Q 01/05

By what nickname was Attila widely known?

A) The Scourge of God

B) The Hammer of Rome

C) The Lord of the Danube

D) The Wolf of the Steppe

Answer · why

A) The Scourge of God

The Scourge of God, flagellum Dei in Latin, cast Attila as heaven's whip: Christian writers explained his raids as divine punishment for their own sin...

Q 02/05

One long-held theory builds Attila's name from the Gothic word 'atta', giving what meaning?

A) Master of the ocean

B) Little father

C) Swift arrow

D) Great horseman

Answer · why

B) Little father

Little father, from Gothic atta, 'father', plus a diminutive: on this view history knows the great Hun by a name from his Gothic-speaking subjects. Ot...

Q 03/05

With which elder brother did Attila rule the Huns jointly until 445?

A) Ruga

B) Octar

C) Mundzuk

D) Bleda

Answer · why

D) Bleda

Bleda shared the throne for about a decade; Roman and Gothic accounts say he was then killed through Attila's treachery, leaving his younger brother s...

Q 04/05

At an Italian siege, which rooftop-nesting birds, flying off with their young, reportedly convinced Attila the city would fall?

A) Storks

B) Ravens

C) Swallows

D) Doves

Answer · why

A) Storks

Storks were leaving their nests on the rooftops, Jordanes relates, and Attila told his weary army that the birds could foresee the city's ruin; the Hu...

Q 05/05

At a banquet where his guests were served delicacies on silver, what did Attila himself eat?

A) Only bread

B) Only meat

C) Only broth

D) Only fruit

Answer · why

B) Only meat

Only meat: the envoy who sat at that table noted that the king took none of the dainties and wore no gold or gems, unlike the chiefs around him.