HI299 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Akatziri

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OC496503

6 Feb 2016

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Friday, February 5, 2016

TheScourgeofGod:Attila

StudyingtheHuns:TheProblemofNomads

 Historiansdonotlikenomadsbecauseweasasocietyaresedentary.Itishardto

understandthembecausetheylivedsodifferently.

 Inprimarysourcestherewasageneralbiasagainstnomadsas“predators”.The

nomadstypicallydonothavetheirownprimarysources,sowecannotseethrough

theireyesandmustrelyontheaccountsofbiasedoutsiders.

 Nomadsalsocreateproblemsinarchaeology.Recentlyelitegraveshavebeen

excavated,butlittleisknownofthepoororaveragenomad.

 AnthropologiesandEthnologies(kinship,rituals,etc.,)canbehelpful,butareoften

viewedandcreatedthroughamodernperspective.

 Nomadstodayarepassivesoweassumethenomadsoflateantiquitywerepassive.

 Hunsdepictedasnomadpredators

 “Intheempirethereisasuperabundanceofeverything,including,Isuppose,

eventheimpossible”Procopiusquotingahun.

 Hunsseenaslookingtotakefromempireandleave.

TheHunsEntertheHistoricalRecord:

 AmmianusdescribedtheHunsinthe4thcenturyas“exceedingeverydegreeof

savagery”Heclaimedthattheyaterawfleshandflowers,scarredchildren’scheeksto

preventthemgrowingbeards.Heclaimedthattheirbadshoeswaswhatmadethem

refusetogetofftheirhorses.

 Thisisnotreality,Ammianusprobablynevermetahun.Hetooktheexisting

imageof‘barbarian’andscythianmotifspropagatedbyHerodotus.

 TheHunswerethefirstgroupofturkishnomadstoenterEurope

 TheyaretraditionallygiventheblameforpushingtheGothsintotheempire…no

proofforthis.

 SeenasMercenariesfromthe380s.Valentinianpaidsomehunstoattackalamanni.

Uldin:LedthefirstsubstantivegroupofhunsbyDanube.UldinhadbeenaRomanally,but

in408heseizedoneofthemajorDanubecrossingsandoccupiedoneofthefortresses.

PerceptionthatUldinhadillusionsofgrandeur.

Olympiodorus:Historianwhospokeofhunnickingsin2nddecadeof5thcentury.

Aetius:(Oneof)TheLastRomans:

 Aromangeneralwhobecameamajorplayerinthe420s,supportingausurper

emperor.HeledtherebellionwithHunauxiliaries.HatedBoniface.

 HewasexcusedfromtreasonifhetookthehunsbackoutoftheEmpire.

 Remainedloyalfortherestof420s

 Boniface:AgeneralandrivalofAetius,stationedinAfrica(importantcauseof

Grain).Hewasaccusedofcertainthings,anditwasinsistedthathecomebackto

Italytostandtrial.Aetiuswrotehimandsaidforhimnottocomebackbecausehe

wouldbekilled.Endedupbeingconvictedonabsentia.InvitedVandalsintoAfricato

defendagainstRomanattackers.Butthen,theVandalswouldnotleaveanddrove

Friday, February 5, 2016

Bonifaceoutinstead.DefeatedAetiusin432inbattle.Bonifacediedfromwound

soonafter,hissonwasnotasgood.

 Bonifacemadeconnectionswithbarbariangroupsforhelp.Hewantedtorestorethe

Rhinefrontier.HunshelpedhimdestroytheBurgundiankingdom.

 TackledBagaudaewhowereinArmorica(Brittany).

 WantstorestoreimperialcontroltoSpain

 Peoplehehadtrustedtohandlemilitaryauxiliarieselsewheresucked.Onewaseven

executedbytheGoths.

 VandalKingGaisericattackedandsackedCarthageinAfrica.

 MakespeacewithGothsin439anddecidestofocusonVandals.

 MakesanagreementbetweenempireandGothsbutdoesnotrequireanyRoman

controlovertheGoths.ThisshowsthatRomehasacceptedtheexistenceofan

independentGothicstatewithinitsborders.

 EastunabletohelpwithVandalsbecauseofPersiaandHuns

 TriestodealwithVandalstateinsamewayastheGothicstate.

 GivesAetius10yearstodealwiththewest,builduphismilitarystrength,etc.,

 Duringthistime,BledaandAttilaweresolidifyingtheirpositionintheeasttothe

pointwheretheyweretoopowerful.

AttilaandtheRiseoftheHunnicState:

 HunsbecamesowealthythattheydidnothavetoserveRomeanylonger,theycould

havehigherambitions.

 AttilaandBledaraidedintotheBalkansasmuchastheywanted,threatened

Constantinopleandwerepaidsignificantsubsidyasaresult.

 AttilamurderedBledain444ADandtookoverfullcontroloftheHuns.Inthesame

yearhecapturedPannonia.Verystrategicarea.

Akatziri:Hunnictribethathadmorethanoneking.Attilafosteredtensionsbetween

kings.DefeatedpartyrantoRome,Attilaswoopedintodefendtheotherside…he

presentedhimselfasanalternativetoRome.

 449PriscusofPaniumvisitedAttila.

 TributeEmpirewaspayingtotheHunsincreasedexponentiallyinmid5thcentury.

Tributecouldhavesupported33,000adultHuns.Theyhadagoodthinggoingon.

 RomeandPersialikequarrellingsiblings,coolsdownsotheEasternEmpiredoesnot

havetoworryaboutfightingontwofronts,canstopgivingAttilatribute.

 AttiladoesnotattempttoattacktheEasternEmpireyet.

 Fortificationofconstantinopleistooformidable.

 Highwalls,surroundedbywater.Hunshadnonavy.

 MoveagainstWesternEmpireisspurredonbyexpansionandweaknessofthe

Westernempire.

 Honoria:ValentinianII’ssister.Caughtwithalover,forcedtomarryanolder

man.ShesentaringtoAttilaandsaidshewantedtomarryhiminstead.Attila

wasecstatic,becausehewantedhalftheempireasherdowry.Justastory.



Friday, February 5, 2016

TwinInvasions:

 451AttilamarchedwestanddestroyedseveralRomancitiesincludingGaul.

 Aetiuscreatedacoalitionarmy



,allfoederatiexceptfortheGoths.TheGothswere

wellentrenchedinsouthernGaulthattheysawthemselvesasthenewowners,sothey

weremerelydefendingtheirhome.NotmanyactualRomansinthearmy…limitanei

(bordersoldiers).Franks,Burgundians,Boucaudae(Armoricans),randomCelts.The

coalitionarmydroveAttilabackforquitesometime.

BattleofChalon/BattleoftheCatalonianPlains:Bigbattle,butnot300,000

casualtieslikeHydatiusclaimedinhiswritings.TheKingoftheGothswaskilledand

theGothsreturnedhome,makingitimpossibleforthecoalitionarmytofollowthe

beatenAttila.

 In452Attilahadtofollowupwithasecondattack.HeinvadedItaly.Aetiuscouldnot

defendItaly.AttilaburnedMulanandAquileia.

 SermonsaysthatmanycitizensescapedfromtheinvasionbecausetheHuns

weresobusypillaging.

 FoundingofVenicebyAquileanrefugees.

 AttilaissaidtohavemetwithPopeLeooutsideofRome,whoconvincedhimtoturn

backandseeksettlementwithRome.

 Itwasprobablynot



themeetingwiththePopethatmadeAttilaturnback.

 Sicknessamongsthismen,southernItalynotahealthyplace.

 Mostlikelyareactiontoanotherguy,alsonamedAetius(workedfor

theEasterncourt),whotookhistroops,attackedacrosstheDanube

andstartedraidingAttila’sheartland.

Aftermath:

 In453Attiladrinkstoexcessonenight,hasanosebleedanddiesinhissleep.Atleast

thisisthestorytoldofhisdeath.Couldhavealsobeenpoisoning.

 Hisempirehadbeensomewhatcentralized,buthadnocentralbureaucracy.

 OnceAttilawasdeadtheHun’ssubjectpeopleroseupanddefeatedAttila’sheirsat

theBattleoftheriverNedaoin454.

 InsameyearAetiushimselfismurderedbyEmperorValentinianhimselfandthe

courtEunuch,probablybecausehedidnotstopAttila’sinvasion.

 ValentinianIIIwentaroundtoAetius’barbarianfriendsandsaideverythingwould

remainthesame.

 In455ValentinianIIImurderedwhilepracticingarcherybytwoofAetius’

bodyguardswhosurvived.

 Thingsgotohellinahandbasket.



PriscusofPanium:AdiplomatfromConstantinoplewhowroteafirsthandaccountofthe

Huns.Heneededtowriteaproperaccount,unliketheclergymenwhowroteaboutBarbarians

fromamoralperspective.PriscusacknowledgesthatmanyoftheHunswerehighlycultured.

Attilawasdepictedasgrim,modest,serious,determined…veryRoman.Priscustryingto

paintaprecisepicture,everydetailhasmeaning.