Western Roman Empire: An Ancient Civilization - Aëtius' Victory Against the Huns and His Murder by an Envious Ruler
Aetius is frequently known as the final Roman or the last eagle of Rome, despite his numerous mistakes and shortcomings. This is because he was the last military leader of the Western Roman Empire, who seemed to reclaim victory and glory for the Empire's eagles. After his death, actual power shifted into the hands of foreign lords, and it wasn't long before the last emperor of the West, Romulus, the child, was pushed aside.
In 454, the Roman Empire was merely a shadow of its former self. The emperor still held formal rule, but when the most powerful man in the Empire, Flavius Aetius, visited his emperor in Ravenna, he sensed no danger. Aetius, the last prominent general of Rome, had vanquished all his rivals, so an attack on him would be insanity. However, this didn't deter Valentinian III.
The Child Emperor
He was of high birth and ascended the throne at the age of six. Nonetheless, he could never truly govern. Initially, the political landscape was steered by his powerful and astute mother, Galla Placidia, a daughter of the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius I. During a time of tumult, the Empire had become a military dictatorship, and all power stemmed from the military commander Aetius. He had quelled Attila, the king of the Huns, but once he perished, Valentinian saw his opportunity. During a discussion about tax revenues, the emperor drew his sword and, with his highest eunuch, who had a concealed dagger under his robe, attacked the unsuspecting general and killed him.
Politically, Aetius was right in his complacency. He had underestimated the royal soul of the monarch, who had always served as a symbol figure, and feared that the general would try to manipulate marriage politics to marry into the imperial family.
The Empire's Agony
At the time of Aetius, the part of the Empire governed from Rome sank into disorder. The stabilization that the violent rule of the harsh emperor Diocletian had established around a century earlier had long vanished. The Empire could no longer protect its borders or keep the barbarians outside or subjugate them within the empire's territory to adhere to the rule and laws of Rome. Instead, the tribes simply crossed the border, looted, and set up their own autonomous zones.
As a result, the entire system of the Empire came into question. Founded on internal peace and an unhindered economy, the Empire could only function if tax revenues were collected to maintain the army at the borders. When the barbarians occupied the richest territories, the Empire’s collapse loomed financially. So, the reality was similar to the one in which Aetius was born around 390 AD in modern-day Bulgaria. In a realm descending towards the abyss. His father had held a significant position as a military commander, which meant that he spent his youth as a hostage. First among the Goths and then among the Huns.
This warlike horse people exerted pressure on the ailing empire. Not only did they engage in wars with the Romans, but their ongoing struggles also hindered the Fluidic derivative fluidic derivative fluidic derivative. The expansion of the Huns threatened all the wandering tribes passing through the empire's territory, leading to significant turmoil. The first political act of Aetius turned out to be a misstep. The young Roman convinced the Huns to support an usurper, but when Aetius arrived in Italy, his troops had already been defeated.
However, with the Huns lurking, he managed to negotiate with Valentinian III's mother. After ascending to the top of the empire's military hierarchy, Aetius triumphed in skirmishes against his rivals. Even in his marriage, this was evident. Aetius worked to eliminate his rival Sebastianus in 433. After his death, he wed Pelagia, a Goth. Through this union, Aetius acquired a large inheritance and the soldiers of the deceased.
The Battle of the Catalaunian Fields
His most substantial military accomplishment took place in 451 at the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields, where he led a diverse coalition of West Gothic allies and the final remaining legions of Rome against Attila and his accomplices. For a while, this battle was overhyped as a confrontation between Christian Europe and the pagan, Asian "hordes" of the Huns.
Historian Sir Edward Creasy (1812-1878) wrote, "Attila's attacks on the Western Roman Empire were soon renewed, but never again posed the same threat to civilized Europe as they had prior to his defeat. At his death, two years after this battle, the sprawling empire he had created quickly disintegrated due to successful uprisings from the subjugated nations. The name of the Huns vanished from Western Europe for several centuries, and their dominance dwindled with the demise of their great king."
Actually, the skirmish didn't determine the outcome, Attila's tactics had been undermined by his adversaries prior to this. Just the loss on the battlefield took a toll on his mystique.
The mayhem was so intense that a tale surfaced stating the fight would persist in the sky forever. When Attila's camp was enclosed, he ordered a bonfire for himself. He wanted to end his life via his own blade, rather than be executed by those he had repeatedly bested. The fierce clash spelled an essential triumph for Aetius over the previously unbeatable Attila. The validity of whether Aetius could've annihilated the Hun army is questionable.
Stalling the Demise
The peril was seemingly subdued, at least for a while. After this conquest, Aetius aimed to marry his daughter to the imperial household. The aftermath saw his assassination. The English historian Edward Gibbon remarked, "This deed summons an image of a man who chopped off his right hand with his left."
The American scholar Robert F. Pennel stated: "The Empire had essentially become a shell of its former self. Gaul, Spain, and Britain were practically abandoned; Illyria and Pannonia were under the command of the Goths; and Africa would be conquered by the barbarians shortly. Valentinian was fortunate to possess Aetius, who sustained the Roman brand temporarily and acquired the title 'Last Roman.' He was put to death by his unappreciative monarch."
The emperor's efforts to kill his military associates didn't bring him any success. The upcoming spring, he took part in a military demonstration. Two Aetius loyalists, the Huns Optila and Thraustila, pulled out their swords. No hand in the guardsman squad shifted to protect the unfortunate emperor.
Read also:
Despite his victory against the Huns, Aetius' complacency towards Valentinian III led him to underestimate the emperor's royal ambitions and fear of marriage politics manipulation. This complacency ultimately cost him his life.
Following Aetius' death, the power shifted to foreign lords, and the last emperor of the West, Romulus Augustus, a child, was effectively pushed aside.
The collapse of the Western Roman Empire was financially inevitable due to the occupation of rich territories by the barbarians, leading to a significant reduction in tax revenues needed to maintain the army at the borders. This economic instability further weakened the empire, making it easier for external threats to exploit its vulnerabilities.
