The Visigoths and Alaric I - the Visigoth King

“All that we see or seem

         Is but a dream within a dream.”

 

Many of us instantly recognise this as Edgar Allan Poe’s A Dream Within a Dream. Similarly, we are probably equally as familiar with the writings of Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley Frankenstein, and Ann Radcliffe.

This is because, in the 18th and 19th centuries, a new genre of literature with a dark, yet romantic, style emerged and thrived – hence its pervading popularity.

This gothic influence also made its way into modern subculture by way of music, fashion, and art. It would be understandable to presume that the genesis of the gothic influence began with the literature, but, surprisingly, this isn’t the case. It was actually named after the places in which the novels were set, immediately transporting us to the moody landscapes of countries such as Italy and Romania in the middle ages.

Beyond this point though, most of us probably don’t really think about the origin of the term gothic. To answer the question of its inception, we have to travel much further back in time to that of an ancient civilisation called the Visigoths.

 

The Goths and the Visigoths

The Goths were a Germanic tribe who helped to bring about the fall of the Roman Empire, thus, marking the beginning of Europe’s medieval period. However, knowledge of this group before this is a mystery to historians.

This could be because information about them was sparse before their interactions with the Romans, as their documents were mostly runic, and many didn’t survive the test of time. Those that did, contain little information about their practices and day to day life. In fact, the only account that we have of them before this time is from the gothic writer Jordanes who claimed that the Goths originated on an island called “Scandza”, which to the modern-day tongue sounds strikingly similar to Scandinavia.

The nomadic Goths to the west of the continent were known as the Visigoths, while those to the east were known as the Ostrogoths. It was the Visigoth’s ancestors who can be credited for bringing down the Roman Empire.

The 3rd century was a prolific time for the Goths, especially the tribe that the Visigoths were descendent from – the Thervingi - as they launched a number of invasions against both Roman-controlled Greece and the Roman Empire itself. Following a battle in Adrianople in which the Goths defeated the Romans, the two civilisations simultaneously became trading allies and competitive forces for a number of decades. However, the Goths were soon to triumphantly rise to power after the succession of Alaric I, the first Visigoth King.

 

Alaric I – King of the Visigoths

Alaric, whose name means “ruler of all” was a nobleman by birth. Surprisingly, he actually served as a member of the Roman army for many years, helping them to defeat the Franks. However, Rome never properly recognised Alaric’s prowess and after the death of the Roman Emperor, Theodosius, Alaric left the Roman army and was elevated in status to become the first king of the Visigoths.

 

After Rome reneged on promises of land and supplies made to the Visigoths, Alaric began his invasion by marching his army towards Istanbul before they were pushed back by Roman forces. However, they progressed their march by moving into Greece and sacking many of their major cities. Eventually, in 401 A.D., Alaric and his Visigoth army invaded Italy, but they were initially defeated by the Roman general, Stilicho, and, thus, they were forced to retreat - albeit temporarily.

Despite continued efforts, a second Visigoth invasion of the Roman Empire also ended in defeat. However, favour was to eventually look upon them, as General Stilicho was murdered and the opportunity to invade Rome was grasped by an antibarbarian tribe. This tribe ordered the massacre of the wives and children of any soldiers serving in the Roman army, thus, these soldiers turned to Alaric for support, and resultingly, his military power increased.

Although Alaric would have preferred peace, the Visigoth requests were still refused, and Alaric felt like he was left with no other option but to invade Rome until his tribe’s wishes were granted. The western emperor, Honorius, remained obstinate, however, and in 409 A.D. the Visigoth army surrounded Rome and blockaded it until a new emperor, Attalus, was declared.

However, Attalus was not the emperor that Alaric had hoped for, as he continued to deny him and his army access into Africa.

Once again, Alaric surrounded Rome, but this time, Allies opened the gates to the city. For the first time in nearly 800 years, Rome was occupied by a foreign troop. Alaric and the Visigoths proved themselves to be commendable inhabitants, however, as they treated the Romans with regard and damaged as little of the city as possible. No longer intending to occupy Africa, the Visigoths ventured north after their invasion of Rome and Alaric passed away during their march.

 

As you can see, having Gothic lineage extends considerably further back than just the literature.

If you would like to know if you have Visigoth DNA in your history, then My True Ancestry can help.