Barbarians

The Huns

In the fifth century, a people known as the Huns marched from central Asia to Europe and brought the faltering Roman empire to the brink of collapse. Barbarians: The Huns chronicles their infamously violent military strategies and their sophisticated international diplomacy.

CURRICULUM LINKS
This documentary can be used in history classes.

NOTE TO EDUCATORS
This program is appropriate for middle school and high school students. It contains some descriptions of graphic violence.

OBJECTIVES
After viewing this program, students should be able to discuss the strategies and goals, both military and diplomatic, of the Huns and their impact on the Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church.

STANDARDS
This program fulfills the following National Standards for History for grades 5-12: chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretations.

PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS
1. Read through all the questions below in the following two sections. Bear these questions in mind as you watch the video.
2. By the time the Huns were coming into conflict with the Roman empire, they were based in the area that is today the country of Hungary. Locate Hungary on a map. How far is it from Constantinople (Istanbul)? From Rome?

Discussion Questions

  1. Why have historians and archeologists been unable to determine where in Asia the Huns came from?

  2. In what ways were horses important the Huns?

  3. What is a reflex bow, and why was it important to the Huns’ military success?

  4. Define the following: siege warfare, tribute.

  5. Who was Aetius? What was his background? What strategy did he employ to protect the Western Roman Empire from the Huns’ invasion?

  6. In many ways, the story of the Huns climaxes with the Battle of Chalons. What was this battle and why was it so important? Describe what kind of battle it was. What was the battle’s outcome?

  7. Why does Pope Leo I call Atilla the “scourge of God”? What are some theories people have put forth to explain why Atilla did not complete his attack on Rome?

  8. What happened to the Huns in the wake of Atilla’s death?

  9. More than just raw and unbridled violence, the Huns’ military strategy relied on cultivating chaos and panic among the people they were attacking. Why was this so effective?

  10. One of the historians in the video emphasizes that the Huns’ leaders were not simply savages dressed in skins, but were actually sophisticated politicians. Evaluate this assertion.

  11. Why didn’t Atilla attack the Eastern Roman Empire when he had the chance?

  12. In what ways did growth lead to increasing tensions within the Hunnic empire? How did this contribute to the decline in the Huns’ power?

  13. How was the Roman Catholic Church affected by the Huns’ attempts to conquer the Roman empire? How did the church distort the complexity of Atilla’s career and leadership?
Extended Activities

  1. A Hun’s journal: Imagine you are a Hunnic soldier—on the steppes of Asia, on Europe’s doorstep, recovering from the Battle of Chalons, deliberating an attack on Rome. Write a series of journal entries about what this experience is like.
Related Videos
Primary Sources
  • A history of the Huns in the context of a critical history of class and caste in Chinese history: http://www.uglychinese.org/hun.htm

Air Dates

Classroom Materials