Alans

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 30. Chapters: Alda of Alania, Ardabur, Ardabur (consul 427), Ashkhen, Aspar, Attaces, Battle of Orleans (463), Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, Battle of the Nervasos Mountains, Borena of Alania, Burdukhan of Alania, Crossing of the Rhine, David Soslan, Goar, Ossetians, Respendial, Roxolani, Sangiban, Sarmatians, Sarosios, Satenik, Serboi, Siraces. Excerpt: The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains (or Fields), also called the Battle of Châlons or the Battle of Maurica, took place in AD 451 between a coalition led by the Roman general Flavius Aëtius and the Visigothic king Theodoric I against the Huns and their allies commanded by their leader Attila. It was one of the last major military operations of the Western Roman Empire though Visigothic soldiers also formed the core of the allied Roman army. The battle was a strategic victory for the Romans, stopping the Huns' attempt to conquer Roman Gaul. The Huns were later destroyed by a coalition of Germanic peoples at the Battle of Nedao in 454. This is considered as one of the most important battles in the history of Europe and Christianity, since if Attila conquered Europe, he could destroy the Roman cultures and potentially annihilate Christianity. Roman Empire (yellow) and Hunnic Empire (orange) 450By 450 Roman control of Gaul had grown feeble, but stable, as had control over all of the provinces beyond Italy. Celtic Armorica was only nominally part of the empire. Germanic tribes prowling around Roman territory had been forcibly settled and served as foederati under their own leaders. Northern Gaul between the Rhine north of Xanten and Marne rivers (Gallia Belgica) had unofficially been abandoned to the Franks. The line of effective Roman control ran from Cologne to Amiens and to the coast at Boulogne. The Visigoths in Gallia Aquitania were growing restive. The Burgundians near the Alps were more submissive, but likewise awaiting openings for revolt. The parts still securely in Roman control were the Mediterranean coastline, a wide band of varying width running from Aurelianum (present-day Orléans) upstream along the Loire as far north as Amiens and one downstream along the Rhône River including the Auvergne, Provence and Languedoc. The historian Jordanes states that Attila was enticed by the Vandals' king Gaiseric to wage war on the Visigoths. At the same time, Gaiseric w