Rugila

Rugila or Ruga (also Ruas; died second half of the 430s AD), was a ruler who was a major factor in the Huns early victories over the Roman Empire. He served as an important forerunner with brother Octar, with whom initially ruled in dual kingship, possibly a geographical division where Rugila ruled over Eastern Huns while Octar over Western Huns, during the 5th century AD.

The name is mentioned in three variants, Ρούγας (Rougas), Ρουας (Rouas), and ΄Ρωίλας (Roilas). Common spellings are Ruga, Roas, Rugila.Otto Maenchen-Helfen included this name among those of Germanic or Germanized origin, but without any derivation, only comparison with Rugemirus and Rugolf.Denis Sinor considered a name with initial r- not of Altaic origin (example Ragnaris).

Omeljan Pritsak dervied it from Old Turkic and considered it to be of composite form, with the change ουγα- > ουα, Greek suffix -ς, and those with ila as Gothicized variant. The Ancient Greek Ρ (Rho) rendered Hunnic *hr-, which is Old Turkic *her > har/ar/er (man), common component of names and titles. Second part ουγα- or ουα resembles Old Turkic title ogä (to think). Thus the reconstruction goes *hēr ögä > *hər ögä > hrögä.

Initially Rugila had ruled together with his brother Octar, who died in 430 during a military campaign against the Burgundians. In 432, Rugila is mentioned as a sole ruler of the Huns. According to Prosper of Aquitaine, "After the loss of his office, Aetius lived on his estate. When there some of his enemies by an unexpected attack attempted to seize him, he fled to Rome, and from there to Dalmatia. By the way of Pannonia, he reached the Huns. Through their friendship and help he obtained peace with the rulers and was reinstated in his old office. [] Ruga was ruler of the gens Chunorum".Priscus recount "in the land of the Paeonians on the river Sava, which according to the treaty of Aetius, general of the Western Romans, belonged to the barbarian", some scholars explained as Aetius ceded part of Pannonia Prima territory to Ruga. Scholars this cession date to 425, 431, or 433. Maenchen-Helfen considered it was ceded to Attila.

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