The Ancients: "The Sons of Attila the Hun"

Host: Tristan Hughes
Guest: Professor Hyun Jin Kim, University of Melbourne
Date: October 16, 2025

Overview

This episode delves deeply into the often-overlooked period after the death of Attila the Hun, focusing on the fate of his sons and the political chaos that ensued among the Huns and their subject peoples. Professor Hyun Jin Kim returns to the podcast to untangle the complex web of succession crises, civil wars, and the eventual transformation of the Hunnic realm in late antiquity. Drawing on his extensive scholarship, Kim explores the reliability of key sources, the shifting power structures within the Hunnic empire, and how the legacy of Attila and his sons continued well beyond the supposed "fall" of the Huns.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Attila’s Empire: At Its Height and Its Structure

• Attila’s Reach (03:55):
  The Hunnic Empire at Attila’s death dwarfed the size of the Roman Empire—stretching from central Gaul to the Volga, from Scandinavia to lands south of the Danube.

  “At the time of Attila's death, the Hunnic empire dwarfed in size the Roman empire at its height…It had basically united much of continental Europe.”
  — Prof. Kim (02:47)

• Power Structure (04:03):
  The empire had a hierarchical, quasi-feudal system: Attila at the top as high king, under him the eastern and western kings (notably his son Elac in the east), and then various sub-kings. Power traditionally lay with eastern princes, but Attila’s reliance on western lords (such as the Gepids) disrupted this balance and sowed seeds of future strife.

Seeds of Civil War

• Shift in the Balance of Power (06:38–07:12):
  Attila’s favoritism towards western lords, out of step with Hunnic tradition, fueled resentment among eastern elites.

  “That resentment doesn't explode because Attila is no longer there to contain it.”
  — Tristan Hughes (06:38)
  "Yes, exactly. That's exactly what happens."
  — Prof. Kim (07:12)

• Competing Royal Factions (07:12):
  On Attila’s death, the eastern princes (Akatziri confederation) rallied to his eldest son Elac, while western princes (led by Ardaric of the Gepids, himself related by marriage to Attila’s line) elevated their own candidates.
  The resulting factions could not resolve the succession diplomatically, leading to outright war.

The Battle of Nedao and Its Interpretations

• The Main Source: Jordanes (09:18–11:04):

  • Jordanes, a Goth writing for the Eastern Romans, rewrote histories to make the Goths appear preeminent. His account shapes our narrative but must be treated skeptically.
  • The real events are much more muddled—Gothic and Hunnic identities blur, and Germanic “kings” may have been of Hunnic origin.

• How Did Attila Die? (11:04–12:29):

  • Attila is said to have died of a nosebleed on his wedding night—a narrative probably steeped in Roman propaganda and ideas of divine retribution.

• Elac, Attila's Eldest Son & Prophecy (12:29–13:56):

  • Ancient sources claim Attila’s shamans prophesized his youngest son, Ernak, would revive the dynasty—likely a retrospective justification once Ernak eventually emerged as a survivor.

• Battle of Nedao (14:27–16:14):

  • According to Jordanes, the Gepids and Ostrogoths under Ardaric defeated and killed Elac in 454 AD, “liberating” the Goths.
  • Prof. Kim demonstrates, however, that figures like Valamir—ostensibly a Gothic king—were likely Hunnic princelings, and Jordanes manipulated identities and timelines to suit a pro-Gothic narrative.
  • The narrative is further muddied by conflicting traditions and evidence that the Gothic “liberation” was not as complete or immediate as claimed.

The Tumultuous Aftermath

• Empire Fractures but Doesn’t Dissolve (22:33):

  • Despite the battle’s outcome, many Hunnic princes, including Valamir, still strove to reconstitute the empire. The title “King of the Huns” persisted, and shifting alliances and conflicts continued for over a decade.

• Continued Civil War & Roman Manipulation (26:01–33:49):

  • The West fractured between Valamir (ruling Hungary, Croatia, Serbia), Dengizik (western Ukraine, Belarus), and other Hunnic claimants.
  • The Eastern Romans actively manipulated these divisions, supporting various princes to destabilize Hunnic power.
  • The fragmenting of the empire was exacerbated by external threats—the Avars and other steppe peoples invading from the east, forcing Ernak (Attila’s youngest son) to focus eastward.

• Temporary Reunification (31:10):

  • After considerable strife, Dengizik and Ernak managed briefly to reunify much of the Hunnic realm (~467 AD), but a disastrous campaign against the Eastern Romans led to Dengizik’s death and the rapid disintegration of Hunnic influence in the west.

The Legacy of Attila’s Sons and the Hunnic Realm

• Enduring Eastern Power – The Bulgar Huns (39:24–42:11):

  • Ernak’s realm in the east endured, transforming into the Bulgar state—his descendants listed as ancestors of the early Bulgarians.
  • The division into Utigurs (east) and Kutrigurs (west) replicated the old Hunnic order until displaced by new invaders and the foundation of later Bulgar states.

• Hunnic Influence in Post-Roman Europe (42:24–44:50):

  • Hunnic princelings and their descendants played key roles:
    • Odoacer, son of the Hunnic prince Edeco, deposed the last Western Roman emperor and ruled Italy.
    • Theodoric the Great—ostensibly an Ostrogoth, but possibly of Hunnic descent—established Ostrogothic rule in Italy.
  • The story of the fall, therefore, is not one of total extinction, but transformation and continued influence.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Take whatever Jordanes says with a heavy grain of salt, because he rewrites history in ways that it's difficult to fathom.”
  — Prof. Kim (10:27)

• On Attila’s Death:
  “The greatest king on the continent died of a nosebleed that's clogged his throat. He choked on his own blood. That's what Priscus tells us. And this was divine intervention, right?”
  — Prof. Kim (11:21)

• On the Persistence of Hunnic Identity:
  “None of these Hunnic princes actually thought that the Hunnic empire had dissolved and all of them were trying to put it back together. So the civil war continues.”
  — Prof. Kim (22:33)

• On Hunnic Legacy in Europe:
  “So after 10 years of mayhem, the Hunnic empire has been put together again, or stitched together again, but still unstable, especially in the west. In the east, it is much more stable and will remain so thereafter.”
  — Prof. Kim (31:49)

• “Bulgaria, the name originates from the Hunnic language, I guess, and what the Huns did and Attila's sons did.”
  — Tristan Hughes (42:11)

Timeline of Key Events (Timestamps in MM:SS)

• Attila’s Death and Power Structure: 00:00–05:57
• Seeds of Civil War, the Gepids and Factionalism: 05:57–09:18
• Jordanes and Source Criticism: 09:18–11:04
• Attila’s Death and Prophecies: 11:04–13:56
• Civil War — The Battle of Nedao: 13:56–22:33
• Power Struggles, Valamir and Dengizik: 22:33–33:49
• Temporary Reconstitution, Final Collapse in West: 31:49–33:49
• Eastern Survival, Emergence of the Bulgars: 39:24–42:11
• Hunnic Descendants & Fall of the Western Roman Empire: 42:11–44:50
• Continuity and the True ‘Fall’ of the Huns: 45:36–47:26

Conclusion: What Was the “Fall” of the Hunnic Empire?

• The united Hunnic Empire under Attila did shatter after his death, especially in the west—mirroring the concurrent fall of the western Roman Empire.
• In the east, however, successors (the Bulgars) carried on Hunnic state traditions for another century or more.
• The legacy of Attila’s sons thus includes not only collapse and chaos but also profound transformation and continuity across early medieval Europe.

“We often talk about the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD, but that of course is not accurate…In the same way, if we were to talk about the collapse of the Hunnic Empire, yes, in the west definitely…But in the east, the Hunnic state or its successor state, the Bulgaria, the Bulgar Huns, managed to hang on for a long time thereafter.”
— Prof. Kim (46:02)

Further Reading

• Hyun Jin Kim, The Huns, Rome and the Birth of Europe (Cambridge University Press)
• Hyun Jin Kim, The Huns (for a more accessible introduction)

(End of summary)