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Admin moved page How Was Alaric Able to Sack Rome in AD 410? to How Was Alaric Able to Sack Rome in AD 410
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[[File: Sack_of_Rome_by_JN_Sylvestre_1890.jpg|200px250px|thumbnail|left|Joseph-Nöel Sylvestre’s 1890 Painting Depicting the Sack of Rome by the Visigoths in AD 410]]__NOTOC__
Few scholars would argue that it would be hyperbole to say that the Visigoth sack of Rome in AD 410 was one of the true turning points in world history. It was the first time for Rome that outsiders had sacked the city in over 800 years when the Gauls last did the destructive deed in 390 BC. The Romans recovered nicely from the 390 BC sacking, with most of their cultural, political, and military achievements coming after that date.
====Alaric I and the Visigoths====
[[File: Alaric_entering_Athens.jpg|300px250px|thumbnail|rightleft|Modern Depiction of Alaric I Leading the Visigoths into Athens]]
Little is known about Alaric’s early life, although it is believed that he was born on the Peuce Island in the Danube River delta, near the Black Sea. Alaric’s people, the Visigoths, had attained <i>federate</i> status under Emperor Constantine I (ruled 306-337), which meant that they were required to fight for the Romans in exchange for a yearly allotment of grain. <ref> Bury, J. B. <i>The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians. </i> (New York: W. W. Norton, 1967), p.24</ref>
Honorius probably thought he heard the last of Alaric in 403, but Stilicho no doubt knew better. Rome enjoyed the seeming stability on Italy’s northern border in the first years of the fifth century ended when the Rhine River was breached in 406 by a horde of Germanic tribes, foremost of them were the Vandals. Honorius was forced to send Stilicho and his best troops to Gaul to fight the new menace, which left Italy’s northern frontier wide open for an ambitious warrior king such as Alaric I. <ref> Bury, p. 81</ref>
In 408, Alaric I led his Visigoth army out of Epirus to Noricum on Italy’s northern border, where they camped and sent an embassy to Rome. Alaric I demanded 4,000 pounds of gold to fight against a usurper who challenged Honorius in Gaul. The young emperor was not happy about the situation, but he was pressured to accept Stilicho's demands, who understood the extent of the Visigoth’s military capabilities. <ref> Bury, p. 84</ref> The payment had the effect of temporarily mollifying Alaric’s demands for Roman land, but it also led to the formation of a palace conspiracy. A palace official named Olympius spread a rumor that Stilicho was plotting to usurp the Eastern throne on behalf of his son. Many since Stilicho was a German, the rumors were believed, and it seemed to many that the commander was doing little to stop the German Alaric. As proof, the conspirators pointed to the large gold payment Alaric received, which was facilitated by Stilicho. The conspiracy gained strength until Stilicho was captured and beheaded on August 22, 408. <ref> Matthews, J. F. “Olympiodorus of Thebes and the History of the West (A.D. 407-425).” <i>Journal of Roman Studies</i> 60 (2004) p. 83</ref>
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====The Sack of Rome====
[[File: Honorius.jpg|300px250px|thumbnail|left|Gold Coin of the Emperor Honorius]]
Although Alaric’s siege of Rome was financially successful, he could still secure land within the Roman Empire for his people. He was not finished with Rome, and by 409, his war had taken on a more personal note directed at Honorius. Alaric sieged Rome again in 409, forcing the Senate to accept his puppet, Priscus Attalus, as emperor. The move had the desired effect of pressuring Honorius to come to the negotiating table, but Alaric was attacked on the way to the negotiations. <ref> Bury, p. 96</ref> Alaric deposed Attalus, who was no longer of any use to him and took his force to Rome once more, but this time the Visigoths would lay waste to the city. After camping outside of the city, the Visigoths gained entry on August 24, 410, through guile. According to the sixth-century Byzantine historian Procopius, the Visigoths gained entry through a Germanic Trojan Horse.
====Conclusion====
Alaric I, king of the Visigoths, is a well-known historical personality because of his sack of Rome in AD 410. The event changed history as it hastened the decline of the Roman Empire's decline, but numerous factors contributed to making it a reality. The general weakness of the Roman Empire at the time and more specifically the weakness of Emperor Honorius were among the most important factors – in earlier periods when Rome was strong, foreign armies could rarely get close to Rome, never mind sack the city. The death of the Roman general Stilicho should also not be overlooked. Stilicho was an able general and tactician who routinely defeated Alaric and the Visigoths on the battlefield. The general was also a diplomat and moderator who more than once brought the Visigoths and Romans to the negotiating table. After Stilicho died, there was no longer a voice of reason in the conflict. Finally, the abilities of Alaric I and his army played a pivotal role. Alaric knew when to use brute force and guile, and cunning, which allowed him to win numerous battles and ultimately sack the ancient world's greatest city of the ancient world.
====Suggested Readings====
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