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====Alaric I and the Visigoths====
[[File: Alaric_entering_Athens.jpg|300px|thumbnail|right|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> As a young man, Alaric marched alongside the Emperor Theodosius I (reigned 379-395), eventually acquiring a reputation for bravery, loyalty, and cleverness. Although Alaric was a German and not a Roman citizen, he desired to be a Roman general, which had become a possibility when the requirements for such an office changed during the Roman Empire. Still, it was difficult for a German to rise to such a high rank without a benefactor – Alaric believed his would be none other than the emperor, who was impressed with the young man’s abilities. Unfortunately for Alaric, his dreams of attainting the highest rank in the Roman army were dashed when Theodosius I died. <ref> Bury, p. 64</ref> The young Visigoth warrior would have to look elsewhere for status.
As a young man, Alaric marched alongside the Emperor Theodosius I (reigned 379-395), eventually acquiring a reputation for bravery, loyalty, and cleverness. Although Alaric was a German and not a Roman citizen, he desired to be a Roman general, which had become a possibility when the requirements for such an office changed during the Roman Empire. Still, it was difficult for a German to rise to such a high rank without a benefactor – Alaric believed his would be none other than the emperor, who was impressed with the young man’s abilities. Unfortunately for Alaric, his dreams of attainting the highest rank in the Roman army were dashed when Theodosius I died.<ref> Bury, p. 64</ref> The young Visigoth warrior would have to look elsewhere for status. In the year 395, some of Alaric’s ambitions were finally realized when he was elected king of the Visigoths at the age of thirty. The election made Alaric the first true Visigoth king, <ref>Rousseau, Philip. “Visigothic Migration and Settlement, 376-418: Some Excluded Hypotheses.” <i>Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte</i> 41 (1992) p. 335</ref> but it did help him gain entry into the Roman elite. The title of Visigoth king must have seemed like an inferior door prize to Alaric I, because as soon as he was crowned he set out to punish Rome.
Alaric I led his Visigoth army into Roman territory and for a time it seemed that there was nothing the Western or Eastern emperors could do about it, until the Roman general Stilicho came to the rescue. Like Alaric, Stilicho was actually of German ancestry, but he was from the Vandal tribe and by the late fourth century his reputation as a excellent tactician and charismatic general preceded him, which eventually resulted in Theodosius I appointing him as the young Honorius’ regent. Honorius later married Stilicho’s daughter Thermania, placing the Vandal firmly in the imperial family. <ref> Sennigen, William B., and Arthur E.R. Boak. <i>The History of Rome to A.D. 565. </i> Sixth Edition. (New York: Macmillan, 1977), p.451</ref> Most now believe that Stilicho was the one who truly held the reins of power in the Western Roman Empire and that he largely controlled Alaric I’s early movements in southern Europe.
====The Invasions of Italy and Sieges of Rome====
Not long after Alaric I was elected king, he lead the Visigoth nation into southern Europe, embarking on a thirteen year orgy of plunder and devastation. The Visigoths first marched into the Balkans region in 397 and were met by little resistance. The emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, Arcadius (ruled 395-408), was weak like his brother Honorius and totally bereft of any military force that could stop the Visigoths. The only hope that Arcadius had was to appeal to his brother to send Stilicho and his army, but the general decided to sit back for awhile to see how the situation transpired. Alaric I led his Visigoths to ravage Illyrium, Macedonia, and Thrace before he finally arrived with his army in southern Greece. <ref> Bury, pgs. 66-67</ref> The Visigoths returned to their temporary base in Epirus after losing a battle to Stilicho’s forces, but the army was largely still intact. <ref>Burrell, Emma. “A Re-Examination of Why Stilicho Abandoned His Pursuit of Alaric in 397.” <i>Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte</i> 53 (2004) p. 252</ref> Many modern scholars believe that Alaric’s entire campaign was manipulated by Stilicho – the general purposely allowed the Visigoths to plunder the region so that he could be the savior and gain control at the expense of the East. <ref>Bury, p. 79</ref> But Alaric I was not content with mere plunder, he desired to have a territory for his people within Roman territory so he decided to bring his request straight to the emperor.
Since no one in either half of the Roman Empire appeared to be listening to Alaric, the Visigoth king decided to take his grievances straight to the emperor by invading Italy in 401. Alaric and his army ravaged towns in northern Italy until Stilicho arrived once more to save the day, forcing the Visigoths to accept his terms and leave Italy in 402. <ref> Bury, p. 77</ref> Alaric did not plan to stay away until his dreams were realized, though, so he invaded Italy once more in 403, but was defeated again by Stilicho. After the defeat in 403, Alaric led the Visigoths back through the Balkans where they encamped in Epirus for nearly five years. <ref> Bury, p. 78</ref>
====Suggested Readings====
* Bury, J. B. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393003884/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0393003884&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=674cc418da52757c6a23d9153bed4b30 The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians]. </i> (New York: W. W. Norton, 1967) * Sennigen, William B., and Arthur E.R. Boak. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/151159859X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=151159859X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=30e0c8a670cab9eddaa81a763aee31d9 The History of Rome to A.D. 565] </i> 6th Ed. (New York: Macmillan, 1977) * Kyle Harper, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691166838/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0691166838&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=8847a0d9567c7a46530e846eddf769f7 The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire]</i> (Princeton University Press, 2017) * John Boardman, edit. Jasper Griffen, Oswyn Murray, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0192802038/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0192802038&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=cf273774d1bac11c72c7b6dba59f6ce1 The Oxford History of the Roman World]</i> (Oxford University Press, 2001) * Bryan Ward-Perkins, ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0192807285/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0192807285&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=0aa209b468427b0b72f5320e69fcd25c The Fall of Rome: and the End of Civilization]'' (Oxford University Press, 2006)
====References====