History glossary
Huns
a nomadic confederation from the Eurasian steppe whose westward pressure displaced Gothic groups and threatened the Roman Empire.
- Category
- Historical group
- Region
- Eurasian steppe and eastern Europe
- Date range
- 4th-5th centuries CE
What it means
The Huns were a nomadic confederation from the Eurasian steppe that moved into eastern and central Europe in the late fourth and fifth centuries. Their expansion put pressure on Gothic peoples near the Danube, helping trigger the refugee crisis that led to Adrianople. Under Attila, Hunnic armies also threatened both the eastern and western Roman empires.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Roman Empire
From Augustus to the fall of the Western Empire, Rome built a vast imperial system whose law, cities, armies and ideas shaped the ancient and medieval worlds.
The Fall of Rome to Early Medieval Europe
From the arrival of Gothic peoples at the Danube to the crowning of Charlemagne, this story traces how the Western Roman Empire fragmented into successor kingdoms and how a new medieval world took shape.
