oth s . ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 4 4 0 , ▁he ▁retired ▁to ▁private ▁life ▁at ▁his ▁estate , ▁Av it ac um , ▁near ▁Cl erm ont . ▁Here ▁he ▁lived ▁until ▁ 4 5 1 ▁when ▁the ▁H uns , ▁led ▁by ▁Att ila , ▁inv aded ▁the ▁Western ▁Roman ▁Empire ; ▁Av it us ▁persu aded ▁The odor ic ▁into ▁an ▁al liance ▁with ▁Rome , ▁and ▁the ▁combined ▁forces ▁of ▁The odor ic ▁and ▁A et ius ▁defeated ▁Att ila ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Ch â l ons ; ▁The odor ic ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁battle . ▁ ▁R ise ▁to ▁the ▁throne ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁spring ▁of ▁ 4 5 5 , ▁Av it us ▁was ▁re called ▁to ▁service ▁by ▁em peror ▁Pet ron ius ▁Maxim us ▁and ▁was ▁elev ated ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁mag ister ▁milit um , ▁probably ▁pra esent alis ; ▁Maxim us ▁sent ▁Av it us ▁in ▁an ▁emb ass y ▁to ▁the ▁court ▁of ▁The odor ic ▁II , ▁who ▁had ▁succeeded ▁to ▁his ▁father , ▁at ▁Toul ouse . ▁This ▁emb ass y ▁probably ▁confirmed ▁the ▁new ▁king ▁and ▁his ▁people ▁as ▁fo eder ati ▁of ▁the ▁Empire ▁and ▁asked ▁for ▁their ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁Emperor . ▁ ▁While ▁Av it us ▁was ▁at ▁The odor ic ' s ▁court , ▁news ▁came ▁of ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Pet ron ius ▁Maxim us ▁( 3 1 ▁May ) ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁s ack ▁of ▁Rome ▁by