Visigoths Sack Rome: Empire Crumbles After 800 Years
Alaric I led his Visigothic army through the Salarian Gate on August 24, 410 AD, and sacked Rome for three days. It was the first time the city had fallen to a foreign enemy in nearly 800 years. The Visigoths stripped gold and silver from temples, looted wealthy homes, and carried off Emperor Honorius' sister Galla Placidia as a hostage. But they didn't burn the city, and many churches were spared. The psychological impact far exceeded the physical damage. Saint Jerome, writing from Bethlehem, declared: "The city which had taken the whole world was itself taken." Saint Augustine wrote The City of God in direct response, arguing that Rome's fall proved earthly kingdoms were transient. The Western Empire survived another 66 years, but the myth of Roman invincibility was dead.
August 27, 410
1616 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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