The Fall Of The West (COMPLETED)

Part 1: Visigoths

Alaric was one of the political hostages sent to Constantinople as stated by the terms in the peace treaty between the Romans and the Visigoths. He received a military education there, and in 394 AD he was leader of mostly Gothic foederati in the force against the pagan senator and usurper Eugenius. The two armies met near the Julian Alps, and that was when Theodosius and Stilicho ordered Alaric and his Goths on a suicidal mission to attack Eugenius's superior position. Alaric complied, and the battle was won, but the Goths suffered horrendous losses. Alaric himself suspected that his men had been culled to reduce the population of the Goths. Their reward for the suicide attempt was not very great either, causing the Goths to be resentful of the Romans. Alaric's hopes for a promotion to a Roman general were denied, making him angry and rebellious.

In 395 AD, following the death of Theodosius, Alaric was "raised on a shield and proclaimed king" by the Visigoths. Both the new king and his people decided "rather to seek new kingdoms by their own work, than to slumber in peaceful subjection to the rule of others." In other words, they were going to fight the empire again for their own rights.

Alaric I, the man who led the Visigoths against the Roman Empire in 395 AD.

The Visigoths, finding that the double-walled city of Constantinople was too tough a nut to crack, turned west and plundered their way through Thessaly and through the pass of Thermopylae, the location of the famous last stand of the Spartans, and into Greece. Strangely, they avoided estates owned by Rufinus. At this point of time the Eastern Roman armies were occupied with Hunnic incursions in Asia Minor and Syria. Rufinus tried to negotiate personally with the Goths, arousing suspicions in Constantinople that he was secretly supporting the Goths. Alaric might also have avoided Rufinus's estates to establish friendly ties with the most powerful man in the eastern court. His objective was never to conquer any part of the empire. He just wanted to gain favorable settlement terms from the empire for his people.

Since the eastern armies could not cope with the enemies on all sides, Stilicho prepared to march his forces to the aid of the eastern empire. Rufinus was alarmed that his rival would have the glory of defeating the Visigoths, and he influenced Arcadius to order Stilicho back. Stilicho obeyed, in the process leaving Greece to the mercy of the Visigoths. No one is sure whether Stilicho was just plain loyal and obedient, or he was also in league with the Visigoths. He left his Western Roman forces at Salona, while he put a Gothic general Gainas in charge of the Eastern Roman forces to be restored to Arcadius. When they reached Constantinople, Arcadius and his court went to the city gates by custom to greet the troops personally.

The following is purely fictional.

Septimus stood at attention while Rufinus addressed the troops.

"Now, no need to be so serious! I know you've all had a long journey, so just relax a little, enjoy the cool evening breeze!"

With that, the richly adorned man in his fine red and white robes disembarked from the platform and made his way towards the troops, accompanied by Gainas.

Septimus clenched his rectal muscles. It was one thing to kill a barbarian, but the Praetorian Prefect of the East? That would take a bit more courage. The political consequences that would come with it would be enormous.

Rufinus inspected the troops, and Septimus could see that he was making conversation with some of them. He was talking quite casually, no doubt trying to secure his popularity with them just as Stilicho had done. A cool evening breeze blew through the opened ranks of the troops. Septimus realized how long it had been since he had been in the Thracian highlands.

It took Rufinus almost forever to get to  Septimus. The sun was almost setting, the golden light complementing Rufinus's tanned skin. The helmets around him glinted in the dying light. Septimus tapped his finger on the shaft of his spear, getting nervous and impatient.

At last, Rufinus approached Septimus, his face full of smiles. Gainas followed closely behind, his right hand hovering around his sword. Septimus smiled back, and hoped it wasn't too fake.

"So, how's it in the west? I heard from your other comrades that the food wasn't good at all."

"Absolutely bad, sir. Worms and flies ate with us."

Septimus found that he couldn't stop staring at the stubble on Rufinus's chin.  Maybe he was too nervous.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gainas nod his head.

"Did you get to visit Rome?"

"Oh yes. I was on leave for a while, and me and my friend went to Rome to see the old temples and monuments there. I remember the Statue of Valor most well. They say if it were to fall, valor would be gone from the Romans."

Rufinus nodded his head in feigned interest. "Huh."

Septimus nodded back. "Huh." And he raised his spear and whacked Rufinus over the head with it.

Gainas and ten other soldiers wasted no time in drawing their swords and attacking the felled man. Septimus went back to attention, and let the men hack poor Rufinus to death.

It wasn't that hard to kill him after all.

***

It is of no doubt that Stilicho orchestrated Rufinus's death. After the death of the latter, power in the eastern court passed into the hands of Eutropius.

Alaric spared Athens which surrendered to him, but Corinth, Argos and Sparta did not, and were subsequently captured and their inhabitants sold into slavery. However, Stilicho, still trying to exert his power in the east, trapped the Visigoths in the mountains of Pholoe in 397 AD. However, Alaric managed to sail around the Gulf of Corinth and escape northwards with his plunder. This is either one of the most brilliant military maneuvers in history or Alaric and Stilicho had had an arrangement.

Nevertheless, Arcadius inexplicably conferred upon Alaric the title of Master of Soldiers in Illyricum. Stilicho was also made a public enemy by Eutropius in Constantinople.

In 398 AD Eutropius personally led a campaign against the Huns marauding about in Asia, and returned to Constantinople in triumph. He was nominated consul in 399 AD, fanning the flames of resentment in the West. Eutropius was a eunuch, and a eunuch as a consul was unheard of. He drew the ire of many because he had violated very ancient Roman traditions.

Gainas, in cahoots with Ostrogothic rebels, sent a letter to Arcadius advising him to depose Eutropius from power. Arcadius would not have yielded if it were not for a greater influence on him. The Empress Eudoxia, who had been part of Eutropius's machinations to get into power, was jealous of the eunuch's great influence on Arcadius and one day appeared in front of Arcadius with her two little daughters and complained at length about Eutropius.

Eutropius, now hunted by Gainas and Arcadius, realized the danger of his situation, and fled to the St. Sophia to take refuge in the holy place as well as the authority of the Patriarch. However, troops still entered the church, and Eutropius only allowed himself to be removed on the condition that his life was spared. He was arrested, stripped of his possessions, and sent into exile in Cyprus.