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The Huns

The Huns were possibly the most destructive people in history. They originally came from Central Asia. About 200BC, the Huns overran the Chinese Empire. Chinese emperor Shih Huang-ti built the massive Great Wall of China to keep the Huns out.

The Huns were pastoralists, which means they tended to animals. Throughout history, pastoralists have generally been more warlike than farmers, and the Huns were no exception. The Huns were skilled horsemen who used their skills to plunder more settled people. They moved into the land west of the Caspian Sea, forcing the Visigoths and other Germanic tribes to move into the Roman Empire. The Huns were illiterate and had no interest in the lands they raided. They simply attacked and plundered.
In 445, Attila became the sole leader of the Huns after murdering his brother. The Romans called Attila the “Scourge of God.” He forced Rome to pay tribute, or payment for protection.

The threat of the Huns dwindled after Attila died suddenly in 453. Attila had taken a beautiful young wife, though he had several other wives. The day of the wedding there was a huge drunken celebration. The next morning, the new bride was found quivering after finding that Attila had choked to death from a nosebleed. The threat of the Huns died with Attila. His sons were weak and quarrelsome. Within two years the Ostrogoths and other Germanic tribes combined to remove the Huns as a threat to more civilized people.

To cite this page:
Dowling, Mike, "Mr. Dowling's Huns page," available from http://www.mrdowling.com/604-huns.html; Internet; Saturday, June 17, 2006 .  ©2008, Mike Dowling. All rights reserved.