Sack of Rome (410)
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The Sack of Rome occurred on August 24, 410. The city was attacked by the Visigoths, led by Alaric I. The Roman capital had been moved to the Italian city of Ravenna by the young emperor Honorius, after the Visigoths entered Italy.
This was the first time in almost 800 years that Rome had fallen to an enemy. The previous sack of Rome was by Gauls under their leader Brennus in 387 BC. Many historians see this as an end of the Western Roman Empire.
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[edit] Prelude
[edit] Troubles in the East
Barbarian tribes had been growing stronger for a long time, uniting in fear of the Roman juggernaut. However, in the late 4th century, the Huns began to overrun barbarian territories. In 375, they forced the Visigoths, under Fritigern, off their territory.
The Visigoths migrated into the Eastern Roman Empire. Soon, however, high taxes, Roman prejudice and government corruption turned them against the Empire. The Visigoths began looting and pillaging throughout the Eastern Roman Empire. In the Second Battle of Adrianople in 378, Fritigern decisively defeated the Eastern Emperor Valens, who died during or soon after the battle.
A peace was forged in 382, in which the new Eastern Emperor, Theodosius I, signed a treaty with the Visigoths that recognized their claim to the province of Thrace.
Soon Alaric the Visigoth, who may or may not have been son of Fritigern, was rising through the Visigoth ranks. He became an important general in the army. However, at the Battle of the Frigidus, half the Visigoths present died fighting for the Romans against the rogue Roman general, by the name of Arbogast. This gave him the impression that Rome wanted the Visigoths to die as quickly as possible.
Alaric was practically ruler of the Visigoths by the time Theodosius died in 395; Fritigern had died in 380.
[edit] Return to hostilities
Alaric soon resumed hostilies against the Eastern Empire after Theodosius died. Flavius Stilicho, the Eastern Empire's top general, and later the Western Empire's top general, soon chased him into Italy. He then chased Alaric through Italy.
Fearing the Visigoths, the Western Roman Empire moved its capital to Ravenna. However, though Alaric was decisively defeated at the Battle of Pollentia and later in the Battle of Verona, Alaric continued to escape.
Stilicho continued to hold Alaric back, though Alaric's frequent escapes provoked rumors that Stilicho was allowing this to happen. Soon, Alaric formed a new alliance with both Empires for an expedition to the far reaches of the Eastern Empire, possibly a plan to take him as far away from Rome as possible. The alliance quickly broke down, however.
Widespread racism caused thousands of formerly loyal Visigothic Romans to join Alaric, greatly strengthening his forces. Stilicho was soon compelled to ask the Senate to pay tribute. The Senate was greatly angered and Emperor Honorius, of the Western Roman Empire, was convinced that Stilicho was plotting a coup. Stilicho, Rome's best hope against Alaric, was hanged on August 22, 408.
[edit] The Sacking and its Aftermath
The angry Visigoths soon did lay siege to Rome in late 408. They eventually withdrew after the Senate promised tribute, as a parting gift Alaric sent 300 young men as slaves for the roman Senate . However, Emperor Honorius refused to pay and the siege resumed in 410.
On August 24, 410, Alaric's "slaves" stormed the gatehouse and opened Rome's Salaria Gate and the Visigoths poured in and looted for 3 days. Though it wasn't a particularly violent looting with relatively little rape or murder, it had a profound effect on the city. This was the first time the city was completely and totally destroyed in 800 years, and its citizens were devastated.
Tens of thousands of Romans fled the economically ruined city into the countryside. As the Visigoths had set the example, wave upon wave of barbarians attacked Rome.
