The Germanic tribes that invaded the Roman Empire were not simply looking to loot or weaken Roman power. They were facing their own military threat from an Asian people, the Huns, who had originally lived in Mongolia. Like other Mongolians, the Huns were nomadic-they moved frequently, seeking fresh pastures for their sheep and horses. In battle, they fought mostly on horseback and were known for their bravery and skill.
By the fifth century the Huns had reached the old Roman province of Dacia and territory that is now part of Hungary. In the east, Emperor
Theodosius II paid them an annual tribute. In the west, the Huns tried to influence political affairs and sent troops to fight against the Theo-dosian Dynasty.
The Vandals
Like several other Germanic tribes, the Vandals fought well against the Romans, but eventually they were defeated by a stronger military power. After spending about 20 years in Spain, the Vandals crossed the Mediterranean into North Africa, where they built a successful kingdom, taking control of the Roman provinces there. They built ships and carried out pirate raids in the western Mediterranean. The Vandal kingdom was finally destroyed around 523 by the Byzantine Empire. The Vandals' name lives on today in a region of southern Spain known as Andalusia (Al-Andalus is the Arabic name for "land of the Vandals), and in the English word vandal, a person who destroys other people's property for no reason.
In 443 Attila (c. 406-453) killed his brother to take control of the Hun kingdom. Norman Cantor notes in his Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages that ancient historian Jordanes called Attila “a lover of war,” although he could be fair to people who accepted his rule. Atti-la wanted to expand his kingdom westward into Europe. Certain leaders in Western Europe also thought Attila’s potent army could help them achieve their own gains. Honoria (fifth century), the sister of Emperor Valentinian III, wanted the Huns to help her take control in the west, while the Vandals hoped for aid from the Huns against their enemies in Gaul.
Attila’s horsemen headed for Gaul in 451, with the Vandals and Franks fighting as their allies. Near the city of Orleans, they fought a combined Roman and Visigoth force led by Aetius and Theoderic (d. 451), the Visigoth king. Neither side won a decisive victory. By some accounts, each army had more than 150,000 casualties.
Attila then turned south and rampaged through the Italian peninsula. His goal was to force Honoria to marry him, giving him control of part of the western Empire. In Rome, the Hun leader met with Pope Leo I (c. 390-461), who persuaded Attila to leave without taking his Roman bride. Disease within his ranks also convinced Attila to give up his march of conquest, and he died soon after. The kingdom he built collapsed soon after.
World History
