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The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains (451)
Attila's battle with the Roman general Aetius and the Visigoths at the end of his campaign in Gaul, one of the most famous battles of early medieval Europe.
In the spring of 451 Attila set out from Pannonia, crossed the Rhine and entered Gaul, today's France. Alongside the Huns his army included subject peoples such as the Ostrogoths and Gepids. The Huns took Metz but failed before Orléans.
The Western Roman general Aetius allied with the Visigothic king Theoderic I. In June the armies met on the Catalaunian Plains, between today's Châlons and Troyes. The fighting lasted until nightfall, and King Theoderic was killed.
There was no clear victor: Attila withdrew to his camp, Aetius did not pursue him the next day, and the Huns returned to Pannonia. A year later, in 452, Attila marched into Italy. The battle remained in European memory as the greatest event of the Hun age.
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Updated: November 11, 2026