Alaric

Alaric (396-410AD)

Statues of the Vestal
Virgins, Roman Forum

In 396AD, the Visigoths led by Alaric plundered Athens and settled in Northern Greece. This ended quickly with the division of Rome into East and West, which subjected the Visigoths to attacks from both empires. In 401AD, the Visigoths invaded Italy. As the Visigoths laid siege to different areas of Italy and exacted enormous tributes, Alaric's army began to grow, taking in Germanic mercenaries from Roman armies and Roman slaves who saw the Visigoths as their liberators. Finally in 410AD, Alaric took Rome and the capital was turned over to Visigoth warriors for their traditional three days of plunder. The Visigoths believed that a German could not become a Roman Emperor so they began conquests in Spain and Gaul for the Romans and settled amongst Roman citizens in these areas. [RB] {NR}