Attila

"Atilla" and "Attila the Hun" redirect here. For other uses, see Attila (disambiguation), Atilla (disambiguation), and Attila the Hun (disambiguation).

Attila
Gold depiction of a bearded king with a crown on his head, a sabre in his right hand and an orb in his left hand within a blue circle
King Attila (Chronicon Pictum, 1358)
King and chieftain of the Hunnic Empire
Reign434–453
PredecessorBleda and Ruga
SuccessorEllac, Dengizich, Ernak
BornUnknown date, c. 406[1]: 208 [2]: 202 
Diedc. 453 (aged 46–47)
SpouseKreka and Ildico
FatherMundzuk

Attila (/əˈtɪlə/ ə-TIL-ə[3] or /ˈætɪlə/ AT-il-ə;[4] c. 406 – 453), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central and Eastern Europe.

As nephews to Rugila, Attila and his elder brother Bleda succeeded him to the throne in 435, ruling jointly until the death of Bleda in 445. During his reign, Attila was one of the most feared enemies of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. He crossed the Danube twice and plundered the Balkans but was unable to take Constantinople. In 441, he led an invasion of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, the success of which emboldened him to invade the West.[5] He also attempted to conquer Roman Gaul (modern France), crossing the Rhine in 451 and marching as far as Aurelianum (Orléans), before being stopped in the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains.

He subsequently invaded Italy, devastating the northern provinces, but was unable to take Rome. He planned for further campaigns against the Romans but died in 453. After Attila's death, his close adviser, Ardaric of the Gepids, led a Germanic revolt against Hunnic rule, after which the Hunnic Empire quickly collapsed. Attila lived on as a character in Germanic heroic legend.[6][7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Harvey was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cooper was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Attila". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Attila". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Peterson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Reyhner, Jon (2013). "Genocide". In Danver, Steven (ed.). Native Peoples of the World: An Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures, and Contemporary Issues. Routledge. p. 732. doi:10.4324/9781315702155. ISBN 978-0765682222. OCLC 905985948.
  7. ^ Hedeager, Lotte (2011). "Historical framework: the impact of the Huns". Iron Age Myth and Materiality: An Archaeology of Scandinavia AD 400–1000. Taylor & Francis. p. 192. ISBN 978-0415606028.