The period between the 4th and 7th centuries entered world history as an era in which dozens of peoples, having left their former territories, set off to meet their unknown destiny. Among researchers, one can hardly find a common point of view on the reasons that served as an impetus to this large-scale phenomenon. The German tribe that captured Rome in 410 was part of this process, which completely changed the map of Europe.
Hun invasion
Two centuries before the catastrophe erupted, Germanic tribes periodically appeared on the borders of the Great Empire. Having made another raid, the barbarians retreated under the onslaught of the Romans, leaving behind the looted and burned villages and leading into slavery hundreds of civilians. But the smoke of the conflagration dispersed, and for some time life returned. Those who were lucky enough to survive the tragedy restored their homes, and after a while everything was repeated again.
It lasted almost two centuries, until Europe suffered a real disaster - the invasion of the Huns. The myriad hordes of these nomads, emerging from the Asian steppes, marched from the borders of China to Europe. Moving at an unprecedented speed at that time, in a short time they defeated the German Goths who occupied the territory of the northern Black Sea region. Some of these tribes (eastern) obeyed the invaders, and another (western) retreated to the lands controlled by the Roman Empire, in the hope of protecting their army.
Under the yoke of Roman bureaucracy
Partly their hopes were realized, and for the Huns they became unattainable. However, having avoided one trouble, they got into another. The fact is that this period in the history of the Roman state is rightfully considered its disintegration caused by the moral decay of the ruling elite and the entire bureaucracy. Incredible in its scope, corruption corroded all spheres of the country's life.
The Goths, although they received land for their living, are very small and unsuitable for either farming or raising livestock. As a result, hunger began. In addition, they suffered from the arbitrariness of local officials who imposed exorbitant taxes on them and unceremoniously intervened in all areas of their lives. As a result, it was these factors that gave impetus to the processes that turned peaceful settlers into a Germanic tribe that captured Rome.
Rebellion of the Germans
Events developed rapidly and unexpectedly for the Romans. Just yesterday, the humble, but now desperate, people revolted. The Germans, as one, took up arms and moved to the eastern capital of the empire - Constantinople, where in 378 the Germans met on the battlefield and the regular Roman army, headed personally by the emperor Valens.
The Goths in this battle defeated and completely destroyed the best army of the time in the world. They had nowhere to retreat, and they showed miracles of heroism. Among the slain Romans was their emperor. A little more than three decades remained until the day when the Germanic tribe that captured Rome in 410 would celebrate its bloody victory.
The defenselessness of the once formidable capital
This defeat was fatal to the empire. Deprived of the army, from then on it was constantly forced to resort to the services of mercenaries, who for the most part consisted of the same Germans. They were skilled, well-trained warriors, but extremely unreliable and ready to sell to anyone, if any. The situation was aggravated by the fact that among the civilian population a social explosion was brewing, caused by the lawlessness of the corrupt authorities.
The Germanic tribes that captured Rome in 410gg. e., of course, in the person of their opponents were the remains of a once powerful, but at that time completely decayed state. On top of their troubles, the Romans lost their talented and experienced commander Stilicho - he fell victim to court intrigues. From now on, the capital, deprived of both a reliable army and a skilled military leader, turned out to be practically defenseless.
Siege of the Eternal City
The Germans did not fail to take advantage of this. Led by their leader Alaric, they took Rome into a siege ring. Not having at that time the opportunity to storm the well-fortified city walls, the barbarians condemned the inhabitants to starvation. But this time, fate was favorable to the besieged, and the Germanic tribe that captured Rome in 410 agreed to withdraw, after receiving a huge ransom in advance.
However, only two years passed, and the insatiable Alaric reappeared under the walls of the Eternal City with his hordes. Encouraged by the recent success, the barbarians were self-confident and arrogant. These were the very Germanic tribes that captured Rome in 410. This time they were not satisfied with any, even the most generous ransom. They did not want to be content with the part - they needed to get everything. The capital of the empire that once captured half the world was doomed.
Alaric's War Cunning
Here we should make a digression and ask ourselves the question of how the Germanic tribes that captured Rome in 410 managed to overcome the walls of the city, which two years earlier turned out to be impregnable for them? On this occasion, there are two versions described in the surviving records of contemporaries of these events. According to one of them, the leader of the Germans, realizing that the walls were impregnable, undertook a military trick.
He very convincingly staged preparations for a retreat and sent his emissaries to the emperor, who stated that Alaric, seeing the courage and patriotism of the Romans, did not intend to continue the siege, but left the city, leaving his citizens with three hundred of his best slaves as a gift. Overjoyed by such an unexpected deliverance, the besieged received a generous gift. At night, these "slaves", breaking the guard, opened the gates to the Germans.
The widow who opened the way for the enemy
Another version sets out the story in a different way. An eyewitness writes that in those days when the Goths repeatedly besieged the city, a rich widow lived in it, who wholeheartedly sympathized with the townspeople and looked for an opportunity to somehow alleviate their suffering. Seeing that there was no hope of salvation and the first cases of cannibalism caused by hunger appeared, she ordered her slaves to open the gates of the city to the Germans at night, even if they had to kill the guards.
What really happened in those days is now hardly possible to establish. Whether the Romans were so gullible that they let the “fifth column” into their city, or did the venerable matron do a disservice to their compatriots - now it is hardly possible to establish with complete obviousness. Yes, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that the Cunning Alaric achieved his goal, and bloodthirsty hordes broke into the city.
The fall of the Roman capital
Many historical chronicles left by witnesses of those events have survived to our days. They describe how the Germanic tribe that conquered Rome in 410, for three days indulged in robbery and atrocities. From the pages of these documents, as if streams of blood are pouring and the dying cries of the dying are heard. They tell how the lot became a lot of thousands of civilians, and those who fled from the city, fleeing from enemies, found in the open air death from hunger and disease.
Alaric, like a monstrous leech, having sucked the last drops of blood from the capital, left the dying city and moved to the north the Germanic tribe that captured Rome in the middle of 410.
This year was destined to become a turning point in the history of all of Europe. Her card was rapidly redrawing. The colossus, which seemed unshakable, collapsed, burying the entire ancient world under its rubble .