Alaric
Alaric was a Visigothic leader, usually identified as Alaric I, who became chief of the Visigoths in 395 and led the army that sacked Rome in 410.
Alaric was a Visigothic leader who became chief of the Visigoths in 395 and is best known for leading the sack of Rome in 410.
Who Alaric was
Alaric, usually called Alaric I, was born around 370 and emerged as a prominent Gothic leader in the late 4th century. He became chief of the Visigoths in 395 and led them in conflicts with the Roman Empire.
The sack of Rome
In August 410, Alaric's forces entered Rome and occupied the city for about three days. The event shocked the Roman world and is widely seen as a major symbolic moment in the decline of the Western Roman Empire.
Death and legacy
Alaric died later in 410 at Cosentia in southern Italy. His sack of Rome remains his defining act, marking a turning point in late Roman history.
In short
- Alaric was chief of the Visigoths from 395 to 410.
- He led the sack of Rome in August 410, lasting about three days.
- The sack is considered a major symbol of the Western Roman Empire's decline.
- Alaric died in 410 in southern Italy.
Quick questions
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Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/biography/AlaricSupports: Biographical dates, leadership of the Visigoths, sack of Rome in August 410, and death in 410 at Cosentia.
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaric_ISupports: Alaric I as first king of the Visigoths and the sack of Rome beginning on 24 August 410.