He may have been a cruel king of the Huns, but books on his leadership and victory secrets are best-sellers!
Attila the Hun lived from 406 to 453 AD -- that's only 47 years; not a long time. He gained his fame as the final and most powerful king of the Huns. He reigned over what was then Europe's largest empire from the age of 28 until his unexpected death. Attila the Hun surprisingly died of a nasal hemorrhage suffered while celebrating his marriage to Ildico. Some would say a bit of karma perhaps.
Though his empire died with him and he left no remarkable legacy, he has become a legendary figure in the history of Europe. In much of Western Europe, he is remembered as the epitome of cruelty and rapacity. Contrary to that thinking, some historians actually rather celebrate him as a great and noble king. Attila the Hun plays a primary role in several Norse sagas.
Attila the Hun at a glance
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Attila (A.D. 406-453), also known as Attila the Hun, was the Emperor 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 River Danube to the Baltic Sea (see map below). During his rule, he was one of the most fearsome of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires' enemies: he invaded the Balkans twice and 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 story, that the Sword of Attila had come to his hand by miraculous means, was reported by the Roman Priscus.
In much of Western Europe, he is remembered as the epitome of cruelty and rapacity. In contrast, some histories and chronicles describe him as a great and noble king, and he plays major roles in three Norse sagas: Atlakviða; Völsunga; and Atlamál.
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Attila the Hun cool videos
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At least to me, is that people WANT his Leadership Secrets books!!!
Some great Attila books
More about the Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic pastoral people who, appearing from beyond the Volga, migrated into Europe c.AD 370 and built up an enormous empire in Europe. They were possibly the descendants of the Xiongnu who had been northern neighbours of China three hundred years before and may be the first expansion of Turkic people across Eurasia.Frucht, Richard C., Eastern Europe, (ABC-CLIO, 2005), 744.Transylvania through the age of migrations The origin and language of the Huns has been the subject of debate for centuries. The leading current theory is that their leaders at least may have spoken a Turkic languagePritsak, Omeljan. 1982 "The Hunnic Language of the Attila Clan." Harvard Ukrainian Studies, vol. 6, pp. 428?476.[http://www.huri.harvard.edu/pdf/hus_volumes/vVI_n4_dec1982.pdf]Otto Maenchen-Helfen, Language of Huns Ch. XI.. Their main military technique was mounted archery.
The Huns may have stimulated the Great Migration, a contributing factor in the collapse of the Roman Empire. They formed a unified empire under Attila the Hun, who died in 453; their empire broke up the next year. Their descendants, or successors with similar names, are recorded by neighbouring populations to the south, east, and west as having occupied parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia roughly from the 4th century to the 6th century. Variants of the Hun name are recorded in the Caucasus until the early 8th century.
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So, what would you like to know about Attila the Hun? What would you like to add to this lens that's PG-rated?
Vladi wrote...
I believe I am a direct descendant of his ferocious companion cat, Bela. My dreams are red at times. And bloodthirsty
greg2213 wrote...
Do you also have a lens on Genghis Khan? I understand he was a little ahead of his time on the treatment of women.
Fascinating that A the H would be a leader model. It must be his "Slaughter all your enemies" style of leadership. As I understand it he WAS a noble king to his own people. He was probably no worse than any other to the people's who surrendered to him *before* he attacked.
To those who resited? *Everyone* died. Hence the difference in interpretations.
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Attila sites
- Portrait of Attila the Hun
- Gallery of reconstructed portraits.
- Decline of Roman Empire
- The decline and fall of the Roman Empire.
- Attila the Hun Leadership
- Leadership secrets of Attila the Hun.
- Dining with Attila
- Dining with Attila the Hun, 448 AD.
More Attila the Hun stuff
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