History Ancient Rome Questions
The Visigoths were a Germanic tribe that originated in the region of modern-day Scandinavia. They migrated southward and eventually settled in the Roman Empire. In 410 AD, under the leadership of their king Alaric, the Visigoths sacked the city of Rome. This event marked the first time in almost 800 years that the city had been captured by an enemy force. The sack of Rome by the Visigoths symbolized the decline and vulnerability of the Western Roman Empire, as it highlighted the weakening of Roman military power and the inability to protect its capital. This event also had significant psychological and political impacts, as it shattered the myth of Rome's invincibility and further destabilized the already crumbling empire.