Into the 451, his arrival during the Belgica having an army said by the Jordanes so you can feel half a million good in the future produced their purpose obvious. On April seven he caught Metz, and Aetius transferred to contradict your, collecting troops away from one of the Franks, the brand new Burgundians, and Celts. A purpose from the Avitus, and you will Attila’s continued westward advance, convinced brand new Visigoth queen Theodoric I (Theodorid) so you can friend with the Romans. Aetius gave chase and caught brand new Huns at a place constantly presumed to-be near Chalons-en-Wine. The 2 armies clashed throughout the Battle of Chalons, and this ended with a win towards the Blond-Roman alliance, even though Theodoric is murdered about attacking. Attila withdrew beyond the border, additionally the alliance easily disbanded.
Invasion from Italy and you can deathAttila returned from inside the 452 so you can claim their relationships to help you Honoria anew, invading and you will ravaging Italy in the act; his army sacked numerous urban centers and you can razed Aquileia totally, leaving zero shadow from it at the rear of. Valentinian escaped regarding Ravenna so you can Rome; Aetius stayed around but lacked the fresh stamina to give battle. Attila ultimately halted from the Po, in which he met an enthusiastic embassy including the prefect Trigetius, the newest consul Aviennus, and you may Pope Leo We.
Several causes to have his measures was basically proffered. Priscus records you to definitely superstitious fear of brand new future off Alaric-just who passed away shortly after sacking Rome into the 410-gave brand new Hun stop. Prosper regarding Aquitaine’s pious “fable which has been depicted of the pen away from Raphael and you may this new chisel off Algardi” (thus Gibbon) says your Pope, aided by the Saint Peter and you can Saint Paul, pretty sure your to show away from the town.
Following 
the conference the guy turned into his army back, that have advertised neither Honoria’s hand neither the newest territories the guy wanted
Almost any his explanations, Attila remaining Italy and gone back to their castle along side Danube. From that point the guy desired to strike during the Constantinople once more and you may recover the latest tribute which Marcian had take off. Although not, the guy died in early months out-of 453; the typical account, off Priscus, states one to for the nights shortly after a meal honoring their most recent ed Ildico), the guy suffered an extreme nosebleed and you can choked so you can dying. His warriors, on discovering their demise, mourned your from the cutting-off their hair and you may gashing by themselves having its swords to make sure that, states Jordanes, “ideal of all the warriors might be mourned with no women lamentations along with no tears, but with the brand new bloodstream of males.” He had been buried when you look at the a triple coffin-from gold, silver, and you may iron-on ruins off their conquest, and his funeral service team is murdered to store his burial place wonders. Immediately following his demise, he stayed towards due to the fact an epic profile: this new letters regarding Etzel about Nibelungenlied and you can Atli regarding Volsunga saga was basically each other broadly centered on their lifetime.
The newest affect and you may famine and therefore coincided with his intrusion may have brought about their army in order to damage, or the soldiers one Marcian sent across the Danube might have given your cause to refuge, or perhaps each other
(Another type of facts out-of their passing, very first submitted eighty many years pursuing the truth of the Roman chronicler Number Marcellinus, reports: “Attila rex Hunnorum Europae orbator provinciae noctu mulieris manu cultroque confoditur.” (“Attila, Queen of one’s Huns and ravager of your provinces off European countries, try pierced by the give and blade away from his girlfriend.”)cuatro This new Volsunga tale, most likely after that story, claims one to King Atli died at the hands of their wife Gudrun.5 Really scholars reject these accounts given that just about close myths, preferring alternatively this new type given by Attila’s latest Priscus.) Their sons Ellak (his appointed replacement), Dengizik, and you may Ernak fought over their heritage and you may, split up, was defeated and you may scattered the following year regarding Battle out-of Nedao. Attila’s empire didn’t survive him.
