Attila: Difference between revisions
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--[[Special:Contributions/204.116.120.130|204.116.120.130]] ([[User talk:204.116.120.130|talk]]) 16:29, 5 December 2008 (UTC)WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWwwwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTtEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEv |
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{{Infobox Monarch |
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| name = Attila the Hun |
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| title = [[List of Hunnish rulers|(King of the Huns]]), as seen in [[Chronicon Pictum]] |
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| image = [[Image:Attila-ChroniconPictum.jpg|250px]] |
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| reign = 434–453 |
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| coronation = |
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| clan = Dulo |
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| predecessor = [[Bleda]] & [[Rugila]] |
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| successor = [[Ellac]] |
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| heir = |
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| consort = |
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| issue = |
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| royal house = |
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| royal anthem = |
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| father = [[Mundzuk]] |
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| mother = |
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| date of birth = 406 |
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| place of birth = Pannonia |
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| date of death = 453 |
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| place of death = Jazberin |
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| place of burial = |
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}} |
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'''Attila''' (406 – 453), also known as '''Attila the Hun''' or the '''Scourge of God''', was leader of the [[Huns]] from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the [[Hunnic Empire]] which stretched from [[Germany]] to the [[Ural River]] and from the [[Danube| River Danube]] to the [[Baltic Sea]] (see map below). During his |
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rule he was one of the most fearsome of the Western and Eastern [[Roman Empire]]s' enemies: he invaded the [[Balkans]] twice, he marched through [[Gaul]] (modern [[France]]) as far as [[Orleans]] before being defeated at the [[Battle of Chalons]]. He refrained from attacking either [[Constantinople]] or [[Rome]]. His propaganda, that the [[Sword of Attila]] had come to his hand by miraculous means, was reported by the Roman [[Priscus]]. |
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Freakyfreaky a word!!1<math>--~~~~Insert formula here[[Media:[[Image:Example.ogg]] |
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In much of [[Western Europe]], he is remembered as the epitome of cruelty and rapacity. In contrast, some histories and [[Chronicle]]s lionize him as a great and noble king, and he plays major roles in three [[Norsemen|Norse]] [[saga]]s. |
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== [Headline text][[''Link title''''' |
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''']] == |
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==Background== |
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]]</math> |
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{{main|Huns}} |
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The origin of the [[Huns]] has been the subject of debate for centuries; however it can be said with general agreement that they may have been a confederation of [[Central Asian]] and [[Europe]]an tribes, many of them nomadic horsemen. Many experts think they may have been [[Turkic people]], descended from the [[Xiongnu]] tribes that menaced [[China]] as early as the 5th century BC. The first emperor of China, [[Qin Shi Huangdi]], built part of the [[Great Wall]] to keep the Xiongnu out. |
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Their united power appeared or began to form in Europe in the 400s. They achieved military superiority over their neighbours by their readiness for battle, unusual mobility, and weapons, including the [[composite bow]]. |
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==Shared kingship== |
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[[Image:Huns empire.png|thumb|300px|left|The [[Hunnic Empire]] stretched from the [[steppe]]s of Central Asia into modern [[Germany]], and from the River Danube to the Baltic Sea - albeit not simultaneously, as the Huns first appeared in Southern Russia and later moved to Central Europe]] |
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The death of [[Rugila]] (also known as Rua or Ruga) in 434 left his nephews Attila Dragomer and Bleda (also known as Buda), the sons of his brother [[Mundzuk]], in control over all the united Hun tribes. At the time of their accession, the Huns were [[bargaining]] with Byzantine emperor [[Theodosius II]]'s envoys over the return of several [[wikt:renegade|renegade]]s (possibly Hunnic nobles not in agreement with the brothers' leadership) who had taken refuge within the [[Byzantine Empire]]. The following year Attila and Bleda met with the imperial legation at Margus (present-day [[Pozarevac|Požarevac]]) and, all seated on horseback in the Hunnic manner, negotiated a successful [[treaty]]: the Romans agreed not only to return the fugitives, but also to double their previous tribute of 350 Roman pounds (ca. 114.5 kg) of gold, open their markets to Hunnish traders, and pay a ransom of eight ''[[solidus (coin)|solidi]]'' for each Roman taken prisoner by the Huns. The Huns, satisfied with the treaty, decamped from the empire and returned to their home in the Hungarian Great Plain, perhaps to consolidate and strengthen their empire. Theodosius used this opportunity to strengthen the [[walls of Constantinople]], building the city's first [[sea wall]], and to build up his border defences along the [[Danube]]. After a few years of shared kingship, Attila arranged a hunting accident for his brother, and became the sole ruler of the Huns. |
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The Huns remained out of Roman sight for the next few years as a Hunnic force invaded the [[Persian Empire]]. A defeat in [[Armenia]] by the [[Sassanid Empire|Sassanid]] [[Persians]] caused them to abandon this attempt and return their attentions to Europe. In 440 they reappeared in force on the borders of the Roman Empire, attacking the merchants at the market on the north bank of the Danube River that had been established by the treaty. Crossing the Danube River, they laid waste to [[Illyria]]n cities and forts on the river, among them, according to [[Priscus]], [[Viminacium]], which was a city of the [[Moesian]]s in Illyria. Their advance began at Margus, for when the Romans discussed handing over the offending bishop, he slipped away secretly to the Huns and betrayed the city to them. |
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As Theodosius had conquered the river's defences, the [[Vandals]], under the leadership of [[Geiseric]], captured the Western Roman province of Africa with its capital of [[Carthage]] in 440 and the [[Sassanid Empire|Sassanid]] [[Shah]] [[Yazdegerd II of Persia|Yazdegerd II]] invaded [[Armenia]] in 441. Stripping the Balkan defenses of forces requested by the West Romans, in order to launch an attack on the Vandals in Africa (which was the richest province of the Western empire and a main source of the food supply of Rome) left Attila and Bleda a clear path through Illyria into the Balkans, which they invaded in 441. The Hunnish army, having sacked Margus and Viminacium, took [[Singidunum]] (modern [[Belgrade]]) and [[Sirmium]] before halting. A lull followed in 442 and during this time Theodosius recalled his troops from [[Sicily]] and ordered a large new issue of coins to finance operations against the Huns. Having made these preparations, he thought it safe to refuse the Hunnish kings' demands. |
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Attila responded with a [[Military campaign|campaign]] in 443. Striking along the Danube, the Huns overran the military centres of [[Ratiara]] and successfully besieged Naissus (modern [[Niš]]) with [[battering ram]]s and rolling siege towers—military sophistication that was new to the Hun repertoire—then pushing along the [[Nisava]] they took Serdica ([[Sofia]]), Philippopolis ([[Plovdiv]]), and [[Arcadiopolis]]. They encountered and destroyed the Roman army outside Constantinople and were stopped by the double walls of the Eastern capital. A second army was defeated near Callipolis (modern Gallipoli) and Theodosius, now without any armed forces to respond, admitting defeat, sent the court official Anatolius to negotiate peace terms, which were harsher than the previous treaty: the Emperor agreed to hand over 6,000 Roman pounds (ca. 1,963 kg) of gold as punishment for having disobeyed the terms of the treaty during the invasion; the yearly tribute was tripled, rising to 2,100 Roman pounds (ca. 687 kg) in gold; and the ransom for each Roman prisoner rose to 12 ''solidi''. |
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Their demands met for a time, the Hun kings withdrew into the interior of their empire. According to [[Jordanes]] (following [[Priscus]]), sometime during the peace following the Huns' withdrawal from Byzantium (probably around 445), Bleda died (killed by his brother, according to the classical sources), and Attila took the throne for himself.<ref>[http://www29.homepage.villanova.edu/christopher.haas/embassy.htm Priscus of Panium: fragments from the Embassy to Attila]</ref> |
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==Sole ruler== |
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[[Image:MorThanFeastofAttila.jpg|thumb|right|[[Mór Than]]'s painting ''The Feast of Attila'', based on a fragment of [[Priscus]] (depicted at right, dressed in white and holding his history):<br> <small>"When evening began to draw in, torches were lighted, and two barbarians came forward in front of Attila the Hun have been having the time of their life by dane and sang songs which they had composed, hymning his victories and his great deeds in war. And the banqueters gazed at them, and some were rejoiced at the songs, others became excited at heart when they remembered the wars, but others broke into tears—those whose bodies were weakened by time and whose spirit was compelled to be at rest.</small>]] |
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In 447 Attila again rode south into the empire through [[Moesia]]. The [[Roman military history|Roman army]] under the [[Goths|Gothic]] ''[[magister militum]]'' [[Arnegisclus]] met him in the [[Battle of the Utus]] and was defeated, though not without inflicting heavy losses. The Huns were left unopposed and rampaged through the Balkans as far as [[Thermopylae]]. Constantinople itself was saved by the intervention of the prefect [[Flavius Constantinus]] who organized the reconstruction of the walls that had been previously damaged by earthquakes, and, in some places, to construct a new line of fortification in front of the old. An account of this invasion survives: |
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{{quote|"The barbarian nation of the Huns, which was in [[Thrace]], became so great that more than a hundred cities were captured and Constantinople almost came into danger and most men fled from it. … And there were so many murders and blood-lettings that the dead could not be numbered. Ay, for they took captive the [[churches]] and [[monasteries]] and slew the monks and maidens in great numbers." |
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|Callinicus, in his ''Life of Saint Hypatius''}} |
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==Attila in the west== |
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In 450 Attila had proclaimed his intent to attack the powerful [[Visigoth]] kingdom of [[Toulouse]], making an [[military alliance|alliance]] with Emperor [[Valentinian III]] in order to do so. He had previously been on good terms with the Western Roman Empire and its ''[[de facto]]'' ruler [[Flavius Aetius|Flavius Aëtius]]. Aëtius had spent a brief [[exile]] among the Huns in 433, and the troops Attila provided against the [[Goths]] and [[Bagaudae]] had helped earn him the largely honorary title of ''magister militum'' in the west. The gifts and diplomatic efforts of [[Geiseric]], who opposed and feared the Visigoths, may also have influenced Attila's plans. |
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However Valentinian's sister was [[Justa Grata Honoria|Honoria]], who, in order to escape her forced betrothal to a [[Roman Senate|Roman senator]], had sent the Hunnish king a plea for help – and her [[engagement ring]] – in the spring of 450. Though Honoria may not have intended a proposal of marriage, Attila chose to interpret her message as such. He accepted, asking for half of the western Empire as [[dowry]]. When Valentinian discovered the plan, only the influence of his mother [[Galla Placidia]] convinced him to exile, rather than kill, Honoria. He also wrote to Attila strenuously denying the legitimacy of the supposed marriage proposal. Attila, not convinced, sent an emissary to [[Ravenna]] to proclaim that Honoria was innocent, that the proposal had been legitimate, and that he would come to claim what was rightfully his. |
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[[Image:Attila in Gaul 451CE.svg|left|300 px|thumb|The general path of the Hun forces in the invasion of Gaul, leading up to the [[Battle of Chalons]].]] |
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Attila also interfered in a succession struggle after the death of a Frankish ruler. Attila |
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supported the elder son, while Aëtius supported the younger.<ref>The location and identity of these kings is not known and subject to conjecture.</ref> |
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Attila gathered his [[vassal]]s—[[Gepids]], [[Ostrogoths]], [[Rugians]], [[Scirians]], [[Heruls]], [[Thuringians]], [[Alans]], [[Burgundians]], among others and began his march west. In 451 he arrived in [[Belgica]] with an army exaggerated by Jordanes to half a million strong. [[J.B. Bury]] believes that Attila's intent, by the time he marched west, was to extend his kingdom – already the strongest on the continent – across [[Gaul]] to the [[Atlantic Ocean]].<ref>[[J.B. Bury]], ''The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians'', lecture IX [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/bury/017.php (e-text)]</ref> |
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On [[April 7]], he captured [[Metz]]. Other cities attacked can be determined by the [[hagiographic]] ''[[Biography|vita]]e'' written to commemorate their bishops: [[Nicasius of Rheims|Nicasius]] was slaughtered before the altar of his church in [[Rheims]]; [[Servatus]] is alleged to have saved [[Tongeren]] with his prayers, as Saint [[Genevieve]] is to have saved [[Paris]].<ref>The ''vitae'' are summarized in Thomas Hodgkin, ''Italy and Her Invaders'' (New York: Russell & Russell, 1967 reprint of the original 1880–89 edition), volume II pp. 128ff.</ref> [[Lupus of Troyes|Lupus]], bishop of [[Troyes]], is also credited with saving his city by meeting Attila in person.<ref>[http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=712 St. Lupus - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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Aëtius moved to oppose Attila, gathering troops from among the [[Franks]], the [[Burgundians]], and the [[Celts]]. A mission by [[Avitus]], and Attila's continued westward advance, convinced the Visigoth king [[Theodoric I]] (Theodorid) to ally with the Romans. The combined armies reached [[Orleans]] ahead of Attila,<ref>Later accounts of the battle site the Huns either already within the city or in the midst of storming it when the Roman-Visigoth army arrived; Jordanes mentions no such thing. See Bury, ibid.</ref> thus checking and turning back the Hunnish advance. Aëtius gave chase and caught the Huns at a place usually assumed to be near Catalaunum (modern [[Châlons-en-Champagne]]). The two armies clashed in the [[Battle of Chalons]], whose outcome is commonly considered to be a [[Pyrrhic victory]] for the Visigothic-Roman alliance. Theodoric was killed in the fighting and Aëtius failed to press his advantage, according to Edward Gibbon and Edward Creasy because he feared the consequences of an overwhelming Visogothic triumph as much as he did a defeat. From Aëtius' point of view, the best outcome was what occurred: Theodoric died, Attila was in retreat and disarray, and the Romans had the benefit of appearing victorious. |
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==Invasion of Italy and death== |
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[[Image:Leoattila-Raphael.jpg|thumb|275px|right|Raphael's ''The Meeting between Leo the Great and Attila'' shows Leo I, with Saint Peter and Saint Paul above him, going to meet Attila]] |
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Attila returned in 452 to claim his marriage to Honoria anew, invading and ravaging [[Italy]] along the way. The city of [[Republic of Venice|Venice]] was founded as a result of these attacks when the residents fled to small islands in the [[Venetian Lagoon]]. His army sacked numerous cities and razed [[Aquileia]] completely, leaving no trace of it behind. Legend has it he built a castle on top of a hill north of [[Aquileia]] to watch the city burn, thus founding the town of [[Udine]], where the castle can still be found. Aëtius, who lacked the strength to offer battle, managed to harass and slow Attila's advance with only a shadow force. Attila finally halted at the [[Po River|River Po]]. By this point disease may have broken out in Attila's camp, thus helping to stop his invasion. |
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At the wish of Emperor [[Valentinian III]], [[Pope Leo I]], accompanied by the [[Consul]] [[Avienus]] and the [[Prefect]] [[Trigetius]], met Attila at [[Mincio]] in the vicinity of [[Mantua]], and obtained from him the promise that he would withdraw from Italy and negotiate peace with the emperor.<ref>{{ws|"[[s:Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Pope St. Leo I (the Great)|Pope St. Leo I (the Great)]]" in the 1913 ''Catholic Encyclopedia''}}</ref> [[Prosper of Aquitaine]] gives a short, reliable description of the historic meeting. The later anonymous account,<ref>Medieval Sourcebook, Leo I and Attila, [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/attila2.html]</ref> a pious "fable which has been represented by the pencil of [[Raphael]] and the chisel of [[Algardi]]" (as [[Edward Gibbon|Gibbon]] called it) says that the Pope, aided by [[Saint Peter]] and [[Paul of Tarsus|Saint Paul]], convinced him to turn away from the city, promising Attila that if he left in peace, one of his successors would receive a [[Holy Crown of Hungary|holy crown]].<ref>[[Chronicon Pictum]], this is the first occasion when an artist presented an [[angel]] graphically</ref> [[Priscus]] reports that superstitious fear of the fate of [[Alaric I|Alaric]]—who died shortly after sacking Rome in 410—gave him pause. |
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[[Image:Attila-PopeLeo-ChroniconPictum.jpg|thumb|275px|left|An illustration of the meeting from the [[Chronicon Pictum]], ca. 1360.]] |
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After Attila left Italy and returned to his palace across the Danube, he planned to strike at Constantinople again and reclaim the tribute which Marcian had cut off. (Marcian was the successor of Theodosius and had ceased paying tribute in late 450 while Attila was occupied in the west; multiple invasions by the Huns and others had left the Balkans with little to plunder.) However Attila died in the early months of 453. The conventional account, from [[Priscus]], says that at a feast celebrating his latest marriage to the beautiful and young [[Ildico]] (if uncorrupted, the name suggests a [[Goths|Gothic]] origin)<ref>Thompson, The Huns, p. 164.</ref> he suffered a severe [[Epistaxis|nosebleed]] and choked to death in a stupor. An alternative theory is that he succumbed to [[internal bleeding]] after heavy drinking or a condition called [[esophageal varices]], where a [[hemorrhoid]] in the lower part of the [[esophagus]] ruptures leaving the person to choke on his/her own blood. |
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Another account of his death, first recorded 80 years after the events by the Roman chronicler [[Count Marcellinus]], reports that "Attila, King of the Huns and ravager of the provinces of Europe, was pierced by the hand and blade of his wife."<ref>[[Marcellinus Comes]], ''Chronicon'' [http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/marcellinus.html (e-text)], quoted in Hector Munro Chadwick: ''The Heroic Age'' (London, [[Cambridge University Press]], 1926), p. 39 n. 1.</ref> The ''[[Volsunga saga]]'' and the ''[[Poetic Edda]]'' also claim that King Atli (Attila) died at the hands of his wife, [[Gudrun]].<ref>''Volsunga Saga'', [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/volsunga/021.php Chapter 39]; ''Poetic Edda'', [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe35.htm Atlamol En Grönlenzku, The Greenland Ballad of Atli]</ref> Most scholars reject these accounts as no more than hear-say, preferring instead the account given by Attila's contemporary Priscus. Priscus' version, however, has recently come under renewed scrutiny by Michael A. Babcock.<ref>Babcock, Michael A. ''The Night Attila Died: Solving the Murder of Attila the Hun'', Berkley Books, 2005 ISBN 0-425-20272-0</ref> Based on detailed [[philological]] analysis, Babcock concludes that the account of natural death, given by [[Priscus]], was an ecclesiastical "cover story" and that [[Marcian|Emperor Marcian]] (who ruled the Eastern Roman Empire from 450-457) was the political force behind Attila's death. |
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Jordanes says: "The greatest of all warriors should be mourned with no feminine lamentations and with no tears, but with the blood of men." His horsemen galloped in circles around the silken tent where Attila lay in state, singing in his [[dirge]], according to [[Cassiodorus]] and Jordanes, "Who can rate this as death, when none believes it calls for vengeance?" Then they celebrated a ''strava'' (lamentation) over his burial place with great feasting. Legend says that he was laid to rest in a triple coffin made of gold, silver, and iron, along with some of the spoils of his conquests. His men diverted a section of the river [[Tisza]], buried the coffin under the riverbed, and then were killed to keep the exact location a secret. |
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His sons [[Ellac]] (his appointed successor), [[Dengizich]], and [[Ernakh]] fought over the division of his legacy, specifically which vassal kings would belong to which brother. As a consequence they were divided, defeated and scattered the following year in the [[Battle of Nedao]] by the [[Ostrogoths]] and the [[Gepids]] under [[Ardaric]]. According to Jordanes, Ardaric, who was once Attila's most prized chieftain, turned against the feuding brothers when he felt that they were treating the nations they ruled as slaves. |
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Attila's many children and relatives are known by name and some even by deeds, but soon valid genealogical sources all but dry up and there seems to be no verifiable way to trace Attila's descendants. This hasn't stopped many genealogists from attempting to reconstruct a [[descent from antiquity|valid line of descent]] for various medieval rulers. One of the most credible claims has been that of the tsars of [[Bulgaria]] (see [[Nominalia of the Bulgarian khans]]). A popular, but ultimately unconfirmed attempt tries to relate Attila to [[Charlemagne]] (see [[Attila the Hun to Charlemagne]]). |
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==Appearance, character, and name== |
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There is no surviving first-person account of Attila's appearance. There is, however, a possible second-hand source, provided by [[Jordanes]], who claimed [[Priscus]] described Attila as: |
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{{quote|"Short of stature, with a broad chest and a large head; his eyes were small, his beard thin and sprinkled with grey; and he had a flat nose and tanned skin, showing evidence of his origin."}} |
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[[Image:Atli.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Attila from an illustration to the [[Poetic Edda]].]] |
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Attila is known in Western history and tradition as the grim ''flagellum dei'' (Latin: "Scourge of God"), and his name has become a byword for cruelty and [[Barbarian|barbarism]]. Some of this may have arisen from confusion between him and later [[steppe]] warlords such as [[Genghis Khan]] and [[Timur|Tamerlane]]. All are considered to be cruel, clever, and blood-thirsty lovers of battle and pillage. The reality of his character is probably more complex. The Huns of Attila's era had been mingling with Roman civilization for some time, largely through the Germanic ''[[foederati]]'' of the border, so that by the time of Theodosius's embassy in 448 Priscus could identify two primary languages among the Huns, [[Gothic language|Gothic]] and [[Hunnic language|Hunnic]], with some people knowing [[Latin]] and [[Greek Language|Greek]]. Priscus also recounts his meeting with an eastern Roman captive who had so fully [[cultural assimilation|assimilated]] into the Huns' way of life that he had no desire to return to his former country, and the Byzantine historian's description of Attila's humility and simplicity is unambiguous in its admiration. |
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The origin of Attila's name is not known with confidence, because very little is known about Hunnic names. In the Hunnic language Danube-Bulgarian, the etymology "oceanic (universal) [ruler]" has been proposed.<ref>{{citation |author=[[Omeljan Pritsak]] |url=http://www.huri.harvard.edu/pdf/hus_volumes/vVI_n4_dec1982.pdf |title=Hunnic names of the Attila clan |year=1982 |journal=Harvard Ukrainian Studies |volume=VI |page=444}}</ref> |
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Also the word possibly originates from [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] ''Atyl/Atal/Atil/Itil'' meaning water, river (also, ancient name of [[Volga river]]) with adjective suffix -ly. (Compare also Turkic medieval notable title ''atalyk'' - "senior as father").<ref>[http://www.kessler-web.co.uk/History/FeaturesEurope/BarbarianHuns.htm "Europe: The Origins of the Huns"], by Kessler Associate, based on conversations with Kemal Cemal, Turkey, 2002</ref><ref>[http://www.kroraina.com/huns/mh/mh_4.html ''The World of the Huns. Chapter IX. Language - O. Maenchen-Helfen'']</ref><ref>[http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000405.html ''Gene Expression'']</ref> This is correlating to the fact that the Polish Chronicle is using Attila's name as ''Aquila'' bearing the [[Latin]] ''aqua'' inside. Others believe that the name may have connection to Hungarian ''ítélet'' meaning ''judgement'' or Old-Turkic via the loandword in Gothic (or [[Gepids|Gepid]]) ''atta'' ("father") and the diminutive suffix ''-ila''.<ref> {{cite book |
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| last = Maenchen-Helfen |
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| first =Otto |
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| title =The World of the Huns |
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| publisher = University of California Press |
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| year =1973 |
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| chapter=Chapter 9.4 |
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| chapterurl=http://www.kroraina.com/huns/mh/mh_4.html |
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| url = http://www.kroraina.com/huns/mh/ |
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| isbn = 978-0520015968 }}</ref> Attila was not a rare name in [[Central Europe]] prior to Attila making his mark on history; the historical record shows numerous persons with the name preceding him. 'Attila' has many variants: Atli and Atle in Norse, Ætla, Attle and Atlee in English, Attila/Atilla/Etele in [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] (all the three name variants are used in [[Hungary]]; Attila is the most popular variant), Etzel in the [[German language|German]] [[Nibelungenlied]], or Attila, Atila or Atilla in modern [[Turkish language|Turkish]]. |
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{{clear}} |
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==Literary and Cultural Representations== |
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{{examplefarm}} |
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Attila has been portrayed in various ways, sometimes as a noble ruler, sometimes as a cruel barbarian. |
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===Literature: Historical/Biographical=== |
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*Hungarian poet [[János Arany]] wrote an epic poem about Attila and his brother Bleda called ''Buda halála'' (The Death of King Buda) which is part of a larger work titled ''A Csaba-trilógia'' (The Csaba Trilogy). |
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*Babcock, Michael A. (2005) ''The Night Attila Died: Solving the Murder of Attila the Hun'' (Berkley Publishing Group, ISBN 0-425-20272-0) |
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*Blockley, R.C. (1983) ''The Fragmentary Classicising Historians of the Later Roman Empire'', vol. II (ISBN 0-905205-15-4). This is a collection of fragments from Priscus, Olympiodorus, and others, with original text and translation. |
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* [[Anthony Burgess|Burgess, Anthony]]. This British writer wrote a biographical [[novella]] about Attila entitled ''Hun'' which was published in the story collection [[The Devil's Mode and Other Stories|''The Devil's Mode'']] (1989). |
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*[[Hungarian people|Hungarian]] [[Géza Gárdonyi]]'s novel ''A láthatatlan ember'' (1901) (published in English as ''Slave of the Huns'' and largely based on Priscus) offered a sympathetic portrait of Attila as a wise and beloved leader. This reflects the positive way in which Attila, his last wife Ildikó and his brother Bleda are viewed in [[Hungary]] and [[Turkey]]. |
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*Gordon, C. D. (1960) ''The Age of Attila: Fifth-century Byzantium and the Barbarians'' (Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press, ISBN 0472061119). This is a translated collection, with commentary and annotation, of ancient writings on the subject, including Priscus. |
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*Heather, Peter (2005) ''The Fall of the Roman Empire—A New History of Rome and the Barbarians'' (Oxford University Press, ISBN 0195159543) |
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* ''The Death of Attila'' by [[Cecelia Holland]] (1973) takes place in 453, with the tensions and uncertainty of Attila's last year being the background for an unlikely friendship between Tacs, a young, ne'er-do-well [[Huns|Hun]]nish warrior, and Dietric, son of a [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] subject king. |
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*Howarth, Patrick (1994) ''Attila, King of the Huns: The Man and the Myth '' (ISBN 0786709308). |
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*Maenchen-Helfen, J. Otto (1973) ''The World of the Huns: Studies in Their History and Culture'' (Berkeley, University of California Press, ISBN 0520015967) |
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*Man, John (2005) ''Attila: A Barbarian King and the Fall of Rome'' (Bantam Press, ISBN 0-593-05291-9) |
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*Thompson, E. A. (1948) ''A History of Attila and the Huns'' (London, [[Oxford University Press]], ISBN 0837176409). This is the authoritative English work on the subject. It was reprinted in 1999 as ''The Huns'' in the ''Peoples of Europe'' series (ISBN 0-631-21443-7). Thompson did not enter controversies over Hunnic origins and considers his victories to have been achieved only when there was no concerted opposition. |
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===Literature: Historical fiction based on Attila the Hun=== |
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*[[Thomas Costain|Costain, Thomas]]. (1959) ''[[The Darkness and Dawn]]'' is written from the point of view of Nicolan, carried into slavery from his home on the Danube and after many adventures becoming Attila's aide - but also becoming romantically involved with the beautiful Ildico, which is quite dangerous. |
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*[[William Dietrich|Dietrich, William]]. (2005) ''The Scourge of God: A Novel of the Roman Empire'' ([[HarperTorch]], ISBN 978-0060735081) See [http://www.amazon.com/Scourge-God-William-Dietrich/dp/0060735082] |
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Set in the final days of the Roman Empire, Dietrich's fifth novel follows the attempt of Attila the Hun to conquer the West. |
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*Napier, William. Attila is a powerful and charismatic figure in [[Christopher Hart (novelist)|Bill Napier]]'s ongoing trilogy, ''Attila'' |
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**''Attila'' (Orion Books Ltd, 2005) ISBN 0-7528-7787-9) See [http://amazon.com/Attila-Gathering-SIGNED-William-Napier/sim/0752861131/2]). |
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**''The Gathering of the Storm'' (Orion Books Ltd, 2007) ISBN 978-0-75287-433-3) |
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**''Attila: Judgement (2008). |
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*[[Kate Seredy|Seredy, Kate]] wrote the novel ''[[The White Stag]]'', the [[Newbery Medal]] winning book of 1938, which is a retelling of the legend of the rise of Attila the Hun written in lyric prose. |
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*In the German epic ''[[Nibelungenlied]]'' Etzel is portrayed as a noble and generous ally, while Atli in the ''[[Volsunga Saga]]'' and the ''[[Poetic Edda]]'' (and Ætla in [[Widsith]]) is a cruel miser. |
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* [http://www.lexikus.de/index.php?page=buch&thema=4&buch=216 ''Attila'' by Felix Dahn] (1834-1912), historical novel, 1939, Full-Text online (German) |
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===Comedic Examples=== |
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Though not typically associated with light-heartedness, Attila (or his stereotype) has been invoked in a comedic way: |
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====Movies/TV==== |
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*Attila is the protagonist of the Italian comedy movie, ''[[:it:Attila flagello di Dio|Attila, flagello di Dio]]'', directed by Castellano and Pipolo, and staring [[Diego Abatantuono]]. This 1982 film has become a [[cult classic]], and is a prime example of Italian ''cinema trash'' of the 1980s. It is still very well known among Italy's younger generations. |
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*In [[Woody Allen]]'s satirical film ''[[Love and Death]]'', [[Diane Keaton]]'s character justifies a plan to assassinate [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] based on this alleged quote by Attila: "Violence is justified in the service of mankind". |
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*In "Scrooged" starring Bill Murray, The Ghost of Christmas Past (David Johansen) makes reference to having visited Attila the Hun, who cried like "Niagara Falls" upon seeing his younger mother in vision. |
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*[[List of Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes#7. The Attila the Hun Show|Episode 20]] of ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' is titled "The Attila the Hun Show", featuring Attila and his family (and also [[Uncle Tom]] who apparently is Attila's [[butler]]), as sitcom characters, as well as parody characters Attila the Nun and Attila the Bun. |
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*In the movie [[The Return of the Pink Panther]], the Chief Inspector Dreyfus ([[Herbert Lom]]) quotes, "Compared to [Inspector] Clouseau ([[Peter Sellers]]), Attila the Hun was a [[Red Cross]] volunteer." |
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*In an episode of the early 1960s sitcom ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'', the character Rob Petrie belts out a ditty called "I'm In Love With Attila the Hun" which he co-wrote with an old army buddy. In a 1967 episode of ''[[That Girl]]'' titled "Author, Author", Ann's fiance, the character of Donald Hollinger, sings and claims credit to the exact same tune. The song was also used in an episode of ''[[Good Morning World]]''. |
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*Attila shared his name in a [[TMNT]] episode ''Invasion Of The Punk Frogs'' with one of the frogs Shredder found and trained. He carries a [[flail]]. |
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*In an episode of [[The Monkees]] TV show, ''The Devil & Peter Tork'', Attila appears in the courtroom scene as an Asian warrior, probably confused with [[Genghis Khan]], & speaks a language not unlike Chinese or Mongolian. |
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*He appeared as a hologram on the "[[Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch]]" episode of ''[[Futurama]]''. He demonstrates [[physics]] knowledge later on the episode, realising [[uncontrolled decompression]] would happen inside the characters' space ship if ripped. |
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====Cartoons/Books==== |
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*The comic strip character [[Broom-Hilda]] is supposedly Attila's ex-wife. |
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*Another comic strip, [[The Wizard of Id]], features occasional invasions by The Huns. |
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*In [[Will Cuppy]]'s satirical European history book, ''The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody'', he makes fun of the question of how to pronounce Attila's name: "Attila does not rhyme with vanilla as it used to in my day. It is believed that, if children can be taught to accent Attila on the first syllable, things may take a turn for the better." |
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===Musical references=== |
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* The [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[black metal]] band [[Dimmu Borgir]] made a song praising Attila called "''Hunnerkongens Sorgsvarte Ferd Over Steppene''"which translates to "The King of the Huns' Sorrowful Black Journey over the Plains". |
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* [[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]] band [[Iced Earth]] put a song named "Attila" on their album ''[[The Glorious Burden]].'' The song tells of Attila's reign as ruler. |
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* The [[United Kingdom|British]] heavy metal band [[Saxon (band)|Saxon]] wrote a song called "Attila the Hun" which was included on their 2006 album, "The Inner Sanctum." |
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*Hungarian musician [[Levente Szörényi]] (from the band [[Illés]]), wrote a rock opera titled ''Attila, Isten kardja'' (Attila, Sword of God). |
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* [[Opera]] by Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901). The libretto by Temistocle Solera, is based on the play ''Attila, König der Hunnen'' ("Attila, King of the Huns") by Zacharias Werner. Premiered at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice, on March 17, 1846. |
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*Hungarian [[folk metal]] band [[Dalriada (band)|Dalriada]] wrote a song about his greatness of Attila the Hun - the forefather of the Hungarians. This track called "Égnek ostora" (Scourge of the Sky) and included on their 2008 album, "Szelek" (Winds). |
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* A deathcore band is named "Attila". |
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===TV/Movies=== |
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*[[Anthony Quinn]] played the role of Attila in a film co-starring [[Sophia Loren]] as Honoria. |
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*Attila was portrayed by [[Jack Palance]] in [[Douglas Sirk]]'s ''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047490/ Sign of the Pagan]'' (1954). |
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*In [[Shawn Levy]]'s children's film ''[[Night at the Museum]]'', a wax mannequin of Attila at the [[American Museum of Natural History]], along with everything else in the museum, is brought to life on a nightly basis via an ancient Egyptian curse and acts as an enemy though eventually a friend to the protagonist; a museum night-watchman. He is incorrectly depicted in the film as being East Asian. His destructiveness as an adult is attributed to a heartbreaking experience he had as a child. |
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*A TV miniseries, ''[[Attila (TV miniseries)|Attila]]'', which was produced in 2000 and was broadcast in 2001, stars [[Gerard Butler]] as Attila and [[Powers Boothe]] as [[Flavius Aëtius]]. |
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===Other Cultural References=== |
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*In [[Dante]]'s ''[[The Divine Comedy]]'', Attila appears in the seventh circle of Hell, immersed in a river of boiling blood, and is called "the scourge of Earth". [[Dante]] also charges him with the destruction of Florence, but this is a blunder by the author, who has confused him with the [[Ostrogoths|Ostrogothic]] warlord [[Totila]]. |
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*In [[Bram Stoker]]'s [[1897 in literature|1897]] novel ''[[Dracula]]'', [[Count Dracula|the titular character]] expresses his pride at his [[Székely]] heritage and notes his believed descent from Attila. Historically, however, [[Vlad III the Impaler|Vlad Dracula]] was an ethnic [[Vlachs|Vlach]] with no clear link to Attila. |
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*The PC game ''[[Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion]]'' has a single player campaign involving Attila's conquests. |
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*In the PC game ''[[Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion]]'' the huns are a playable faction. |
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*A popular [[aphorism]] is to speak of extreme [[right-wing]] [[politician]]s or ultra-[[conservative]] [[businessman|businessmen]] as being ''To the right of Attila the Hun''. <ref>[http://www.mmdtkw.org/VAttila.html Attila the Hun:]</ref> |
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*A Rare pinball machine made by GamePlan in 1984 was called "Attila the Hun". It had a tiny production run of only 500 machines. More info can be found at www.ipdb.org. |
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==References== |
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===Primary sources=== |
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*Priscus: ''Byzantine History'', available in the original Greek in Ludwig Dindorf : ''Historici Graeci Minores'' (Leipzig, [[Teubner]], 1870) and available online as a translation by [[J.B. Bury]]: ''[http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/texts/priscus.html Priscus at the court of Attila]'' |
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*Jordanes: ''[http://www.ucalgary.ca/~vandersp/Courses/texts/jordgeti.html The Origin and Deeds of the Goths]'' |
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===Notes=== |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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{{start box}} |
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{{succession box | before = [[Rugila]]| title = [[List of Hunnish rulers|Hunnic rulers]] | years = jointly with [[Bleda]]<br>434 – 445 | after = [[Ellac]]}} |
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{{end box}} |
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<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] --> |
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{{Persondata |
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|NAME=Attila the Hun |
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|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Scourge of God |
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|SHORT DESCRIPTION=[[Khan (title)|Khan]] of the [[Hun]]s from 434 until his death |
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|DATE OF BIRTH=406 |
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|PLACE OF BIRTH= |
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|DATE OF DEATH=453 |
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|PLACE OF DEATH= |
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}} |
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[[Category:Ancient people]] |
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[[Category:History of Hungary]] |
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[[Category:Late Antiquity]] |
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[[Category:Huns]] |
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[[Category:Turkic rulers]] |
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[[Category:406 births]] |
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[[Category:453 deaths]] |
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[[Category:Deaths from choking]] |
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{{Link FA|bg}} |
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[[ar:أتيلا الهوني]] |
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[[he:אטילה ההוני]] |
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[[ka:ატილა (ჰუნები)]] |
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[[kk:Еділ қаған]] |
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[[uk:Аттіла]] |
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Revision as of 16:29, 5 December 2008
The're is no proof that Attila actualy did exist even though there's a butt load of evidence --204.116.120.130 (talk) 16:29, 5 December 2008 (UTC)WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWwwwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTtEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEv AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa
Freakyfreaky a word!!1
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