Roman and Hunnic fighting men are assessed and compared in this fully
illustrated study of Attila's bid to conquer Europe in the 5th century
AD.
The Huns burst on to the page of western European history in the 4th
century AD. Fighting mostly on horseback, the Huns employed
sophisticated tactics that harnessed the formidable power of their bows;
they also gained a reputation for their fighting prowess at close
quarters. Facing the Huns, the Roman Army fielded a variety of cavalry
types, from heavily armed and armoured clibanarii and cataphractii
to horse archers and missile cavalry. Many of these troops were
recruited from client peoples or cultures, including the Huns
themselves.
After carving out a polyglot empire in eastern and central Europe, the
Huns repeatedly invaded Roman territory, besieging the city of Naissus
in 443. With Constantinople itself threatened, the Romans agreed to pay
a huge indemnity. In 447, Attila re-entered Roman territory, confronting
the Romans at the battle of the Utus in Bulgaria. The Huns besieged
Constantinople, but were unable to take the city. In 451, after Hunnic
forces invaded the Western Roman Empire, an army led by the Roman
general Aetius pursed the invaders, bringing the Huns to battle at the
Catalaunian Plains.
Featuring specially commissioned artwork and maps, this study examines
the origins, fighting methods and reputation of the two sides' cavalry
forces, with particular reference to the siege of Naissus, the battle of
the Utus and the climactic encounter at the Catalaunian Plains.
