Attila King of the Huns: The Man and the Myth

by HOWARTH PATRICK

• ISBN13: 9780786709304
• ISBN10: 0786709308
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-09-11
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group

Summary

Although his grave's location is still unknown, Attila the Hun's place in history and legend is assured, though controversial. Dubbed "The Scourge of God" by early Christian chroniclers but known to his intimates for his clemency and wisdom, Attila ruled for only eight years in the middle of the fifth century. In that brief space he consolidated the Hun kingdom and threatened to conquer the empires of both Rome and Constantinople. Drawing on new archaeological findings and Hungarian sources unknown in the West, prolific biographer Patrick Howarth has created the first authentic life of Attila.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	9	(2)
Illustrations	11	(2)
Contemporary Rulers	13	(2)
A Much-Maligned People	15	(3)
The Huns Move West	18	(6)
Tribal Warfare	24	(5)
The Magnet of Empire	29	(6)
Attila Becomes King of the Huns	35	(6)
Attila's Kingdom	41	(7)
The Threat to Constantinople	48	(5)
The City Constantine Built	53	(7)
The Court of Theodosius II	60	(6)
A Plot to Murder Attila	66	(7)
The Murder Plot Discovered	73	(6)
The Weakness of the West	79	(6)
The Empress in Ravenna	85	(5)
The Revival of the Western Empire	90	(5)
Proposal of Marriage	95	(5)
Invasion of France	100	(6)
Battle Is Joined	106	(6)
The Catalaunian Fields	112	(7)
Invasion of Italy	119	(6)
The Cities of Lombardy Fall	125	(5)
Attila and the Pope	130	(7)
The Wedding Night and After	137	(6)
The Sons of Attila	143	(4)
Empires Dissolve	147	(6)
The Huns and Their Successors	153	(6)
Nibelung and Edda	159	(8)
Venetian and French Portrayals	167	(5)
Drama and Opera	172	(6)
'The Hun Is at the Gate'	178	(5)
The Hungarian Tradition	183	(6)
Notes	189	(8)
Bibliography	197	(4)
Index	201