Histoire d'Attila et de ses successeurs (1/2) jusqu'à l'établissement des Hongrois en Europe

The book charts the rise of Attila the Hun and the early movements of his successors, ending where the Hungarian peoples begin to settle in Europe. It relies on the vivid eyewitness report of the Byzantine envoy Priscus, complemented by later Gothic and Latin chronicles, to reconstruct a portrait that separates fact from the later embellishments. By comparing these contemporary sources with the mythic versions that grew in Germanic poetry, the author shows how a real 5th‑century ruler was transformed into a legendary scourge.

The early chapters follow Attila’s 451 campaign against the Romans in Gaul and Italy, describing his battlefield tactics, negotiations, and the reactions of Roman commanders and local clergy. At the same time the text examines the birth of legends—prophetic visions, miraculous escapes, and the later depiction of Attila as a quasi‑mythic figure in Germanic song. These layers set the groundwork for the study of his heirs, hinting at how their reputation was reshaped by the very cultures they once threatened.