The Sack of The Eternal City / The Sack of Rome by Alaric

Rome was sacked by the barbarians. This was unbelievable for nobles, commoners, and slaves of the world. The so-called Eternal City, once the capital of western civilization, was violated by the barbarians she had fought for centuries. As dramatic as it may all sound, it was actually quite clear at some point that the city had it coming. Corruption, oppression, and constant plotting could never be good for any city. They certainly were not for Rome. As with any good story about Rome, it started with barbarian tribes. They were called the Goths. They were of Germanic origin. There were many subgroups of Goths, and one of those groups was called the Visigoths. You see, Goths had a mixed relationship with the Roman Empire. They sometimes fought them. Sometimes they were hired and enlisted by the Romans to fight the Empire's battles. Throughout the years, they developed themselves in terms of warfare through the experience they gained fighting for and against the Roman Empire. These Gothic tribes lived near the borders of the Roman Empire, with some of them living directly within the borders. The mixed situation got much more complicated after the Huns started pushing the Goths and the other Germanic tribes westwards. They all scattered around the world, with Visigoths settling in the Eastern Roman Empire. The Roman administration and the public were not very welcoming when it came to their new guests. The Romans, going through some tough times themselves, started implementing taxes on Visigoths. Heavy taxation, insufficient food, and almost constant intolerance pushed the Visigoths into rebellion. The Visigoths started pillaging through the Balkans. Eastern Roman Emperor Valens led an army against the Visigoths, who were led by a chieftain called Fritigern. In Adrianople, the Romans were utterly defeated, with their emperor lying dead on the battlefield. Four years after the battle, in 382, peace was established between the new Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius and the Visigoths. Visigoths became vassals of the Empire, having been allocated to Dacia and Thrace. These lands were under Roman rule, and the Visigoths were expected to contribute to the Empire's war efforts with their own warriors. Fritigern died, and Alaric was supported by the Visigoths as their new king. Alaric broke the truce his predecessor had established and launched an attack on the Empire's territories. However, Emperor Theodosius forced Alaric back into submission through military might. The Roman Empire was divided into two parts at that time, and the situation was quite complicated. Civil wars broke out between the Eastern and Western Roman Empires from time to time. Alaric was ordered by the Eastern Roman Empire to take part in a military campaign in a civil war with the Western Roman Empire. Visigoths were victorious and they were successful in their mission. Yet, the amount of warriors they had lost made them think about the nature of the treaty signed between them and the Roman Empire. The lives of Visigoth warriors could no longer be wasted so carelessly. It was time to break free from Roman oppression. Emperor Theodosius died, and the Empire was divided once again between his two sons, Honorius and Arcadius. Honorius took the east. With the death of Emperor Theodosius and the recent divisions taking place, Alaric decided that it was a good time to show the Romans that Visigoths could not be pushed around. One event led to another, and Alaric eventually started his advance towards Italy. The Empire was unable to respond in an effective manner. It was already divided into two. The political complexity was at such high levels that it had become difficult to respond to simple problems, let alone things like an invasion. The people in power were constantly fighting for power and authority. German tribes were flooding through the borders of the Empire, and the menace of the Huns was certainly not making things any easier. Alaric could hardly pick a better time to attack Italy. Alaric's forces and initial movements were met with General Stilicho's defensive counteractions. Yet, Alaric promised Stilicho that he would support him in his political ambitions and they became allies. Alaric invaded Noricum and Upper Pannonia, northern territories which had shared borders with Italy. He demanded money and threatened to invade Italy if he didn't receive the money. The Senate was doubtful and debates took place on whether to give Alaric the money or not. Stilicho convinced them to give the money, but the effort he showed to make them comply with Alaric's demands caused Emperor Honorius to suspect him. Before Alaric could receive the money he was promised, Stilicho got executed by the Emperor. The man who replaced him, Olympius, was anti-Germanic and believed that the Empire could thrive only if it purged all the former supporters of Stilicho, including the Germanic Visigoths of Alaric. You can imagine how Alaric felt about this. He was not happy. The Empire had moved its capital to Ravenna and Emperor Honorius had fled there. Rome was no longer the capital, but it was still the largest city in the Western world. Emperor's sister was still in Rome and Rome was sitting there like a treasure chest waiting to be looted. Alaric laid siege to Rome. The Romans sent envoys to Alaric. Alaric demanded a lot of money and considerable number of slaves. Left without a choice, the Romans agreed. The slaves joined Alaric's ranks, further bolstering them. Alaric left the siege. This was not enough for Alaric. If you could take all, why not take all, right? Alaric wanted to keep the children of some aristocrats as hostages. This would ensure that Romans could not attack the Visigoths in the future and Alaric would supposedly continue former alliance with the Empire. The Senate encouraged Emperor Honorius to comply and give the children as hostages. They didn't want this fight to continue. Yet Olympius, the anti-German nationalist, convinced the Emperor to send legions to fight Alaric and his Visigoths. The Roman army was defeated. Alaric laid siege to Rome once more. The second siege was lifted with the promise of new negotiations. Yet these negotiations and ventures also failed due to the complexity of the situation. Alaric agreed to meet the Roman envoys one more time. Yet Emperor Honorius was vengeful and tried to set a trap to deal with Alaric. The king of the Visigoths survived this attempt on his life. He was now certain that he had to do the things the hard way. Alaric's intention was not to capture and hold the city. His main goal was to loot the treasures of the city. The sack went on for three days. Alaric and his Visigoths took everything they could move out of the city. There were some accounts of rape and minor slaughters, but there was no full-fledged massacre ordered by Alaric. He did not care for what happened to the people. He just wanted to loot the city. After the Visigoths left, Rome was still intact. The Visigoths had not razed the city to the ground. Yet it was a mental blow for all citizens of the empire. It was like a milestone in the course of history which marked the certain collapse of the Roman Empire. As Saint Jerome noted, if Rome could get sacked, then nothing was safe in the world.