Bleda

Hun leader

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 22, 2026

Quick Summary

Bleda was a Hunnic leader who, along with his brother Attila, ruled the Huns from 434 CE until Attila murdered him in 445 CE. The Huns were a nomadic, pastoralist people who invaded southeastern Europe around 370 CE and established a vast empire.12

Bleda and Attila inherited leadership from their uncle Rua and negotiated a peace treaty with the Eastern Roman Empire, securing increased subsidies. After Bleda's death, Attila continued to expand the Hunnic empire, leading campaigns into the Balkans, Greece, Gaul, and Italy. The Huns were renowned for their exceptional horsemanship and archery skills, which contributed to their military successes.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Attila
Attacks on the Eastern Empire
…Attila and his elder brother Bleda inherited seems to have stretched from the Alps and the Baltic in the west to somewhere near the Caspian Sea in the east. Their first known action on becoming joint rulers was the negotiation of a peace treaty with the Eastern Roman Empire, which…
Read More
…Attila and his elder brother Bleda inherited seems to have stretched from the Alps and the Baltic in the west to somewhere near the Caspian Sea in the east. Their first known action on becoming joint rulers was the negotiation of a peace treaty with the Eastern Roman Empire, which…
Read More

Hun
…succeeded by his two nephews, Bleda and Attila. The joint rulers negotiated a peace treaty at Margus (now Požarevac, Serbia) with the Eastern Roman Empire, by which the Romans agreed to double the subsidies they had been paying the Huns. The Romans apparently did not pay the sums stipulated in…
Read More
…succeeded by his two nephews, Bleda and Attila. The joint rulers negotiated a peace treaty at Margus (now Požarevac, Serbia) with the Eastern Roman Empire, by which the Romans agreed to double the subsidies they had been paying the Huns. The Romans apparently did not pay the sums stipulated in…
Read More