342 ALAKIC IN ITALY.
period? Under Attila, it is said, they were in Pannonia; but
in what part of Pannonia ? for on the north of the Danube they
cannot have been. The history is in utter confusion, and new
materials cannot be looked for; but, I nevertheless believe,
that by a careful and strict examination of the existing mate-
rials, many a question may yet be solved, which Gibbon and
others have not put to themselves at all.
LECTURE CXXXVI.
Alaric now appeared in the western empire, and it is not
improbable that he was sent thither by the instigations of the
East. Honorius and his court were then at Milan, which
ever since the time of Maximian had frequently been the resi-
dence of the emperors, and had become a real capital. Milan,
though very strongly fortified,4 was situated in a plain, and
unable to protect Honorius: accordingly when Alaric advanced,
from Aquileia, the emperor fled across the Alps. But when
he had reached Asti in Piedmont, he was Surrrounded by the
Goths ; there Stilicho came to his relief, bringing with him all
the forces he had been able to muster, but they were chiefly
barbarians. Valour had become extinct in Italy, just as liter-
ature and the creative mind in it had disappeared. The Italians
were counted only by heads, and it had become altogether im-
possible to levy troops among them. The states of the church
and Naples, even in our days, would not be able to withstand
a determined army of 600 men ; and a few thousand Algerians,
if they knew this weakness, might overwhelm and ransack
Rome. On Easter Sunday, Stilicho with his army attacked
the Goths near Pollentia, in the territory of Montferrat, and
was victorious. Fanaticism imputed it to him as a crime, that
he had fought the battle on a sacred day. The Goths were
not dispersed, but were obliged to think of a retreat. Alaric
made a bold move in advance towards Rome, but Stilicho fol-
lowed him. After a second unsuccessful engagement, Alaric
concluded a convention, and withdrew from Italy. Honorius
triumphed, and built a triumphal arch, which was still stand-
EAnAGAISUS — STATE OF GAUL.
343
ing in the 14th century, but was then unfortunately broken
down. Another monument of that period still exists, viz.,
the inscription on the Porta S. Lorenzo, in which the traces
of Stilicho’s name are still visible ; and he is said to have
restored the walls egestis immensibus ruderibus. Aurelian had
fortified Rome ; but after his time, the walls were in a very
bad condition, and Stilicho now repaired them. There can be
no doubt that the Monte Testaccio arose on that occasion, the
walls having previously been buried in shells. It is a marsh
filled up with shells.
Soon after Alaric had withdrawn to Illyricum, Italy was
visited by a fresh disaster. Radagaisus, who is likewise said
to have been a Goth, but who was unconnected with the
Ostrogoths, advanced with an army of Suevi, Vandals and
other nations, which were not yet Christians, and were accor-
dingly much more cruel than the Goths. They invaded
Italy from the Alps, traversing the unfortunate plains of
Lombardy, and laid siege to Florence. There Stilicho again
met them, and with extraordinary skill forced them back into
the Apennines. It is hardly conceivable how those swarms
allowed themselves so quietly to be driven into the mountains.
Most of them perished in their distressing situation, but many
Surrendeied and were sold as slaves in great numbers.
Italy was thus saved. The eastern empire, although at peace
with Persia, did not take the least part in the dangers and mis-
fortunes of the West. It had been necessary to draw the forces
away from the Rhenish frontier and from Britain, whence
Britain separated itself from the Roman empire. The troops
on the Rhine were very much weakened, and unable to with-
stand the attacks of the Alemannians, Burgundians, Suevi,
Vandals, and Alani. These nations crossed the Rhine in A.D.
407, and spread over Gaul, which was fearfully oppressed by
the taxes which were levied by the barbarians. Its sufferings
were aggravated by the system of solidary obligation, whereby
each community was made answerable for the sums imposed upon
it: in the first place, the decuriones, who were mostly selected
from among the wealthy, were made responsible for the money,
and if they were unable to pay it, they were subjected even to
tortures, and were then left to collect it again as best they could.
Hence many would rather be sold into slavery than accept
such a dignity. There were very minute laws to compel people