The Whole North Into Gaul

[Michael Kerr]

Magister Militum Flavius Aetius wrote:

I have also decided to add a paragraph about the aftermath; discussing casualties and the standoff for the next day (or two?) between the two armies, and some reasons why Aetius chose not to decimate Attila's forces then and there.

Hi Evan, in regard to the aftermath of the battle & the political state of the Western Empire around Aetius's time. The days of Rome destroying enemy nations was long past. With numerous enemies & potential enemies around by his time, containment, not destruction, was the political & probably military reality. (Your enemy today could be your ally tomorrow & vice versa) so politics may have played a part in his thinking especially towards the Visigoths. So did he allow Attila's army escape to act as a counter to the Visigoths potential power? Possibly, but if he killed Attila, who's name was burned into Roman consciousness for fear, pillage & destruction, like Hannibal in earlier times, or if he had destroyed his army it would only have added to his prestige & cemented his own position. Attila himself, even feared this when he made a pyre of saddles for him & his wives to burn just to deny Aetius or Rome of his capture (if that story is true). Rumours & whispers about him letting Attila escape would have been “manna from heaven" to his enemies at the court in Ravenna as well. So could the reason that he didn't finish off Attila be a purely military one in that maybe he knew that his army was not in a fit state for a pursuit due to sheer exhaustion.
In the prelude to the battle did he have to gather his forces quickly by series of forced marches etc.? Did he have adequate provisions left for a pursuit?
If Aetius had fresh reserves did he commit them in the battle?
Casualties taken by Romans & allies of horses as well as Huns during the battle could have been a major factor in his decision. For example where did Attila get the saddles from for his pyre? Unless this indicates lots of riderless horses returning to his encampment.
With both armies having large cavalry components could losses of horses & the fact that remaining horses & men were just spent play a factor. Cavalry on both sides would have been busy scouting, foraging & patrolling in lead up & then taking part in the battle & we have no idea on provisioning needs or access to water for horses after the battle and from what I gather horses need more time to recover as well as a fair bit of attention from their riders or grooms. I am sure the Visigoths would have been keen on a pursuit to avenge their fallen king but Huns were Steppe people & Aetius would have been aware or cautious of the Huns pulling a feigned retreat on their strung out pursuers. So was decision a result of all above factors & the fact that Attila's forces although beaten were still strong enough to constitute a threat so risk was too great. His aim may have been to check Attila & get him out of Gaul & on achieving this, further losses would have been pointless. Anyway good luck with your draft.
Regards
Michael Kerr