Weekly Optimist Newsletter

Attila the Hun; barbarian, cruel, powerful.

Pope Leo I; spiritual, authoritative, unifying.

By 452, Attila had led sieges across Western Asia and Eastern Europe, resulting in a broken treaty with the Romans and mass destruction throughout the region. His ambition was relentless. He wanted more land, more power, and more control.

By 452, Pope Leo I, also known as Pope Leo The Great, had arbitrated several disputes between religious leaders, and acted as a trusted advisor on the proper practices of Catholic faith.

In that same year, Attila and Pope Leo would meet. Two forces of optimism. Two men with very different approaches to expanding the culture and ideals they believed in.

I often think about how historical figures are remembered. Their culture, circumstances, and actions determine their legacy. Some leaders are remembered for their courage and righteousness in times of war and siege. Their causes noble. Others, like Attila, are outcasts. He is remembered for the unjustified sacking of cities and campaigns against the Roman Empire. Couldn’t one argue that the Huns were in pursuit of the same glory as others?

The Roman historian, Ammianus Marcellinus, painted a very clear picture about what the Romans thought of the Huns. In his account of Hunnic culture, he explained:

The Huns exceed any definition of savagery. They have compact, sturdy limbs and thick necks… Although they have the shape of human beings, they are so wild in their way of life that they have no need of fire or pleasant tasting foods, but eat the roots of uncultivated plants and the half-raw flesh of all sorts of animals. This they place between their thighs and the backs of their horses and so warm it a little… Huns are never sheltered by buildings, but… roam freely in the mountains and woods, learning from their earliest childhood to endure freezing cold, hunger and thirst… Huns are not well adapted, but also ugly… Like refugees – all without permanent settlements, homes law or a fixed way of life – they are always on the move with their wagons, in which they (travel)… Like unthinking animals, they are completely ignorant of the difference between right and wrong. Fired with an overwhelming desire for seizing the property of others, these swift-moving and ungovernable people make their destructive way amid the pillage and slaughter of those who live around them.

A true conflict between the “civilized” and barbaric nomad.

Attila had planned to conquer all of Italy and his next stop was Rome. There is limited documentation of the encounter, but it is known that Pope Leo I met with Attila and convinced him to withdraw his forces.

Two forces of optimism, one change of heart. Regardless of the nature of the encounter between these men, two types of optimism must be acknowledged. Attila approached Rome knowing it would fall. Pope Leo I approached Attila knowing there was no option but to convince him to withdraw. We cannot enter the minds of these men but with few details we can still understand the significance of these events and the mindset it took to reach that moment and work through it.

Optimism is a tool utilized for perceived good and bad. If you are reading a comparison between Catholicism and the Hunnic empire I encourage you to read more deeply. I agree that the Hunnic way of life was brutal and unrelenting. In most ways it should be remembered and taught as such. I also agree that Catholicism is good in most of its intent, teachings, and religious practice. But all beliefs are comprised of good and bad. It is the inevitable outcome of ideals acted out by human beings. The Huns believed in their cause. The heroes and villains of history are all moved by what they believed in. Optimism is typically associated with positive outcomes, but the opposing side may not feel the same. The optimism required to confidently overthrow Rome is not admirable from inside the walls of the city.

I am thankful that my decisions and encounters do not carry the weight of an outcome of war. Knowing that the optimism of others can result in the destruction of their opposition is helpful. Though rarely a matter of life and death, optimism can turn negative. Some carry optimism by way of the failure of others or that they are better than others. Some think optimistically outside self-confidence and attainment. Understand our limited knowledge of circumstances, culture, and actions. Understand our perception of the good and bad. Attila was a threat to Rome, but was the Hunnic culture as savage as the Roman side of the story?