There aren’t many people whose actions and life have brought astounding renown. In the case of those who have, their name, work, and stories have withstood the test of time. A lot of these people you may have heard of at some point in time, for example, Julius Caesar, one of Rome’s famous leaders. Of the many leaders and conquerors of history, there is one known as the “Scourge of God,” known for his ruthlessness, savagery, and barbaric acts, as he would overrun those who opposed him. And no, it is not Genghis Khan. Although they are somewhat similar, the “Scourge of God” came long before the famous Mongolian. The “Scourge of God” was the man Attila, leader of the Huns.
Born around 406 C.E. in Pannonia, in modern Hungary, Attila was the nephew of Rugila, King of the Huns. When Rugila died, around 435 C.E., Attila and his brother Bleda were appointed joint rulers.1 However, ten years later, Attila killed Bleda.2 No one knows exactly how or why Attila killed his brother, but many say it was on a hunting trip when an argument between the two might have escalated, and Attila, tired of sharing the throne, slew his brother. Attila was then in sole command of the Huns, and at this point he began his rampage across central Asia and into the Roman Empire, seeking to build his own empire.
The Romans were particularly concerned about the Huns, and rightly so, as the Huns were skilled warriors, primarily consisting of cavalry. After Attila’s uncle died and he took the mantle, he knew that he had to end the usage of the Hunnish people by the Romans. As a result of negotiating, the Romans had conceded to Hun demands and paid a tribute to the Huns! Attila expanded his empire at the expense of the Romans, raiding and plundering their cities as if he were some sort of pirate. He was known as the “Scourge of God” for his ferocious and cunning nature.3 But what exactly did they mean by the “Scourge of God?” The Romans thought that Attila’s invasions and attacks were an affliction or punishment from God, who was calling them to get right with Him. The Roman Empire had recently turned to Christianity, following the conversion of Emperor Constantine in the previous century. In the wake of Rome’s sack by the Visigoths in 410, Christian Rome was awash in apocalyptic interpretations of its plight. It is said that the Romans believed Attila to be one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The four horsemen are said to represent Conquest, Famine, Death, and War. At the time of Attila’s raids and expansion of his empire, the eastern Romans were also facing plagues and famines. Also during this period, the eastern Romans faced the effects of a fierce earthquake, which destroyed parts of their cities. The Roman people began to interpret these things as the beginning of the end as foretold in the Book of Revelations.4
Attila’s raids and the formation of the Hunnic Empire helped hasten the fall of the Roman Empire in its western half.5 You could imagine that the people of Rome became distressed at the fact that neither they nor their government could do anything to stop Attila. The scourge stomped his way into central Europe wreaking havoc and displaying his authority. Attila may have been seen as a warmonger to the people of Rome, but to his own people, he actually wasn’t so bad. He is said to have been a fair and generous leader with his people; he also didn’t impose taxes on them.6
The barbaric rage of Attila eventually slowed down when he invaded Gaul around 451 C.E. He was met by Roman general Flavius Aetius, who was aided by Visigoths under their king, Theodoric I. This led to Attila’s defeat in the great Battle of Chalons, from which he lost a great amount of men and was forced to retreat.7 Defeated, Attila and his forces had no other choice but to sit back and recover from the casualties from their last battle. Once they regained some of their strength, Attila decided to divert his focus to Italy, where he devastated some of its cities. When Attila came to Rome, it is noted that he had a meeting with Pope Leo (the Great), where the Pope was able to persuade him to spare them. Attila then led his armies out of Italy.8 It is thought that the “Scourge of God” supported the development of various stories about saints who protected their cities, in this case, somewhat boosting Pope Leo’s own favor.9
After his defeat at Chalons, and his sparing of Rome, Attila was no longer seen as intimidating as he once had been. He returned to the region of the lower Danube, where he apparently remarried. The “Scourge of God” was found dead in 453 C.E. in his bed after a party, where his newlywed wife also laid. There remains only speculations as to how Attila truly died, but he was mourned greatly by his people. Eventually, the confederation of tribes that Attila had brought together grew restless under the rule of Attila’s sons, and those tribes began to dispersed, ending the “Scourge” so dreaded by so many.10
- Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, January 2017, s.v. “Attila the Hun,” by John D. Windhausen. ↵
- Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, January 2017, s.v. “Attila the Hun,” by John D. Windhausen. ↵
- The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Ancient Rome, 2002, s.v. “Attila” by Don Nardo. ↵
- Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, January 2017, s.v. “Attila the Hun,” by John D. Windhausen. ↵
- Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, January 2017, s.v. “Attila the Hun,” by John D. Windhausen. ↵
- Gale Encyclopedia of World History: Governments, 2008, s.v. “Hunnic Empire.” ↵
- Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2016, s.v. “Atilla.” ↵
- The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Ancient Rome, 2002, s.v. “Attila,” by Don Nardo. ↵
- Michael Whitby, “Attila the Hun, Barbarian Terror and the fall of the Roman Empire,” The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 100 (2010): 344. ↵
- Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, January 2017, s.v. “Attila the Hun,” by John D. Windhausen. ↵
32 comments
Luis Morales
The story of Attila the Hun has always been fascinating, and this article just goes a step further. It was interesting learning the facts that made Attila so memorable during his time. I have always been told of how ruthless Attila was, but never that his people actually thought he wasn’t so bad. He is said to have been a fair and generous leader with his people; he also didn’t impose taxes on them. This was a great article.
Julian Aguero
I just learned how fascinating of a person Attila was, great article! It’s amazing that he was so feared and powerful that people actually thought he was apart of the apocalypse. Even the Romans couldn’t handle the wrath of Attila. I’m sure the natural disasters at the time enforced peoples thought of Attila being one of the four horseman. I also found it fascinating that Pope Leo actually persuaded attest to spare his city, I am sure that truly seemed like a gift from god. Attila seems like a very complex person because he was loved by his people and treated them well. On the contrary, he was the “Scourge of God.”
Iris Henderson
“The Scourge of God” was an interesting leader to learn about. I am glad that I am not alone in confusing Attila and Ghengis Khan. Now I certainly wont mix up the two. As ferocious as a leader that Attila was it was refreshing to learn that he was at least good to his people, to the point that they mourned his death greatly. Also, the fact that Pope Leo convinced him to spare them speaks loudly to the leader he must have been.
Kayla Lopez
In previous history classes I have heard about the Huns but I was unaware about Attila, or otherwise known as the Scourge of God because it was believed that the invasions led by him were punishments from God. It is so shocking how a great amount of well-known people from this time period came to power at the cost of another person’s life; in this case it would be the cost of Bleda, Attila’s brother.
Jason Garcia
Amazing article, It tells of the “scourge of God” side of the Huns and the rumored nature of how they attacked and pillaged the “innocent”, but at the same time, it tells from the point of view of Attila and his devotion to his people. Super interesting to see both sides of this period of history. Along with his origins and how he came to power. One of the best articles on Attila I have read.
Brandon Martinez
I’ve never knew too much information about the Huns except basic things like who they were and what they did. The article gives great backstory to these warriors and explains why they were such skilled warriors and what happened before they created chaos throughout the world. They came from a troubling time and place, but happened to gain so much power and influence in the world. Attila is one of the greatest military leaders and it was very interesting to learn more about him.
Edgar Ramon
GREAT post, it covers one of my favorite figures in global history, Attila. Two things fascinate me about this type of figure in particular. It is how Attila the Hun and figures like him, that were extremely feared, were then thought to be punishments sent by God. I instantly compared Attila, and the Roman rumors that he was a horseman of the apocalypse, with the later infamous Black Beard. Black Beard was also believed to be a demon of some kind, and he only fed this fear, by setting his beard afire. Secondly, it is how Pope Leo convinced Attila to spare him. Not only that, but have him acknowledge that the saints aided him in his battles. This is one of many stories of, if not conversion, a certain pull towards it that many historical people’s went through. Even the Vikings at some time, and the barbarians. It is interesting to think about how they were convinced.
Jose Figueroa
Living in infamy for his ruthlessness, I was surprised to find out he was seen as good by his people and even had mercy on the Pope. It is pretty amazing that despite his savagery, he was still able to keep in check the people that he had destroyed. My favorite part was finding that his nickname “the scourge of God,” stemmed from the fact the Romans believed he was the beginning of an apocalypse. This article was very informative, thank you!
Joshua Castro
This article was packed with detail describing not only Attila’s life, but how he appeared to others as well. Prior to reading this article, I thought that Attila showed violence and anger to all that crossed his path and was surprised that he was a caring leader towards his own people. I was also intrigued that Attila’s actions were seen as destructive enough to consider him to be a punishment from God. This provides us with the perfect perspective of those who faced his wrath.
Hector Garcia
After reading this article, I was amazed on how Attila the Hun was a military leader who persisted on expanding the Hun empire. Although ruthless and ferocious in battle, he was well-liked by his people for being a “fair and generous” ruler. Even after suffering heavy casualties in a battle against the Romans and the Visigoths, he managed to lay waste to several cities in Italy. The only thing that took me by surprise was that Attila decided to spared Rome and left Italy soon after.