In spring 452 Attila brought his 100 thousand
men forces to the plains of today's Venice by passing them over Alps of Julia. After he
captured the famous Aquileia castle, he entered the grassy land of Po. Starting his
occupation of the Aemilia region and his threatening of Ravenna, the capital of the Roman
Empire of that time, was enough to finalize this matter. The palace was worried, the
population agitated, and the senate decided to reconcile in spite of what ever may happen.
The church also agreed with this desire. A committee was organized quickly. Attila, who
had based his military camp in the plains where River Mincio poured to River Po, received
the committee, which was directed by Pope Leon I., who had been famous for his oratory. The Pope, speaking in the name of the
emperor and the whole Christian world, requested from the big Turkish chief to spare Rome.
Attila, who five years ago, had come powerfully up to Çekmece without even devastating
Istanbul, had agreed to spare the ancient centre of civilization after he heard from the
Pope himself that Rome had surrendered. While returning to his capital together with his
victorious army, Attila believed that the West Roman Empire was under his control
doubtless as well as Byzantium. As Priskos stated what he had heard from the West Roman
ambassadors in the Hun's capital in 448, now it had been the turn of the Sasani's. The
"sovereignty of the world" would be realized by the patronization of that place.
But, Attila couldn't realize this dream. As it is narrated, after his return from the
Italian expedition, he died (453) in the first night of his marriage with blood coming
from his mouth. He had been around 60 years old.
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