Alaric I

Alaric
King of the Visigoths
Illustration from the 1920s depicting Alaric parading through Athens after conquering the city in 395
Reign	395–410
Coronation	395
Predecessor	Athanaric
Successor	Ataulf
Born	370 (or 375) Peuce Island, Dobruja
Died	410 Cosenza, Calabria
Burial	Busento River, Calabria
House	Balti dynasty
Father	Unknown
Religion	Arianism

Alaric I (Gothic: Alareiks - "supreme chief/ruler"; Latin: Alaricus; 370 (or 375) – 410 AD) was the first King of the Visigoths from 395–410, son (or paternal grandson) of chieftain Rothestes. Alaric is best known for his sack of Rome in 410, which marked a decisive event in the decline of the Roman Empire.

Alaric began his career under the Gothic soldier Gainas and later joined the Roman army. Alaric's first appearance was as the leader of a mixed band of Goths and allied peoples who invaded Thrace in 391 and were stopped by the half-Vandal Roman General Stilicho. In 394 he led a Gothic force of 20,000 that helped the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius defeat the Frankish usurper Arbogast at the Battle of Frigidus. Despite sacrificing around 10,000 of his men, Alaric received little recognition from the Emperor. Disappointed, he left the army and was elected reiks of the Visigoths in 395, and marched toward Constantinople until he was diverted by Roman forces. He then moved southward into Greece, where he sacked Piraeus (the port of Athens) and destroyed Corinth, Megara, Argos, and Sparta. As a response, the Eastern emperor Flavius Arcadius appointed Alaric magister militum ("master of the soldiers") in Illyricum.