On 20 June 451 CE, the Battle of Chalons was fought between the Romans and Visigoths under Flavius Aetius and Theodoric I against the Huns under Attila during the Roman-Hunnish Wars.
Why did it happen?
In 370 CE, the Huns emerged from the steppes of central Asia to attack the Germanic Goths living northwest of the Black Sea. In 434 CE, Attila became co-ruler of the Huns with his brother, Bleda, before killing Bleda and becoming sole ruler in 443 CE. Attila led incursions into the Roman Empire, terrifying its settled populations. In the words of R.G. Grant, “It seemed that no army could resist the Huns’ swarms of horsemen, who darted about the battlefield, showering their enemy with bone-tipped arrows, before closing in to finish off the survivors with swords and lassos” (Grant, 2005, p.51). However, when the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, Valentinian III, refused to pay tribute to the Huns anymore, Attila turned to the weaker Western Empire after receiving a request for help from Honoria, the sister of Valentinian III. In 451 CE, Attila invaded Gaul and sacked countless cities before being halted at Paris. In June, the Visigoths allied themselves with the Roman general, Flavius Aetius, and the combined forces met the Huns in battle at Chalons.
Who was involved?
The Roman-Visigoth forces at Chalons numbered 40,000 infantry and cavalry. Flavius Aetius led the Romans on the left wing, Sangibanus led the Alans in the centre, while Theodoric I led the Visigoths on the right wing. In addition, Theodoric’s son, Thorismund, was positioned on a nearby hill. The Hunnic forces at Chalons numbered 70,000 infantry and cavalry. Attila led the Huns in the centre, while Walamir and Ardaric led the Ostrogoths and Gepids on the left and right wings.
What happened?
As Attila’s Ostrogothic allies engaged the Visigoths on the left wing, Attila led the Hunnic cavalry in a charge against the Alans in the Roman centre. After successfully breaking the Alans, Attila wheeled left and attacked the Visigoths. During the savage fighting, King Theodoric I was killed. Taking command of the Visigoths, Thorismund led a cavalry charge against the Ostrogoths, which drove them from the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Romans under Flavius Aetius managed to hold off fierce attacks by the Hun’s Gepid allies. As the Romans and Visigoths counterattacked, Attilla fell back to his wagon-fortified camp, where his archers laid down covering fire against the Romans and Visigoths while he and the Huns retreated.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Chalons was a Roman-Visigoth victory. Although it was an important victory, it did not stop Attila from invading Italy the following year, where he was only turned back by the diplomacy of Pope Leo I. Attila died in 453 CE, and the Hunnic Empire collapsed afterwards. However, Flavius Aetius did not live to enjoy his victory, for in 455 CE, he was killed on the orders of Valentinian III, who in turn was killed by Aetius’ soldiers. The Western Roman Empire began its final decline, for in that same year, the Vandals sacked Rome, and real power shifted from the emperors to the Goths. In 476 CE, the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, Romulus Augustus, was deposed by the Ostrogothic chief, Odovacer, and the imperial insignia was sent to Constantinople, which became the new centre of Roman rule until the Ottomans captured the city in 1453 CE.
Bibliography
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Holmes, Richard. & Marix Evans, Martin. A Guide to Battles: Decisive Conflicts in History. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2009.
Rodgers, Nigel. The History and Conquests of Ancient Rome. London, Hermes House, 2007.
Webb, Jonathan. “Battle of Catalaunian Plains, 451.” The Art of Battle. Last revised 2010. www.theartofbattle.com/battle-of-catalaunian-plains-451/
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