Attila the Hun
[at-l-uh th uh huhn]
Who was Attila the Hun?
Attila the Hun was a major military ruler in 5th-century Europe, best known for his savage fighting and constant sieges of the Roman Empire. Commonly misspelled as Atilla, his name has become a synonym for a ruthless warrior.
Related words:
- barbarian
- Gaul
- The Goths
- The Huns
Examples of Attila the Hun
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Examples of Attila the Hun
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Where does Attila the Hun come from?
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Originating from the steppes around the Caspian Sea, the Huns were a group of nomadic tribes in Europe during the 4th and 5th centuries CE.
Attila (406–453) became one of the most fearsome rulers of the Huns, consolidating various groups into an empire that spanned from central Europe to central Asia.
Attila notably attacked the Roman Empire. While he never captured Constantinople, Rome’s eastern seat, his sieges on Roman lands contributed to the splintering and dissolution of Rome.
Nicknamed the Scourge of God, Attila was notorious for his brilliant but ferocious military, commanding and formidable bearing, and an intimidating gaze as well as claiming he wielded the very sword of Mars.
Often depicted on horseback with a bow-and-arrow wearing a kind of pointed, fur-brimmed hats associated with Central Asian peoples, Attila the Hun is widely cited as a ruthless warrior.
historythings.com
He’s been featured in everything from Dante Aligheri’s Inferno to Night at the Museum, the 2006 comedy where he is a minor character.
Yet for his savagery, it’s said that Attila the Hun died from a nosebleed during his wedding feast.
Who uses Attila the Hun?
Outside of historic references, Attila the Hun is a figure for a vicious fighter or cruel person.
Treats Jeremy Corbyn like he’s Attila the Hun (for simply being concerned with abuses of power and inequality), yet buried news on Jimmy Savile, one of the most prolific psychopathic sex attackers the UK has ever known
— Will Black (@WillBlackWriter) April 5, 2018