22. Attila Assumed Sole Rule of the Huns by Murdering his Brother
Attila was born in 406 into the Hun royal family, and inherited the crown jointly with his brother Bleda in 434. The brothers were challenged early on, but crushed the opposition. When their surviving enemies fled to the Roman Empire, the brothers invaded and forced the Romans to surrender the fugitives and agree to an annual tribute of 230 kilograms of gold. Attila and Bleda then turned their attention to the Persian Empire, which they invaded and plundered for years before they were beaten back. They then returned their attention to Europe and the Roman Empire.
Attila and Bleda crossed the Danube in 440, plundered the Balkans, and destroyed two Roman armies. The Roman emperor admitted defeat, and the brothers extorted from him a new treaty that paid them 2000 kilograms of gold up front, plus an annual tribute of 700 kilograms of gold. Soon thereafter, Attila tired of the joint kingship, and decided to consolidate power and rule alone. So in 445, during a wild boar hunt, Attila had his brother seized, shot him to death with arrows, then claimed that it had been a hunting accident.
