Sack of Padua
Part of the Hunnic invasion of Italy

Remnant of wall of Roman arena in Padua
Date452 AD
Location
Padua, Western Roman Empire
Result

Hunnic victory

  • Sack of Padua
Belligerents
Hunnic Empire Western Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Attila the Hun Unknown
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Padua sacked

The sack of Padua was carried out by Attila and his Huns and Germanic allies. It was part of the wars fought by Attila in Italy in 452 AD, during his invasion of the peninsula. It followed the Sack of Aquileia and preceded the Siege of Milan.

Background

Aetius, who had grown up among the Huns, was hoping to cooperate with them against the Visigoths. He therefore left the mountain passes unguarded, but Attila, seeking the hand of Honoria, and part of the Western Empire as dowry, crossed them into northern Italy. In 452 the Huns entered the plains around Padua, and sacked Aquileia, an important Roman city which had historically been subject to sieges on account of its position on the "gates" of Italy.[1]

Siege

After sacking Aquileia in 452, they proceeded through the Paduan plains to Padua, in present-day Veneto. They attacked the city in the same year. Padua was sacked and suffered severely from this attack.[2] Following the fall of Padua, the Huns conquered in swift succession Mantua, Vicentia, Verona, Brescia and Bergamo before reaching the former Western Roman capital Mediolanum, which they also besieged and captured.[3]

Legend has it that the Roman survivors of the sieges of Aquileia, Verona, and Padua fled to the Venetian islands, where they founded Venice.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Davis, Paul K. (2003). Besieged 100 Great Sieges from Jericho to Sarajevo. Oxford University Press. p. 43. ISBN 9780195219302. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  2. ↑ The History of Padua. University of Padua. 2003. ISBN 978-0-19-521930-2. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Heather, Peter (1999). The Fall of the Roman Empire A New History of Rome and the Barbarians. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 340. ISBN 9780195325416. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  4. ↑ Merivale, Charles (1877). Puller, Charles (ed.). School history of Rome, abridged from General history of Rome by C. Puller. Oxford University. p. 409. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
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