Aetius’s heritage made him uniquely suited to deal with the challenges facing Rome at the dawn of the fifth century. His father was a Scythian soldier who rose to the rank of magister equitum (master of horse) in the Roman army, his mother was a noblewoman of Italian descent. It is one of history’s great ironies that the man known as the “last of the Romans” was himself a barbarian. He was also a ruthless political operator whose cold-blooded pursuit of power changed the course of world history. However, Aetius was far more than a military leader. His stunning victory over the Huns at the Battle of Chalons is enough to secure his legacy among the pantheon of legendary Roman commanders. As Rome faded into the twilight of nations, Aetius’s military and political acumen were all that stood between the Eternal City and the barbarian hordes. In many ways, Flavius Aetius personified the tumultuous changes that rocked the Western Roman Empire during its final years.
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