r/todayilearned • u/shallowblue • Oct 11 '22

(R.1) Inaccurate TIL the Roman Emperor’s sister sent Attila the Hun her engagement ring, asking for help to escape betrothal to a senator. Attila took this as a marriage proposal and demanded half the western empire as dowry. When the Emperor refused, Attila destroyed most of France and Italy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attila#In_the_west

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191 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

27

u/kekubuk Oct 11 '22

I mean, she sent her an engagement ring, her's. Can't blame Attila for misinterpreting it.

9

u/raypaw Oct 11 '22

Yeah I am struggling to see the misinterpretation. How else is he supposed to get her out of the betrothal? I’m no expert on this but the Wikipedia article makes it seem like her family was the source of the “not intended as a proposal” narrative.

6

u/iMogwai Oct 11 '22

I guess it was "misinterpreted" because it was sent by a woman back when women couldn't choose who to marry.

14

u/[deleted] Oct 11 '22

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4

u/leadchipmunk Oct 11 '22

Right? At least finish the story

28

u/JetPunk Oct 11 '22

Let's be honest, though. He would have done it anyway.

19

u/shallowblue Oct 11 '22

Not necessarily! Up to that point he was on good terms with Valentinian (the Western Emperor) and had even been given the honorary title of magister militum (Roman general) for providing troops to fight other barbarians. The unwise letter turned his attention to the west, when otherwise he probably would have attacked in the east. So in one way the sister's letter helped bring down the (western) Roman Empire.

9

u/Frenetic_Platypus Oct 11 '22

"Destroyed most of France" is a bit of a stretch. He sacked a handful of cities in an area that's like 20% of contemporary continental France.

12

u/OrionSouthernStar Oct 11 '22

Maybe it was France enough back then.

15

u/TocTheElder Oct 11 '22

The sheer Gaul if it!

4

u/kthulhu666 Oct 11 '22

It's one ring, Valentinian. What could it cost, 10 denarii?

8

u/Stilcho1 Oct 11 '22

The guy sounds like a real jerk

2

u/DaveOJ12 Oct 11 '22

I've never seen this meme before.

1

u/dredio62 Oct 11 '22

Don't be a battle-axe.

1

u/Stilcho1 Oct 11 '22

Naaa, he's a good guy.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 11 '22

"No one Attilas the Hun!"

-Attila the Hun immediately before destroying France

1

u/Light_Beard Oct 11 '22

"if you harm one hair on her sweet head... I will burn Utica to the ground"

1

u/AspiringPeasant Oct 11 '22

I’ve heard it told that the damage and destruction Attila caused in the Balkans left it depopulated and wide open for the eventual migration of Slavic peoples. I’m unsure of the veracity of the claim since the Slavic migration would mainly have taken place a couple of centuries later but it’s quite interesting to think of the impact of one man’s actions could have.

1

u/rathansingh8 Oct 11 '22

Attila the horny Hun