On This Day

Battle of the Catalaunian Plains: Roman and Visigoth forces defeat Attila the Hun in northeast France, halting the Hun i

Battle of the Catalaunian Plains: Roman and Visigoth forces defeat Attila the Hun in northeast France, halting the Hun invasion of Roman Gaul [exact date disputed]

Battle of the Catalaunian Plains: Roman and Visigoth forces defeat Attila the Hun in northeast France, halting the Hun invasion of Roman Gaul [exact date disputed]

Key People

Flavius Aetius

Roman general and statesman

Roman general and statesman

Events Before

  1. BC Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 8:1, NLTse)

    BC Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 8:1, NLTse)

  2. BC Battle of Cremera: Etruscan city Veii ambushes and defeats the Roman Republican army in one of the most unexpected an

    BC Battle of Cremera: Etruscan city Veii ambushes and defeats the Roman Republican army in one of the most unexpected and dramatic defeats in Roman history

Events After

  1. Attila the Hun invades Italy

    Attila ( ə-TIL-ə or AT-il-ə; c. 406 – 453), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453.

  2. King Gaiseric and the Vandals sack Rome, looting continues for 14 days

    King Gaiseric and the Vandals sack Rome, looting continues for 14 days

  3. Roman senator Petronius Maximus proclaimed Emperor

    The Roman emperor was the ruler and monarchical head of state of the Roman Empire, starting with the granting of the title augustus to Octavian in 27 BC.

  4. Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed emperor of the Western Roman Empire

    In modern historiography, the Western Roman Empire was the Roman Empire's western provinces collectively during any period in which they were administered separately from the eastern provinces by a...

  5. Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Roman Empire

    Ricimer was a Romanized Germanic general, who ruled the remaining territory of the Western Roman Empire from 456 after defeating Avitus, until his death in 472, with a brief interlude in which he...

More from the 450s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 20, 451?
Battle of the Catalaunian Plains: Roman and Visigoth forces defeat Attila the Hun in northeast France, halting the Hun invasion of Roman Gaul [exact date disputed]
Who was involved in Battle of the Catalaunian Plains: Roman and Visigoth forces defeat Attila the...?
Key figures include Flavius Aetius (Roman general and statesman).

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