344
SUEVI, ALANI, AND VANDALS IN GAUL.
to accept the office of decurio, and most of their regulations
have reference to the excuses which were not to he considered
valid. This burden, of which no remission was granted, stirred
up the peasant wars as early as the third century, of which we
find the first traces in the reign of Gallienus, and which after
his time never ceased. The appearance of the Bagaudae (this
is the name of those peasants), has very much occupied the
attention of French antiquaries; they consisted of the inhabit-
ants of entire districts which were in arms to resist the extor-
tions of the government. The details of the distress now
inflicted upon the Gauls by the barbarians are unknown. But
the warlike spirit arose earlier there than in Italy. The inha-
bitants of Auvergne became truly warlike, and defended
themselves against the attacks of their enemies. When Gaul
was ransacked, those nations directed their steps towards Spain.
The Suevi, Alani and Vandals evacuated Gaul entirely; the
Burgundians remained behind in Bourgogne, Franche Comté,
and Savoy, and afterwards also in Dauphine : at that time they
occupied the country of the Aequi and Sequani, and the
western parts of Switzerland. The Suevi and Vandals in Spain
were quite independent of the Roman empire, and always
remained hostile; whereas the Burgundians, a small tribe in
an extensive country, recognised the supremacy of Rome like
that of a feudal sovereign, in gratitude for being permitted to
form settlements in its dominions.
Stilicho was unable to save Gaul, and much censure was
heaped upon him on that account; he excited mistrust in
Honorius and at the court, as soon as his son Eucherius grew
up to manhood. Honorius had been successively marɪied to
two daughters of Stilicho, Maria and Thermantia. Maria died
without leaving any children, and as Thermantia too was not
expected to become a mother, every body anticipated that
Stilicho would make his son emperor. But it is by no means
proved, that Stilicho aimed at the life of Honorius: it is much
more probable, that if he had been let alone, he would have
quietly waited till the death of Honorius, and then it would
have been quite a matter of course, that Eucherius should have
succeeded, for Stilicho was the pillar of the empire, and he
alone made an imposing impression upon Alaric. Honorius
now formed a conspiracy against Stilicho ; just as Louis XIII.
conspired against one of his subjects, and after having
murder of Stiliciio.—λlaric at home. 34 5
previously caused an insurrection of the army, got him
assassinated in his palace. Stilicho’s friends were first mur-
dered; he himself fled into a church, hut was dragged forth
from it and killed, together with his son. His widow, Serena,
was sentenced to death by the infamous senate.
The murder of Stilicho was a pretext for Alaric again to
invade Italy. Honorius took up his residence in the inacces-
sible town of Ravenna, which then, like Venice at present,
was situated upon islands, being separated by lagoons from the
mainland with which it was connected only by a neck of land.
Alaric did not trouble himself with the siege of Ravenna,
but marched on the Flaminian road towards Rome and block-
aded it. The city soon began to sufl⅛r from the most fearful
famine. People were murdered in order that their bodies might
serve for food; and even children are said to have been eaten
by their own parents. In addition to this there arose a plague,
the necessary consequence of such circumstances. At last a
capitulation was agreed to. It is not easy to see why Alaric
entered into it; but he probably did so, because the summer
had already commenced, so that his army too began to suffer
from epidemics. Rome ransomed itself. Negotiations for peace
were to be commenced between the court of Ravenna and
Alaric; and the emperor was to appoint Alaric commander-in-
chief of all the forces of the western empire. But these nego-
tiations producing no results, Alaric returned to Rome a second
time: the senate deserted Honorius; AlaricproclaimedAttalus,
the praefectus praetorio, emperor, marched with him to Ravenna,
and Honorius was so pusillanimous as to recognise Attalus as
his colleag' e. Meantime reinforcements arrived in the port of
Ravenna, Attalus fell into disgrace with Alaric, Honorius again
broke off" the negotiations, and Alaric returned to Rome a third
time. The memorable and fearful destruction of Rome took place
on the 24th August, A.D. 410. The Salarian gate which is still
standing was opened to the Goths by treachery. Rome experi-
enced many of the horrors of a city taken by storm ; but little
blood was shed, though many people were carried away into cap-
tivity. The Goths knew no measure in their lust and rapacity : the
inhabitants were compelled by torture to disclose where they had
concealed their treasures ; the churches alone were not plundered.
After the plunder had lasted for three days, the enemy began .>
evacuate the city, which the last of them quitted on the sixth