Radagaisus
Radagaisus (died 23 August 406) was a
Invasion
Radagaisus's force probably consisted of about 20,000 fighting men.
Radagaisus, whose early career and ultimate origins are unknown, fleeing Hunnic pressures, invaded Italy without passing through the Balkans, which indicates that his invasion began somewhere on the Great Hungarian Plain, west of the Carpathian Mountains.[1] Archaeological finds of coin hoards, buried by residents who were apparently aware of Radagaisus's approach, suggest that his route passed through southeastern Noricum and western Pannonia. About this time Flavia Solva was burned out and largely abandoned and Aguntum[7] was devastated by fire. An indeterminate number of refugees fled ahead of his army as it marched over the Alps.[1] It was said by contemporaries that Arian Christians swelled his forces.[8]
The
Radagaisus's army had the run of northern Italy for at least six months while the Empire mobilized its forces.[5] They eventually made their way to the bridgehead community of Florentia. They blockaded the city, where no less than a third of the Goth's troops and allies were killed.[citation needed]
Capture, death, and aftermath
Stilicho's army relieved the
Ancient sources
- History of Orosius
- History of Zosimus
- Chronicle of Prosper of Aquitaine
- Chronicle of Marcellinus Comes
- City of God, Book 5, Chapter 23
Other accounts
- Edward Gibbon in the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776), Chapter 30
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c d Peter Heather, The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians, 2nd ed. 2006:194;
- ^ Herwig Wolfram, History of the Goths (1979) 1988, "Radagaisus and his contribution to the Visigothic ethnogenesis" p168f.
- Scythianand a pagan" (paganus et Scytha) (VII.37.4).
- ^ a b c d e f Heather, p. 198
- ^ a b c d e f Heather, p. 205
- ^ a b Wolfram 1988:171
- ^ Wilhelm Alzinger, "Das Municipium Claudium Aguntum", Aufstieg und Niedergang der Römischen Welt: Principat II:6 (Berlin, 1977:403), noted in Wolfram 1988:169 note 328.
- ^ Wolfram :169.
- ^ Wolfram 1988:169, notes that Orosius placed them face to face and Isidore of Seville followed him.
- ^ Heather, p. 206
- ^ L. Schmidt, Ostgermanen 267, following Auctarium Havniense, noted by Wolfram 1988:169.
References
- ISBN 0-19-515954-3.
Further reading
- Drinkwater, John F., "The usurpers Constantine III (407-411) and Jovinus (411-413)", Britannia 29 (1998:269-98).
- Michael Kulikowski, "Barbarians in Gaul, Usurpers in Britain" Britannia 31 (2000:325-345).