Attila and his terrible Huns marched through Gaul until they came to
the city of Orleans. Here the people bravely resisted the invaders.
They shut their gates and defended themselves in every way they
could. In those times all towns of any great size were surrounded by
strong walls. There was war constantly going on nearly everywhere,
and there were a great many fierce tribes and chiefs who lived by
robbing their neighbors. So the towns and castles in which there
was much money or other valuable property were not safe without
high and strong walls.
Attila tried to take Orleans, but soon after he began to attack
the walls he saw a great army at a distance coming towards the
city. He quickly gathered his forces together, marched to the
neighboring plain of Champagne and halted at the place where the
city of Châlons (_shah-lon'_) now stands.
The army which Attila saw was an army of 300,000 Romans and Visigoths.
It was led by a Roman general name A-ë'ti-us and the Visigoth king,
The-od'o-ric. The Visigoths after the death of Alaric had settled
in parts of Gaul, and their king had now agreed to join the Romans
against the common enemy--the terrible Huns. So the great army
of the Romans and Visigoths marched up and attacked the Huns at
Châlons. It was a fierce battle. Both sides fought with the greatest
bravery. At first the Huns seemed to be winning. They drove back
the Romans and Visigoths from the field, and in the fight Theodoric
was killed.
[Illustration: ATTILA AND HIS TERRIBLE HUNS]
Aetius now began to fear that he would be beaten, but just at that
moment Thor'is-mond, the son of Theodoric, made another charge
against the Huns. He had taken command of the Visigoths when his
father was killed, and now he led them on to fight. They were all
eager to have revenge for the death of their king, so they fought
like lions and swept across the plain with great fury. The Huns
were soon beaten on every side, and Attila himself fled to his
camp. It was the first time he had ever been defeated. Thorismond,
the conqueror, was lifted upon his shield on the battle-field and
hailed as king of the Visigoths.
When Attila reached his camp he had all his baggage and wagons
gathered in a great heap. He intended to set fire to it and jump
into the flames if the Romans should come there to attack him.
"Here I will perish in the flames," he cried, "rather than surrender
to my enemies."
But the Romans did not come to attack him, and in a few days he
marched back to his own country.
Very soon, however, he was again on the war path. This time he
invaded Italy. He attacked and plundered the town of Aq'ui-le'i-a,
and the terrified inhabitants fled for their lives to the hills
and mountains. Some of them took refuge in the islands and marshes
of the Adriatic Sea. Here they founded Venice.
[Illustration: THORISMOND LIFTED UPON THE SHIELD]
The people of Rome and the Emperor Valentinian were greatly alarmed
at the approach of the dreaded Attila. He was now near the city,
and they had no army strong enough to send against him. Rome would
have been again destroyed if it had not been for Pope Leo I who
went to the camp of Attila and persuaded him not to attack the
city. It is said that the barbarian king was awed by the majestic
aspect and priestly robes of Leo. It is also told that the apostles
Peter and Paul appeared to Attila in his camp and threatened him
with death if he should attack Rome. He did not go away, however,
without getting a large sum of money as ransom.
[Illustration: ST. LEO HALTING ATTILA AT THE GATES OF ROME]