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Enemies of <strong>Rome</strong> – Alaric<br />
Alaric hoped to become a military officer in the Roman army. He was chief of a<br />
tribe called the Visigoths from the kingdom of Thrace. Alaric had helped one<br />
Roman emperor to crush a rebellion, but a later emperor declared that there was no<br />
longer any need for Alaric’s services so the Visigoth leader decided to create a new<br />
kingdom as a homeland for his people. He attacked and looted many cities in Greece<br />
but eventually fled from a Roman army. Alaric had invaded Italy twice before but now<br />
decided to attack <strong>Rome</strong>. After several unsuccessful assaults on the city, Alaric spent<br />
two years trying to negotiate with the young emperor Honorius who, frightened by the<br />
Visigoth invasion, had moved his court to the fortified city of Ravenna on Italy’s east<br />
coast, where he eventually died. Alaric finally lost patience and in 310 AD his warriors<br />
plundered <strong>Rome</strong>, though he spared the churches. He then established a kingdom in<br />
northern Italy.<br />
The sacking of <strong>Rome</strong> by a barbarian force was a warning to people throughout the<br />
Empire and as a result the Romans in North Africa cut off supplies of corn to <strong>Rome</strong>.<br />
Alaric had planned to invade the island of Sicily and <strong>Rome</strong>’s North African provinces<br />
to get the grain ships sailing again. However, many of his ships were wrecked in a<br />
storm and most of his warriors were drowned. Not long after this disaster Alaric died,<br />
possibly from a fever, and his army retreated to northern Italy.<br />
Activity Box<br />
1. Why were grain supplies from Africa<br />
stopped?<br />
2. Why didn’t Alaric invade Sicily?<br />
3. Why did Alaric flee from Greece?<br />
Clues<br />
Across<br />
3. Fighting body of men<br />
5. Ran away<br />
7. A realm<br />
9. The Roman world<br />
13. Plundered<br />
14. Assisted<br />
16. A couple<br />
17. Home of the<br />
Visigoths<br />
18. An ailment<br />
suffered by Alaric<br />
19. Group of fighting<br />
men<br />
22. A revolt<br />
23. Provided corn<br />
25. Describes the<br />
emperor Honorius<br />
A Gothic Warrior<br />
4. Why do you think Alaric would have been<br />
annoyed that a later emperor no longer needed<br />
his services?<br />
5. Why do you think Alaric spared <strong>Rome</strong>’s<br />
churches from destruction?<br />
Down<br />
1. Necessity<br />
2. Centre of the Empire<br />
4. Withdrew<br />
6. Alaric intended to<br />
attack this island<br />
8. Relating to the army<br />
10. Strengthened against<br />
attacks<br />
11. It sank many of<br />
Alaric’s ships<br />
12. They carried grain<br />
15. Honorius was one<br />
20. Ravenna is in this<br />
country<br />
21. Supplied by <strong>Rome</strong>’s<br />
African provinces<br />
24. Corn supplies were<br />
off<br />
Viewing Sample<br />
Prim-Ed Publishing www.prim-ed.com <strong>Ancient</strong> <strong>Rome</strong> – 83 –
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