HISTORYHISTORY —PASTANDPERSPECTIVE InconfrontingtheHunsunder Attila,themanknownas“thelast Roman”ledtheremnantforcesof The BatBattletle of Westerncivilizationagainstthe rampagingbarbarianhorde. by Charles Scaliger Chalons he citizens of Orleans lay prostrate in the streets,prayingforamiracle.Men,women, T andchildrenweptandbeggedtheGodofna- tionstodeliverthemfromthegreatestcalamityyoung Christendomhadyetwitnessed.Inthedistance,theter- rifyingsoundsofsiegewarfare—theincessantcrash ofstonesandothermissileslaunchedbycatapults,the thumpoframstestingthewallsandgatesofthecity, andthehowlingofanenemyhostthatwouldshow neitherrestraintnorclemency—warnedofimminent catastrophe.InsidethewallsofOrleans,thousandsof peace-lovingcitizenspreparedfortheworst.Outside thewalls,onthevergeofforcingamajorbreachinthe city’smeagerdefenses,weretheHuns. LatelyledbytheemperorAttila,theself-styled “ScourgeofGod,”theHunswerenostrangerstothe newlyChristianizedrealmsoftheeasternandwestern Romanempire.TheirarrivalinthevicinityoftheCas- pianSeafromthefastnessesofCentralAsianearlya centuryearlierhadsetinmotionachainofeventsthat devastatedtheagingRomanEmpire. ThepreciseoriginoftheHunsisuncertain.They weremostlikelythesameastheHsiung-nu,apower- fulTurkicpeopleconqueredanddrivenoutofChina duringtheHanDynasty.DrivingtheGoths,Alans, andotherGermanicpeoplesbeforethem,theypushed intoEuropeinthefourthcentury,subduingnumerous tribeswiththeirsuperiorcompositebowsandextraor- dinarybattlefieldmobility. TheHuns’reputationforferocitydrovetheGoths westwardtotheDanube,wheretheyaskedtheEastern RomanEmperorValensforasylumwithinRomanter- ritory.Valensreluctantlygrantedthemleavetoenter theempire,andtheGothspouredovertheDanubeand settledonimperialsoil. TheabruptarrivaloftheGothswithinRomanterri- torytriggeredanunprecedentedimmigrationcrisisfor Rome.ConflictbetweentherestlessGothsandtheir Romanoverlordsledeventuallytothemonumental Attila at banquet: “The attendant of Attila first entered with a dish full of BattleofHadrianoplein378A.D.,inwhichtheGoths meat, and behind him came the other attendants with bread and viands…. andtheiralliesannihilatedmostoftheRomanmili- A luxurious meal, served on silver plate, had been made ready for us … tary,includingtheEasternEmperorValens. but Attila ate nothing but meat on a wooden trencher. In everything else, AfterHadrianople,theGothsbecamepermanent too, he showed himself temperate; his cup was of wood, while to the andunwantedresidentsinCentralandWesternEu- guests were given goblets of gold and silver.” — Priscus at the Court of Attila the Hun, 448 A.D. CharlesScaligerisateacherandfreelancewriter. 34 THE NEW AMERICAN • JULY 9, 2007 rope.ItwasaGothichostunderthelead- ershipofAlaricthatthricebesiegedthe EternalCity,finallysackingRomein410 A.D. AnothertribeofGermanicbarbarians drivenwestward,theVandals,ledbythe formidableGaiseric,wrestedNorthAfrica fromtheRomans,destroyingalargepor- tionoftheRomanMediterraneanfleetin theprocess. Throughallthesehorrendousdepreda- tions,theWesternRomanEmpiresome- howlivedon,althoughgreatlydiminished. BytheearlyfifthcenturyRome,increas- inglyisolatedfromtheEasternEmpire anditscapitalConstantinople,controlled withcertaintyonlytheItalianpeninsula, althoughshestillenjoyednominalsov- ereigntyoverportionsofGaul,Belgium, andtheeasternshoreoftheAdriaticSea. Barbarian warlord: Attila “sought to subdue the foremost nations of the world — the TherestofformerlyRomanwesternEu- Romans and Visigoths. His army is said to have numbered 500,00 0 men. He was a man ropewasinthehandsofvariousGerman- born into the world to shake the nations, the scourge of all lands.” ictribes,whilemostofnorthcentraland — Roman historian Jordanes, 551 A.D. easternEurope,extendingfaroutbeyond theVolgaRiver,groanedundertheover- risentotheofficeof magistermilitum ,or Vandals,andHuns—againstoneanoth- lordshipoftheHuns. supremecommanderofthemilitaryforces er,topreventanyofthemfromachieving intheWest.Nicknamed“thelastRoman” completehegemony,orforminganirre- Rise of Attila bysomeauthorities,Aetiuswasthelast sistibleallianceagainstRome. In432A.D.,theHunnicemperorRugila majorfigure(intheWesternEmpire,at For a time, the strategy appeared to died,leavingcontrolofhisvastdominions least)toembodythemilitaryvirtuesof work.In450A.D.,however,thedelicate toAttilaandBleda,thesonsofhisbrother ancientRome. balanceofpowerbegantoerode.Attila Mundzuk.Undertheirunitedguidance, Having lived for many years among announcedhisintentionofattackingthe theHunslaunchedcampaignsagainstSas- theGothsasahostage,Aetiuswasthor- Visigothsandsecuredtheapprovalofboth sanidPersia,inwhichtheywereeventual- oughlyfamiliarwiththemilitarytacticsof theWesternEmperorValentinianIIIand lyrepulsed,andintosoutheasternEurope thebarbarians.Foryears,itwashisable Aetiustodoso. againsttheEasternRomanEmpire,where leadershipthatsomehowkepttheforces But then trouble arose from a com- theyspreaddesolationacrosstheBalkans atbaythatdismemberedtheempireafter pletelyunexpectedsource.Honoria,the andThrace,penetratingGreeceasfaras hislifetime. impulsive,strong-willedsisteroftheweak Thermopylaebeforeacceptingtributary ButAetiuswasshrewdenoughtorec- emperor,hadconductedanillicitcourt peace terms from the Eastern Emperor ognizethelimitedresourcesathisdispos- affairthepreviousyear,inconsequence TheodosiusII. al.TheRomanstatebythistimeexisted ofwhichherbrother,afterexecutingher Sometimeafter440,Attilaappearsto inlittlemorethannameonly;thenoble lover,hadthrownheroutofthepalaceand havemurderedBledaandassumedsole culturethathadhelpedtocivilizemuchof forcedherintoanunwantedengagement commandoftheHunnicstate.Underhis theknownworldinformercenturieshad withasenator.Honoriabridledatsuch rule,theHunswereunquestionablythesu- longsincefadedawayunder premepowerinEurope,extortingheavy therelentlessassaultoffor- annualtributefromtheEasternRoman(or eigninvaders,economicruin, The most powerful man in the Western Byzantine)Empireandgatheringunder andmoraldecline.Manyof Roman Empire was the general Flavius theircontroldozensoftribesfromCentral Rome’s remaining legions EuropetotheUralRiver. were largely populated by Aetius, the supreme commander of the TheenfeebledWesternRomanEmpire mercenaries,andthegovern- military. Nicknamed “the last Roman” by watchedAttila’sascendancywithgrow- mentwashoneycombedwith ing alarm. The most powerful man in double-dealing and outright some authorities, he was the last major theWestinthoseyearswasthegeneral treason. figure in the Western Empire to embody FlaviusAetius,sometimeasp iranttothe Undersuchcircumstances, throne,who,underthepatronageofthe Aetiuswasforcedtoplaypo- the military virtues of ancient Rome. Romanqueen-regentGallaPlacidia,had tentialfoes—theVisigoths, THE NEW AMERICAN • JULY 9, 2007 35 HISTORYHISTORY —PASTANDPERSPECTIVE totheHuns.Imitatingthefirst Caesar five centuries before, theHunsconstructedapontoon bridge across the Rhine, and poured unimpeded into Gaul andBelgium. Fewsuperlativesareadequate todescribethehorrorsthatfol- lowedastheHunsandtheiral- liessweptacrosstherichcoun- trysideofnorthwesternEurope, burningandslaying.Theutter desolationofMetzinApril451 iscapturedinhistorianEdward Gibbon’sellipticalprose: [The Huns] involved, in a promiscuous massacre, the priests who served at the altar,andtheinfants,who,in To the victor go the spoils: Attila and his Huns pillage a Roman manor during the Italian campaign. thehourofdanger,hadbeen providently baptized by the bishop; the flourishing city treatmentbyherfeeble-mindedbrother, asubstantialdowryincludinghalfofthe wasdeliveredtotheflames,anda whomsheclearlydeemedunfittorule.In WesternEmpire.WhenanincensedValen- solitarychapelofSt.Stephenmarked springof450,shesentalettertoAttila, tinianrefused,Attilamadeplanstoinvade theplacewhereit[i.e.,thecityof importuninghimtorescueherfromher Gaultoseizehisclaimeddowrybyforce Metz]hadstood. situation.Whethertheletterwasinfact ofarms. aproposalofmarriagetothelordofthe Rheims, Amiens, Cambrai, and many Hunsisnotclear.ButAttilainterpreted Invasion othernotabletownsandcitiesintheregion itassuch,sinceHonoriaenclosedaring Aetius, alarmed at these developments, followed.Parisalonewasspared,thanks, withtheletter. knewthathislegionscouldnothopeto itissaid,totheprayersandpietyofSt. WhatimpulsecouldhavemovedHono- defendRomeagainstthecombinedmight Genevieve. riatosuchanactisdifficulttoimagine. oftheHunnichordeandthehostofGer- Sometimeintheearlysummerofthat She must have known of the barbaric manicallies—theGepids,Alans,Ostro- darkyear,thearmyofAttilaarrivedbefore customsoftheHuns,andthatshewould goths,andBurgundiansamongthem— therecentlystrengthenedwallsofOrleans bemerelyoneofmanywivesinAttila’s marchingunderAttila’sstandard.Aetius andapparentlylaidsiegetotheterrified seraglio.Moreover,Attilahimselfwasre- andValentinianappealedtoTheodoric,the city(althoughsomeauthoritiesbelievethe nownedforhisbrutaldispositionandfear- kingoftheVisigoths,forhelp.“He[At- citywassparedtherigorsofasiegebythe someappearance.AccordingtoJordanes, tila]measureshisambitionbyhismight,” arrivalofAetiuswithhisGothicallies). themostimportantchroniclerofAttila’s theywrote.“Licensesatisfieshispride. OntheauthorityofGibbonandthebulkof lifeandtimes(althoughnotacontempo- Despisinglawandright,heshowshimself receivedtradition,however,thecityheld rary),theHunleaderwas anenemytoNatureherself.Andthushe, out,undertheleadershipoftheirpeerless whoclearlyisthecommonfoeofeach, bishopAnianus,amanof“primitivesanc- shortofstature,withabroadchest deservesthehatredofall.” tityandconsummateprudence,”who,an- and a large head; his eyes were TothisletterTheodoricrespondedfa-