Attila the Hun Invades Italy
In June 452, Attila the Hun, the formidable leader of the Huns, invaded Italy with the aim of conquering Rome, a significant city in the declining Western Roman Empire. Attila, who gained the moniker "the scourge of God," led his nomadic people from the steppes of Russia, having previously looted and pillaged across eastern Europe and even challenged the Eastern Roman Empire. His military campaigns had already proven effective, as he had temporarily forced the Eastern Romans to concede territory. However, after suffering a significant defeat in Gaul at the hands of Roman and Visigothic forces, Attila rebuilt his army in just a year.
As he advanced through Italy, sacking several cities and facing little resistance, the situation seemed dire for Rome. The turning point came when Pope Leo I intervened, traveling to meet Attila in a dramatic encounter near Mantua. Although the details of their conversation are unknown, Attila retreated following this meeting, leaving Italy behind. Some theories suggest that the pope's authority as a Christian leader influenced Attila, while others point to logistical issues within Attila's own ranks. Ultimately, Attila's invasion of Italy ended without achieving his goal of capturing Rome, and he passed away the following year.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Attila the Hun Invades Italy
Attila the Hun Invades Italy
On June 8, 452, Attila, the infamous leader of the Huns, led his armies into Italy. Intent on taking Rome, the historic center of the tottering Roman Empire in western Europe, Attila was turned back only by the personal intervention of the pope.
Attila, called by contemporaries “the scourge of God,” is one of history's most notorious conquerors. His people were the Huns, a nomadic tribe from the steppes of Russia who were migrating into Europe. Attila's armies looted and pillaged across eastern Europe, and their numbers swelled as soldiers from newly subjected peoples filled their ranks. He grew so strong that he could successfully challenge the Romans, whose empire was now divided into two halves. Attila attacked the Eastern Roman Empire but could not breach the defenses of Constantinople, its capital, and withdrew after receiving territorial concessions, in addition to promises of annual tribute. He then turned his eye toward the Western Roman Empire and invaded Gaul, or modern-day France, in 451. The Romans and their German allies, the Visigoths, defeated Attila at Châlons-sur-Marne in a battle that devastated his army. Hundreds of thousands of his men were killed, but he was able to escape and make his way back to eastern Europe.
After raising a new army in just a year, Attila marched from the Danube and entered Italy on June 8, 452. He sacked several major cities as he advanced toward Rome, which was unable to mount an effective defense. Finally Pope Leo I, also known as St. Leo, traveled from Rome to try to convince Attila to halt the invasion. The two men met on horseback in the middle of a river near the modern city of Mantua in northern Italy, and although there is no record of what they said to each other, Attila began a full retreat after he left the meeting. Theories range from speculation that Leo awed Attila with his status as a leader of the Christian religion to more mundane considerations: Attila may have needed to withdraw anyway due to sickness among his men from the hot Italian weather. At any rate, he left Italy and died the next year on his wedding night.