The Battle of the Catalaunian Fields AD 451: Flavius Aetius, Attila the Hun and the Transformation of Gaul

Description

Evan Schultheis reconsiders the evidence for Attila the Hun’s most famous battle, the climax of his invasion of the Western Roman Empire that had reached as far as Orleans in France. Traditionally considered one of the pivotal battles in European history, saving the West from conquest by the Huns, the Catalaunian Fields is here revealed to be significant but less immediately decisive than claimed. This new study exposes oversimplified views of Attila’s army, which was a sophisticated and complex all-arms force, drawn from the Huns and their many allies and subjects. The ‘Roman’ forces, largely consisting of Visigoth and Alan allies, are also analyzed in detail. The author, a reenactor of the period, describes the motives and tactics of both sides. Drawing on the latest historiography and research of the primary sources, and utilizing Roman military manuals, Evan Schultheis offers a completely new tactical analysis of the battle and a drastic reconsideration of Hun warfare, the Roman use of federates, and the ethnography of the Germanic peoples who fought for either side. The result is a fresh and thorough case study of battle in the 5th century. List of Plates vii List of Maps ix Acknowledgements xi Introduction: Scholarship and Primary Sources xiii Chapter 1 Background and Prelude to the War of 451 1 Chapter 2 The Roman Coalition 19 Chapter 3 The Hun Confederation 40 Chapter 4 The Campaign of 451 57 Chapter 5 The Battle of the Catalaunian Fields 67 Chapter 6 The Effects of the Battle 88 Conclusion 105 Appendix A Chronology 109 Appendix B A Force Estimate of the Notitia Dignitatum 117 Notes 177 Glossary 225 Bibliography 235 Index 249