The Sack of Rome in 410 Explained | BBC Timestamp

Rome's empire was built on the back of the soldiers, and most of the time the soldiers were foreigners. These were barbarians that essentially were mercenaries hired by Rome with the promise of a better life. If you think about what the outskirts of the empire was, the promise of being a Roman citizen, of having their own version of Rome, was very appealing. Franks, Gauls, Goths and Celts are just some of the tribes drafted into the imperial army. You could be anything, but you were always at the heart of it, Rome. It's the glue that kept the Roman Empire together. But this is a risky strategy for the emperors back in the capital. What happens eventually is that Rome is making its own enemies. Because on one side you need these people to help you protect the empire, you need to hire these mercenaries, but on the other side you're training people who might one day turn against you. In 260 CE, Frankish and Germanic tribes rebelled and spread chaos. A decade later, the vandals tear through Roman territory, threatening the capital. Now, Rome needs to protect itself. Rome has not needed walls for almost 700 years. It's been safe. Rome has been protected by her legions. No need for any kind of fortifications. Suddenly, they need walls. And they start throwing them up, and in five years they build a circuit of 19 kilometers. In their desperate rush, the Romans build these walls with anything that comes to hand. You can see it here, a piece of a decorative architrave of some noble Roman monument that was ripped down and built into the walls, because there was no time to waste. Despite their haphazard construction, these walls are a protective shield. Ten meters high and four meters thick, they stave off attacks from rampaging barbarians. But in 408, a once loyal Germanic tribe arrive at the gates. The Visigoths. The city's walls now face their ultimate test. Visigoth can smell a weakness and smell an opportunity, and the wealth of Rome is obviously one of the most amazing draws. If you can invade Rome and sack Rome, you've done something that no one else has done. It's the greatest prize in the ancient world. For two years, the Visigoths repeatedly lay siege to the city. For a while, Rome could hold out. But gradually, the pressure grows on the inside. There were famines, there were plagues, there were corpses lying in the streets. It was desperate times. Finally, on the 24th of August, 410, the barbarians breach the gates. Fires rage, and they loot the city for three days. Rome has fallen. Until 410, Rome, although embattled, was still invincible, was still intact. The walls had protected the city from all invaders. And suddenly, the myth of Rome is broken. The inviolable city, the heart of the empire, is taken by a foreign enemy, a barbarian enemy. Now Rome's enemies know it can be defeated. It signals the end of this ancient power.