32. The Guy Who Saved Western Europe From the Huns
Few people have been as underappreciated as Flavius Aetius (391 – 454), and not just in contemporary popular culture, where Aetius is unknown to most, including many history buffs. He was also underappreciated by his contemporary government, which demonstrated its ingratitude in the most visceral way possible, rewarding his valiant efforts on its behalf by murdering him.
A Roman statesman and the last great general of the Western Roman Empire, Aetius was born into a military family, and spent part of his youth as a hostage of the barbarian Visigoths, and later the Huns. Living amongst the barbarians gave him valuable insider knowledge and insights, which came in handy. It helped Aetius stop Attila the Hun, ruler of a nomadic empire that spanned Eastern and Central Europe and known as “The Scourge of God” for his depredations, from overrunning Western Europe.