PhD dissertation.
The kind of relationships that existed between the Huns and the Romans, and how the contacts with the Romans affected leadership positions among the Huns and the overall unity of the groups of nomads are the main questions in my research. In addition, I discuss whether the connections with the Romans led to rise of a Hun empire along with administration, even an "inchoate early state" or a "supercomplex chiefdom" as I prefer to call the phenomenon. For this reason my study is strongly connected not only to Roman, but also to nomadic studies, and I participate to the discussion of the social evolution among nomads.
Author(s): Päivi Kuosmanen
Series: Annales Universitatis Turkuensis, Ser. B, Humaniora, 373
Publisher: University of Turku
Year: 2013
Language: English
Pages: 252
City: Turku
1. INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. Overview to the Research 1
1.2. Previous Research 3
1.3. The Aim of the Research 5
1.4. The Methodology 7
1.5. Central Concepts of the Research 11
1.6. Primary Sources 18
1.7. Structure of the Work 21
2. ROMAN AUTHORS’ WAYS OF WRITING ABOUT THE HUNS 23
2.1. Characteristics of the Huns Defined by Environment 24
2.2. Images of Nomads and Nomadic Way of Life 31
2.3. Educated Storytelling and the Accounts of the Huns 37
3. NEW NOMADIC ARRIVALS? THE FIRST DESCRIPTIONS OF THE HUNS 55
3.1. The Xiongnu, Ourougoundoi, Khounoi and Chuni: Ancestors of the Huns? 55
3.2. The Arrival of Many "Huns" and Actions with the Alans 59
3.3. The Frames of a Pastoral Nomadic Way of Life and the Actions of the Huns 62
3.4. The Huns and the Alans and Contacts with the Goths 70
4. GROUPS OF HUNS AND FIRST CONTACTS WITH THE ROMANS 74
4.1. Acts of Scattered Groups of Huns near the Danube and the Balkans 74
4.2. Primates and Phylarkhos – Military Leaders of the Huns? 78
4.3. Raiding Troops of Basich and Kursich in Contacts with Persia and the Roman Empire 86
5. AIMS TO INCREASE THE POWER OF HUN LEADERS? A HUN LEADER ULDIN 90
5.1. A Friend and an Enemy of the Eastern Roman Empire 90
5.2. Leader of All the Actions of the Huns? 94
5.3. Abandoned during a Raiding Operation: The End of Uldin 98
5.4. Scattered Groups of Huns in the Beginning of the 410s 104
6. VARIATIONS IN THE TITLES OF NOMAD LEADERS 106
6.1. The Hun Leader Charaton as "the first of the kings" 106
6.2. Images of Nomadic Kingship in Antiquity 111
6.3. The Liberty of Storytelling: The Countless Titles of Nomad Leaders 114
7. UNITING GROUPS OF HUNS AND LOCALS – RUA AND OCTAR 121
7.1. Contacts with the Romans in the 420s – The Strengthening Position of Hun Leaders? 121
7.2. Wars, Treaties and Mercenary Activity between the Groups of Huns and Romans 125
7.3. Rua Confidently Leading the Confederation during the 430s 135
8. STENGTHENING THE MIGHT OF THE CONFEDERATION – THE HUN BROTHERS BLEDA AND ATTILA IN THE 440s 142
8.1. From Uncle to Nephews - Bleda and Attila in the Footsteps of Rua 142
8.2. Creating Security and Bringing Profits 151
8.3. Friends and Foes – Hun Leaders and Contacts with the Romans 158
9. THE RISE OF A SUPERCOMPLEX CHIEFDOM AMONG THE HUNS? 170
9.1. Internal Conditions and External Influences – Towards a Supercomplex Chiefdom? 171
9.2. A Supercomplex Chiefdom Evolving among the Huns – Evidence in Support of the View 179
9.3. Elements of a Supercomplex Chiefdom that are Missing 191
10. THE FALL AND DISPERSAL OF THE HUNS 199
10.1. Attila’s Constant Need to Gain Riches 199
10.2. Desperate Acts to Please Followers: The Last Years of Attila 206
10.3. Fragmentation of Groups of Huns Again 210
10.4. A Cycle in the Nomadic Way of Life – The Existence of "The Hun Kings and Empire"? 217
11. THE HUNS AND THE NOMADIC WAY OF LIFE 220
BIBLIOGRAPHY 227
