Alaric, << AL uhr ihk >> (A.D. 370?-410), was a king of the Visigoths. In the early A.D. 390’s, he commanded Gothic troops in the Roman army. In 395, the Roman Empire split into the East and West Roman empires. Alaric desired a high position in the eastern empire but did not receive one. He then became king of the Visigoths. In the late 390’s, his forces plundered the Balkan region of the eastern empire. He invaded Italy in 401 and began a series of attacks on the western empire. He attacked Rome in 408 and in 409, but ended both sieges in exchange for huge bribes. In 410, Alaric captured and looted Rome, but did little damage to the city. He intended to move his troops to Africa, but a storm destroyed his fleet. He soon died of an illness in southern Italy. See also Goths .
