Thursday, October 25, 2012

History Shorts: Alaric Sacks Rome (410 A.D.)


The Roman Empire weakened considerably after Constantine moved the capitol to Constantinople in 325. In 378, a barbarian army wiped out the cream of a Roman generation at Adrianople leaving the west exposed to incursions. In 410, the unthinkable happened. The Visigoths sacked Rome. They simply wanted land and a place in Roman society. Arrogant politicians enslaved Visigoth children and fed the people meager rations. In response, Alaric led his people on a punitive expedition against the Romans. It culminated in the sack of the city. For Romans, it must have seemed like the end times.

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