Attila was king and general of the Hun Empire from 433 to 453 AD. The Huns were a Mongoloid people who began invading the Roman Empire in the 300’s. Attila united his subjects for the purpose of creating one of the most formidable and feared armies the ancient world had ever seen. He was so ferocious in his attacks, that he was called ‘the scourge of god’, by his enemies.
From 435 to 439, Attila conquered, pillaged, and attacked his way through Eastern and Central Europe. The success of this invasion emboldened Attila to continue his westward expansion. Passing unhindered through Austria and Germany, Attila plundered and devastated all in his path. He suffered a setback in 451 when he was defeated by the combined forces of the Romans and the Visigoths.
In 452, Attila and his horsemen crossed the Alps to invade Italy. Pope Leo I had to pay him money to stop him from sacking and destroying Rome. He devastated the western half of the Roman Empire, and controlled a region from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea and from the Rhine River to the Caspian Sea.
