Attila The Hun Research Paper

Attila the Hun was the feared and ruthless leader of the nomadic people known as the Huns from 435 CE until his death in 453 CE. Living in the Hungarian Plains, Attila and the Huns controlled the Western and Eastern frontier of the Roman Empire. During his reign, he invaded the empire on several occasions. Attila the Hun was the one responsible for bringing the Huns to their greatest strength and who posed the greatest threat to the Roman Empire. During his first few years of his reign, he had been apart of a diarchy with his brother, Bleda, until his untimely death in 444 CE. During his reign over the Hunnic Empire, he crossed the Danube river twice and raided the Balkans twice. Both times he went, he was unable to conquer Constantinople, the largest and wealthiest European

In 450 CE, he turned his attention toward the Western Roman Empire. One of Attila’s motivations for attacking the west was for one, the Western Roman Empire’s military weakness. Another was the case of Honoria, the sister of Western Roman Emperor, Valentinian. Honoria had sent Attila a ring to avoid being forced to marry a senator. Attila instead took the message as a proposal of marriage and demanded that Honoria be turned over and given half the Western Empire (Frassetto). Attila continued on his warpath for his last few years before his death. Attila entered Gaul with a large army. After capturing Gaul, between 450 and 451 CE, he went on a campaign raiding important cities of Cologne, Metz, Reims, Strasbourg, and Tier. In 452, Attila planned his greatest invasion since his time with the Eastern Roman Empire. Attila led his armies through Italy, completely destroying major cities like Milan and Pavia and threatened the city of Rome. Attila had plans of setting up a court in Italy. According to tradition, Attila was forced to go stop and go away from Italy by Pope Leo I and apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, threatening him to