This volume is a concise introduction to the history and culture of the Huns. This ancient people had a famous reputation in Eurasian Late Antiquity. However, their history has often been evaluated as a footnote in the histories of the later Roman Empire and early Germanic peoples. Kim addresses this imbalance and challenges the commonly held assumption that the Huns were a savage people who contributed little to world history, examining striking geopolitical changes brought about by the Hunnic expansion over much of continental Eurasia and revealing the Huns' contribution to European, Iranian, Chinese and Indian civilization and statecraft. By examining Hunnic culture as a Eurasian whole, The Huns provides a full picture of their society which demonstrates that this was a complex group with a wide variety of ethnic and linguistic identities. Making available critical information from both primary and secondary sources regarding the Huns' Inner Asian origins, which would otherwise be largely unavailable to most English speaking students and Classical scholars, this is a crucial tool for those interested in the study of Eurasian Late Antiquity.

Author: Hyun Jin Kim
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 11/23/2015
Series: Peoples of the Ancient World
Pages: 208
Weight: 0.7lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781138841758


Review Citation(s):
Choice 12/01/2016

About the Author

Hyun Jin Kim is Lecturer in Classics at the University of Melbourne, Australia.