The End of Empire: Attila the Hun and the Fall of Rome

by Christopher Kelly

Overview

A bold new account of Attila the Hun as empire builder and political threat to Rome.

Conjuring up images of savagery and ferocity, Attila the Hun has become a byword for barbarianism. But, as the Romans of the fifth century knew, Attila did more than just terrorize villages on the edge of an empire. Drawing on original texts, this riveting narrative follows Attila and the Huns from the steppes of Kazakhstan to the opulent city of Constantinople and the Great Hungarian Plain, uncovering an unlikely marriage proposal, a long-standing relationship with a treacherously ambitious Roman general, and a thwarted Roman assassination plot. Attila the Hun and the Fall of Rome reframes the warrior king as a political strategist, capturing the story of how a small, but dedicated, opponent dealt a seemingly invincible empire defeats from which it would never recover.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393061963
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	06/01/2009
Pages:	370
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Christopher Kelly, a professor of classics and ancient history and a Fellow and Director of studies in classics at Corpus Christi College at the University of Cambridge, where he received his PhD in classics. He lives in Cambridge, England, and Chicago, Illinois.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements xi

Maps xii

Prologue: The Strava of Attila the Hun 5

Part 1 Before Attila

Chapter 1 First Contact 11

Chapter 2 The Axis of Evil 23

Chapter 3 A Backward Steppe 34

Chapter 4 Romans and Barbarians 46

Chapter 5 How the West Was Won 59

Part 2 Huns and Romans

Chapter 6 A Tale of Two Cities 75

Chapter 7 War on Three Fronts 85

Chapter 8 Brothers in Arms 93

Chapter 9 Fighting for Rome 106

Chapter 10 Shock and Awe 119

Chapter 11 Barbarians at the Gates 130

Chapter 12 The Price of Peace 140

Part 3 Dinner With Attila

Chapter 13 Mission Impossible 151

Chapter 14 Close Encounters 163

Chapter 15 Eating with the Enemy 174

Chapter 16 What the Historian Saw 189

Chapter 17 Truth and Dare 201

Chapter 18 End Game 208

Part 4 The Failure of Empire

Chapter 19 Hearts and Minds 217

Chapter 20 The Bride of Attila 224

Chapter 21 Taking Sides 231

Chapter 22 The Fog of War 240

Chapter 23 The Last Retreat 253

Chapter 24 Endings 267

Epilogue: Reputations 280

Notes and Further Reading 293

Ancient Texts 327

Chronology, AD 375-455 331

Illustration Acknowledgments 334

Index 337

Editorial Reviews

Drawing on the Roman historian Priscus of Panium's History of Attila the Hun, Cambridge University historian Kelly (Ruling the Later Roman Empire) restores the image of Attila as a politically ingenious leader bent more on making strategic alliances to benefit his people than conquering neighboring tribes by savage attacks. With the grace of a good storyteller, Kelly narrates the Huns' origins as nomadic peoples who eventually settled in the Great Hungarian Plain. As they began to consolidate their control over new territories, says Kelly, the Huns recognized the need for a more stable form of government, a greater concentration of military effort focused on a single objective, and the closer coordination of all clans under one leader. In A.D. 434, they found their leader in Attila, and the Huns steadily conquered-by force and by strategic political agreements-various regions of the Roman Empire. They were never able to take Rome, but battling the Huns so weakened Rome's resources that Vandals sacked the city in A.D. 455, effectively ending the Western Roman Empire. Kelly's first-rate history provides a singularly fresh look at a fractious period in the life of ancient Rome. Maps. (June)

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Publishers Weekly

Kelly (ancient history, Univ. of Cambridge; The Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction) paints an engaging portrait of Attila the Hun's rise to prominence and places the feared warlord in the context of his own time. The title is something of a misnomer, as Kelly writes of Attila's ability to build his own empire as well as his significant part in the destruction of Rome's empire. As the author explains, Attila was aware that it was not in his best interest to hasten the decline of the Roman Empire because much of his control over his own people and lands was paid for with Roman gold that he received through bribes and raids. Kelly's well-written narrative is founded on extensive research, and he provides informative notes as well as suggestions for further reading. Recommended as an excellent addition to libraries with collections in ancient history, Roman history, European history, or classical studies.
—Crystal Goldman

Library Journal

"Kelly goes beyond the conventional mode and bravely ventures into…military detail."

New Republic - Edward Luttwak

"Vivid [and] engrossing."

Booklist

"Accessible history that enlightens as well as informs."

Richmond Times