Flavius Aetius was a gifted soldier, who did more than any one man to help slow the inevitable fall of the Roman Empire, to the barbarian nations in the West, during the reign of Valentinian Ill. Aetius learned the arts of war well and at a young age, he could hold his own with grown men.
He learned how to fight, while riding on a horse from the Huns who had held him hostage during his youth. This combined with his knowledge of standard Roman infantry tactics enabled him to come up with deadly strategies for dealing with almost any enemy.
Some of the battles fought by Aetius became famous, while others are known only to scholars of history. When Gaul was attacked repeatedly, Aetius protected it. He drove back the Visigoths and the Franks, and won his famous victory in 451 over Attila at Chalons. During the reign of Valentinian Ill, Aetius made himself ruler of the Roman Empire, but eventually he was murdered by the emperor himself.