The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains pitted two worlds against each other: that of Attila, king of the Huns, leading his formidable hordes across Western Europe, and that of Gallo-Roman Gaul, the former territory of the Roman Empire.
Contrary to tradition, this decisive encounter did not occur near Châlons-en-Champagne but rather close to Troyes, at the Mauriacus campus. The Catalaunian Plains are more of a foundational myth than a reality; it is highly likely that the Hunnic army was smaller and much more diverse than medieval historiography long asserted.
What Was the Background to the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains
In the year 451 CE, following the devastation of Eastern Gaul, Attila headed towards Orléans. Nothing and no one seems capable of halting his formidable hordes. However, the Hunnic adventure would come to a halt at Cenabum. The Roman Empire witnessed its final hours, and the scarce Roman legions available were mostly stationed in northern Italy, linked to the protection of Ravenna and the reigning Emperor, Valentinian III.
In Gaul, only the Magister Flavius Aetius, the master of the militia leading a small cavalry and a few cohorts, decides to stem Attila’s advance. The disparity in numbers between his campaign army and Attila’s gigantic force forces him to forge alliances with the barbarian kingdoms surrounding the Gallo-Roman territory, of which he is the ultimate representative of the Empire, the “last Roman.” A skilled diplomat, Flavius Aetius achieves the impossible—the adherence of most barbarian chiefs to his ambition to stop Attila from devastating Gallo-Roman Gaul.
We find ourselves in the summer of 451; now, a military force is ready to constrain the ambitions of the Hunnic king. Strengthened by thousands of warriors—Franks, Sarmatians, Alans, Burgundians, Visigoths, and others—the army of the generalissimo advances on Orléans just as Attila lays siege to the city after weeks of resistance. Surprised by such a counterattack and the following street battles in the city, Attila is forced to turn back towards the east. Attila’s army was unable to outpace the allied forces due to the convoy of his chariots carrying the spoils of Orléans. After a few days and several miles, followed by some distance, the two armies were set to meet again.
Attila’s immense army entered a vast plain in Champagne, with Aetius’s coalition at its rear. This time, the “Gods” had chosen the location for the decisive battle, the final confrontation. Shortly before the start of the battle, the Gepids, Attila’s allied people, clashed with the Franks, Aetius’s federated people, not far away, in a place called Campus Mauriacus. The Salian warriors killed a sizable number of them in brutal combat. The surviving Gepids from this inferno, along with the Franks, joined their forces on the vast plain.
The Great Battle of the Catalaunian Plains
The troops of each army had taken the time to position themselves, as none of them wished to avoid the battle in this long-awaited confrontation. The army of the Roman general Aetius held a slightly elevated position, just like the hordes of Attila, all nearby!
Disposition of the troops among the Huns: Theodomir, Walamir, and Widemir, kings and princes of the Ostrogoths, command the left wing of the Hunnic army. Attila’s Hunnic hordes occupy the center, along with the Gepid warriors of King Ardaric, who diminished in number after the battle of Campus Mauriacus. As for the right wing, the Vandal warriors of Andagese form its ranks. Other tribes had joined the Hunnic venture: the Marcomanni, the Herules, as well as the Alamans and Thuringians. The Ripuarian Franks had also sided with Attila.
On the allied side, the Visigoths of King Theodoric I and his sons, princes Thorismond and Theodoric II, occupy the right wing. In the center of the coalition, Aetius places the Alans of Sangiban. The Burgundians of King Gondioc and the Gallo-Romans were alongside the Alans. Then come the Sarmatians, heavy cavalry in scale armor, fighting with the lance, followed by the famous field army of Soissons. Laeti elements and Armorican warriors complete this armed deployment. Finally, the left wing’s extremity benefits from the reassuring presence of the Franks of Merovee.
Thousands of Warriors Cover the Plain
In the early afternoon, the Huns launched the initial attack, seeking to seize a hill with their formidable steppe cavalry. The impact was devastating for both the Romans and the Visigoths. However, after a period, Thorismond and Aetius successfully repelled the Huns. Subsequently, conflicts spread among various warrior groups: the Visigoths clashed with the Ostrogoths, and the heavy cavalry of the Alans battled the Huns. Meanwhile, the Romans engaged the other Germanic allies of Attila. The battles raged on, with sabers against swords, lassos, and lances against blades.
Adopting Roman tactics, Aetius’ allies managed to deceive the Germanic-Hunnic multitude.
Theodoric, their king, inspired the Visigoths to push the Ostrogothic warriors back as the fighting continued in the darkness. However, Theodoric met his end, pierced by an enemy lance, leading to an unleashed fury among his people. This compelled the Ostrogothic adversary to yield under their pressure. With his left flank now devoid of Ostrogothic support, Attila ordered his warriors to erect a circular enclosure using chariots and saddles. Recognizing the decisive turn of the battle, he entrenched himself behind this makeshift fortification.
Ready to set it ablaze and plunge into the inferno, Attila realized that the Visigoths were leaving the battlefield. For him, the departure of Aetius’ main allied force was a relief. Although the battle was lost, his hordes could withdraw from this blood-soaked field of combat.
Aetius: Victorious over Attila at the Catalaunian Plains
The field was strewn with tens of thousands of corpses. The Romans emerged victorious, thanks to the crucial assistance of the Visigoths. After paying tribute to their fallen king, the Visigoths, led by Thorismond, son of Theodoric, resumed their journey to their Aquitaine kingdom.
Aetius’ primary mission now was to monitor Attila’s retreat towards the Rhine, as his army remained substantial and posed a real threat until it crossed the great river. After a few days, the pivotal moment finally arrived—Attila and his formidable hordes recrossed the Rhine. Gaul was, at last, definitively liberated from the dreadful Hunnic menace. Aetius, adorned with victory, would receive the prestigious title of Patrician of the Romans before being assassinated by Emperor Valentinian III, alarmed by the popularity of the last of the Romans.
Bibliography:
- Hughes, Ian (2012). Aetius: Attila’s Nemesis. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military. p. 159.
- Sidonius Apollinaris, Carmina, 7.332–56.
- Hughes, Ian (2012). Aetius: Attila’s Nemesis. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military. pp. 160–61.
- Kim, Hyun Jin (2013). The Huns, Rome, and the Birth of Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 80.
