayers, and Tongeren was saved by the prayers of St. Servatus its Bishop.

Flavius Aetius then moved his Roman-Visigothic Army with Allied Armies from the Burgundians, Celts and Franks, up to Orleans where he met Attila’s armies.

Here the two armies met at the Battle of Chalons, and although Flavius Aetius and the Roman and Visigothic army won a strategic victory, his ally, the Visigothic King, was killed.
Losses were reported as high, between 165,000 and 300,000.
Flavius Aetius had won, but failed to pursue Attila, who retreated with the Hunnic Army back across the Rhine, to fight another day.

In 452 CE Attila, having reformed his armies, then proceeded to invade Italy, pursuing his claim of marriage with Honoria.
Aquileia was sacked amongst other cities. Venice was founded when the Roman population fled into the lagoon.
Aetius was only able to slow Attila down, but not stop him. Attila finally stopped at the river Po. Meanwhile an Eastern Roman Army had crossed the Danube and was attacking Attila’s home base. Attila decided to withdraw from Italy without besieging Rome.

In 453 CE, Attila died before he could carry out his plan for a new attack on Constantinople.
In 454 CE, the Hunnic Army was destroyed by a Confederation of German Tribes.
In 455 CE, it was Geiseric, King of the Vandals who invaded Italy and undertook the second Sack of Rome.