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As a youth I was interested in movies and books with themes that abounded with high adventure and polarity. Actually, it was the adventure I was interested in, I'm not sure I was even aware of the polarity aspect at that time in my life. As a result I was attracted to a movie, the name of which I can no longer remember, that carried the simplistic, yet familiar good versus evil concept I so much enjoyed. This was at a time in my life when most things fit together simply. Things were either right or wrong, good or bad, little gray area was needed into which to classify my beliefs. These concepts also held true for leadership. Our heroes were often the country's leaders and the "good guys" always won. We had God on our side and we were always right.But let's go back to the movies. As I remember, this film was at once an adventure movie and a history lesson of sorts. It covered the exploits of the Roman army as it attempted to stop the great Mongol invasion of the then civilized world, AKA the Roman Empire. The classic good, in this case the Romans, versus evil, the invading barbar­ian hoards from the east. Even now, as I sit writing these words, history shows that film, although accurate in many ways historically, can now be examined with another eye. That eye looks toward the leadership of perhaps one of the greatest generals to have ever lived.

Some History

At this point it is reasonable to identify the players in this story. The time frame, A. D. 451. The bad guys, the Huns invading from the east lead by the infamous Attila. The good guys, the Roman Emperor Valentinian, General Aetius, and Pope Leo I. The place, the Catalonian Plains near Chalons just after the battle of Chalons.

At Chalons, Attila had faced his nemesis Aetius and having just been defeated, Attila forces were in retreat. However, this was not their first, nor would it be their last meeting. Attila and Aetius had similar backgrounds. Both were of noble birth and lost their fathers at an early age. Both were also used as child hostages to help ensure peace between their respective nations. Attila was sent to the Roman court of Honorius where he studied Roman internal and foreign policies, secretly observed diplomatic conferences, and learned the strengths and weaknesses of the Roman military. While Attila was in the court of Honorius, Aetius was serving similar time in the court of King Rugila, Attila's uncle.

It was this experience that lead Aetius to his victory over Attila at Chalons. Likewise, it was this battle, the only known defeat of the Huns, which changed Attilas' basic military approach toward his dream of world conquest. After the battle concluded, with some 200,000 dead Hunnish warriors, Attila turned his energy toward military science and developing the necessary changes required to once again set out to conquer the world.

As change affects us today, with its constant pressure toward something different, so it was in Attila's time. After several years, General Aetius had fallen from favor in the Roman court. Attila however, had spent his time teaching his Huns the use of Roman style weapons and tactics. They learned their lessons well, but the Romans had lost respect for the Huns at Chalons and no longer considered them a threat. This was a mistake.

After several more years and numerous military cam­paigns, Attila again began to move toward the west and his dream of world conquest. After his victory at Aquileia the Huns began advancing ferociously and methodically on Rome. It was the survivors of Aquileia that warned of the impending doom faced by Rome itself. Exasperated with the military's inability to stop Attila's advance, the Em­peror Valentinian thought to offer his sister, Honoria, to Attila as a wife. However, this plan was put aside because Attila already had 300 wives and didn't seem interested in another. Not sure what to do next Valentinian sent Pope Leo I to negotiate with Attila.

The hope was that this invader, known as the Scourge of God, would have enough respect for the clergy that he would not destroy Rome as he had other cities that had fallen to his army. This hope was not without precedent, one year earlier, Attila acceded to Bishop Lupus' request and spared the city of Troyes, in Gaul. It is not known what was said between the frail Pope Leo and Attila. But after their meeting Attila turned his army northward, sparing Rome, and returned to his homeland avoiding further battle.

To be Continued