The Ancients

The Sons of Attila the Hun

October 16, 2025

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  • The immediate aftermath of Attila the Hun's death in 453 AD plunged his vast empire into a succession crisis and civil war between the Eastern and Western Hunnic princes. 
  • The primary historical source for the dissolution of the Hunnic Empire, Jordanes' *Getica*, is highly unreliable as he rewrote history to favor the Goths, often obscuring Hunnic origins of Gothic leaders. 
  • The Hunnic Empire did not immediately collapse upon Attila's death; while the Western half fragmented, the Eastern line, led by Ernach, survived and evolved into the Bulgar Huns, whose successor states persisted for centuries. 

Segments

Setting the Scene: Attila’s Empire
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(00:04:11)
  • Key Takeaway: At Attila’s death in 453 AD, the Hunnic Empire was vast, stretching from central Gaul to the Volga River and subjugating both Roman Empires.
  • Summary: The Hunnic Empire at its zenith dwarfed the Roman Empire at its height, uniting much of continental Europe, referred to by Romans as Barbaricum. Attila ruled over Scythia and Kermania, claiming subjugation over the Western and Eastern Roman Empires through tribute payments. This formidable but fragile empire set the stage for chaos upon his death.
Hunnic Empire Power Structure
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(00:05:25)
  • Key Takeaway: The Hunnic Empire operated as a quasi-feudal hierarchy led by a high king, with a critical power shift where Western princes became as powerful as the traditional Eastern princes.
  • Summary: The empire was hierarchical, presided over by the high king (Attila), with a hierarchy of kings including the Eastern crown prince Elak and the Western king Oeibarzius. Attila’s reliance on Western troops, particularly the Gepids, shifted the balance of power, making Western princes equal to Eastern ones, which directly led to civil wars after his death.
The Problematic Source: Jordanes
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(00:11:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Jordanes, an ethnic Goth writing a century later, systematically rewrote history in favor of the Goths, making his account of the Hunnic dissolution difficult to trust without cross-referencing.
  • Summary: Jordanes wrote the Getica (History of the Goths) and heavily manipulated the narrative, which was largely based on the now-fragmentary history of Priscus. His goal was to make the Goths appear preeminent, leading to confusing accounts where Goths always win but ultimately retreat or are expelled.
Attila’s Death and Prophecy
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(00:12:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Attila the Hun reportedly died ingloriously from a nosebleed while drunk on his wedding night, which Roman sources framed as divine retribution against the Huns.
  • Summary: According to Priscus, Attila died by suffocating on his own blood from a nosebleed while intoxicated with his new wife. Roman Emperor Theodosius interpreted this as a sign from God breaking the ‘Hunic bow,’ suggesting divine intervention rather than Roman military might felled the warlord.
Succession Crisis and Battle of Nedao
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(00:15:30)
  • Key Takeaway: The civil war following Attila’s death pitted Eastern candidate Elak against a Western coalition led by the Gepid king Aldaric, culminating in the colossal Battle of Nedao.
  • Summary: The Eastern princes elevated Elak, but empowered Western princes, including Aldaric (whose family was Hunnic), refused to comply, seeking to elevate their own candidate. This conflict between the Eastern and Western factions led to the decisive battle one year after Attila’s death.
Deconstructing Gothic Liberation Narrative
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(00:17:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Jordanes’ narrative of the Goths achieving liberation from the Huns around 455/456 AD is false; evidence suggests Gothic leaders like Valimer were actually Hunnic kings ruling over the Goths.
  • Summary: Jordanes separated the single 5th-century Hunnic king Balamber/Valimer into two distinct figures to hide the Hunnic ancestry of the Gothic Amal dynasty. Evidence, such as the killing of Vinitharius (a supposed 4th-century figure) by Balamber, proves Valimer operated in the mid-5th century as a Hunnic ruler over the Goths.
Western Collapse and Dengizic’s War
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(00:33:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Dengizic’s attempt to reunite the Western Hunnic territories in the 460s failed when the Goths and Bitugors rebelled during his invasion of the Eastern Roman Empire, leading to his murder.
  • Summary: After a decade of instability, Dengizic consolidated the West but rashly invaded the Romans, prompting a Goth rebellion instigated by Roman subterfuge. This internal collapse, coupled with the Bitugors’ defection, led directly to Dengizic’s murder around 469 AD.
Ernach and the Eastern Remnant
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(00:41:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Ernach, Attila’s youngest son, successfully stabilized the Eastern Hunnic territories, integrating various groups to form Great Bulgaria, the successor state to the Eastern Hunnic Empire.
  • Summary: Ernach became the high king, successfully defeating enemies like the Saragors and uniting newcomers into the Bulgar Huns, establishing Great Bulgaria in Eastern Europe. His line maintained stability for decades, contrasting sharply with the chaos in the West, and they are listed as the primary ancestors by later Bulgarians.
Legacy in Post-Roman Kingdoms
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(00:44:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Key figures in the end of the Western Roman Empire and the establishment of the first Italian barbarian kingdom, Odoacer and Theodoric, both had direct familial links to Attila’s court.
  • Summary: Odoacer, son of the Hunnic prince Edeko, deposed the last Western Roman Emperor Romulus Augustulus and ruled Italy until he was killed by Theodoric. Theodoric, ruling the Ostrogoths, also descended from Hunnic lines, demonstrating how Hunnic princelings established successor kingdoms in the West.