History Fact Finder | Eras and Their Highlights - Who Were The Huns?

Who were the Huns?

The Huns were a nomadic people who originated in north central Asia. They were known as fierce warriors who spent most of their time on small, swift horses; they reportedly even ate their meals and negotiated treaties on horseback. During the third century B.C. part of the Great Wall of China—which still stands today along the southern edge of the Mongolian plain—was built to keep the Huns out of China. Six hundred years later, in the third century A.D., the Huns occupied northern China, where they remained until 581. In the late third century they also began moving westward until they reached the Caucasus Mountains, which stretch between the Black and Caspian Seas. Along the westward route the Huns defeated the Visigoths and Ostrogoths, Germanic tribes who migrated in waves across Europe and conquered the Roman Empire around 410. In 434 Attila (406?–453) became king of the Huns and unified them as a people. A...

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