The Civic Platform - A Political Journal of Ideas and Analysis

Alaric Lays Siege To Rome
The Lost Gold of Rome by Daniel Costa
ISBN 9780750943970; 2007

In October 408, Alaric approached the Eternal City for the first time and organised a cordon around it. He took over Portus and put an end to the flow of grain to the city. He began to starve Rome slowly, hoping that this kind of pressure was going to get him what he wanted. The Visigoths possessed neither the skills nor the technology to break through the brick walls.

Inevitably, the city gradually exhausted its provisions and endured
starvation and epidemics. The siege, and the ravages it wrought, was
a disaster unprecedented in Rome’s long history. The city sent
embassies to Alaric. He made it clear that the siege would continue
unless the Roman authorities handed over to him all the gold and
silver in the city, as well as all the domestic wares and barbarian
slaves. The city leaders decided to do everything to meet Alaric’s
demands.

To save their skins, the Romans delivered up to Alaric 5,0001b of
gold (2,200kg); 30,000lb of silver (13,000kg); 4,000 silken robes;
3,000 purple-dyed furs; and 3,000lb of pepper (1,300kg).

At that point Honorius sent to Rome 6,000 Dalmatian troops to try and
break the barbarian stranglehold on the city, but the Visigoths
prevailed. The discouraged urban prefect took two senators with him
and travelled to Ravenna to appeal to Honorius and persuade him to
try again to release Rome from the horrendous blockade, but the son
of Theodosius refused Alaric’s terms.

Alaric withdrew to Tuscany around the time of the arrival of winter
in 408. The disruption caused by the Goths had destroyed the economy
and, because of inflation, all their gold could not adequately feed
them. Alaric realised they needed to settle lands with inhabitants
who would work to feed his warriors. In January and February 409 he
tightened the blockade.

In reaction to it, a new Roman delegation arrived in Ravenna. Besides
senators, this embassy included Pope Innocent 1. It was the first
time in history that a pope intervened in secular politics. Honorius
gave in and sent his praetorian prefect Jovius to negotiate with
Alaric in Rimini, but the talks ended prematurely and Alaric renewed
his torment of the dying city.

As autumn was approaching, a third delegation, headed by Attalus, the
urban prefect, and Pope Innocent I, travelled to Ravenna to convey
Alaric’s demands to Honorius. Again Honorius rejected Alaric’s terms.