Attila

Attila's record is measured in territory and fear rather than trophies. He ruled the Huns from 434 to 453 and built a confederation that stretched across Central and Eastern Europe. He twice invaded Roman territory, crossing the Danube into the Balkans and in 441 invading the Eastern Roman Empire. In 451 he crossed the Rhine into Gaul and was stopped at the Catalaunian Plains; in 452 he invaded Italy and withdrew before Rome. He died in 453 at the height of his power, reportedly planning a new campaign. His lasting distinction is the epithet Flagellum Dei, the Scourge of God, which carried his name into medieval and modern literature, opera and film.