THE HUNS

The Huns Imparator of Attila Is Not Barbaric



The Huns Imparator of Attila Is Not Barbaric

In 376 A.D. the barbarians north of the Danube turned to their civilized rival, the Romans, and begged for protection. For a far more barbaric tribe was coming. Perhaps no other people have struck greater fear in the west than the Huns. In the end of the fourth century the Huns seemed to have materialized out of nowhere and crushed they way into the Hungarian plains. From there they extended their domains south of the Danube River, into Gaul and then northern Italy, leaving a trail of destruction and terror wherever they went.

The Huns were nomads from the Central Asian Steppes, but their exact Origins of the Huns remain a mystery. It is often said that they were remnants of the Xiong Nu, which were driven west by the Chinese, but there are no solid evidence to prove this is true, other than the fact that the Huns appeared right after the Xiong Nu dissapeared. Even if this was so, the Hunnic "Empire" was very diverse in its people, as they subjegated a variety of cultures and brought them all under the control of one nobility. Because of their origins, the language of the Huns has been suggested to be Turkic, but there are also evidences that point to the usage of Germanic languages, native to the lands that the Huns conquered.

Accounts vaguely suggest that the huns had already settled in the area north west of the Caspian Sea as early as the 3rd century. Around 370 A.D. the Huns moved west and destroyed their neighboring Alans. They continued westward and destroyed the sedentary Ostrogothic kingdom of Eramanarich, inducing widespread panic into Europe. At around the same time, another Hun force crossed the Caucasus and ravaged Armenia, penetrating as far as Syria. The story of the Huns begins here, when their ferocity has finally earned them a place in the chronicles.

Although the Huns soon became a prominent force in Europe, they did not have the political unity to stage a massive and serious campaign. More often than not, the Huns before Attila were a loose confederation of many kings rather than an empire. There existed the title of "high king" but few of such rank had the competence to control all of the Huns. For the most part the Huns attacked and operated in separately commanded groups without a unified objective.

At some time around 430 Rua became the King of the Hun confederation. He forged an alliance with Gallo-Roman warlord, Aetius, and aided him greatly in his quest for supremacy in the West. (Aetius was a childhood time friend of the Huns and would later be a significant figure when the Huns invade). Rua, however had far greater ambitions. In 434 he planned a massive invasion against the Eastern Roman Empire. But as he was about to set out he was struck by lightning. For a while, the Romans rejoiced, but little did they ...