Editing Alaric I (section)

==Semi-independent action in Eastern Roman interests, Eastern Roman recognition==

{{Main|Revolt of Alaric I}}
Whether or not Alaric was a member of an ancient Germanic royal clan—as claimed by Jordanes and debated by historians—is less important than his emergence as a leader, the first of his kind since [[Fritigern]].{{sfn|Collins|1999|p=54}} Theodosius's death left the Roman field armies collapsing and the Empire divided again between his two sons, one taking the [[Byzantine Empire|eastern]] and the other the [[Western Roman Empire|western portion]] of the Empire. [[Stilicho]] made himself master of the West and attempted to establish control in the East as well, and led an army into Greece.{{sfn|McEvoy|2013|p=142}}{{sfn|Heather|2013|pp=153–160}} Alaric rebelled again. Historian [[Roger Collins]] points out that while the rivalries created by the two halves of the Empire vying for power worked to Alaric's advantage and that of his people, simply being called to authority by the Gothic people did not solve the practicalities of their needs for survival. He needed Roman authority in order to be supplied by Roman cities.{{sfn|Collins|1999|pp=54–55}}

[[File:Ludwig Thiersch - Alarich in Athen - 10346 - Bavarian State Painting Collections.jpg|right|thumb|Alaric (central figure, bearded) rests after capturing [[Athens]], as imagined by [[Ludwig Thiersch]] in 1879 ]]

Alaric took his Gothic army on what Stilicho's propagandist [[Claudian]] described as a "pillaging campaign" that began first in the East.{{sfn|James|2014|p=54}} Historian [[Thomas S. Burns|Thomas Burns]]'s interpretation is that Alaric and his men were recruited by [[Rufinus (consul)|Rufinus]]'s Eastern regime in Constantinople, and sent to [[Thessaly]] to stave off Stilicho's threat.{{sfn|Burns|1994|p=159}} No battle took place. Alaric's forces made their way down to Athens and along the coast, where he sought to force a new peace upon the Romans.{{sfn|James|2014|p=54}} In 396, he marched through [[Thermopylae]] and sacked Athens, where archaeological evidence shows widespread damage to the city.{{sfn|Frantz|Thompson|Travlos|1988|pp=49–56}} Stilicho's propagandist [[Claudian]] accuses his troops of plundering for the next year or so as far south as the mountainous [[Peloponnese]] peninsula, and reports that only Stilicho's surprise attack with his western field army (having sailed from Italy) stemmed the plundering as he pushed Alaric's forces north into Epirus.{{sfn|Kulikowski|2019|p=126}} Zosimus adds that Stilicho's troops destroyed and pillaged too, and let Alaric's men escape with their plunder.{{efn|See: Zosimus, book 5 http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/New_History/Book_the_Fifth}}

Stilicho was forced to send some of his Eastern forces home.{{sfn|Burns|1994|p=154}} They went to Constantinople under the command of one [[Gainas]], a Goth with a large Gothic following. On arrival, Gainas murdered Rufinus, and was appointed [[magister militum]] for [[Diocese of Thrace|Thrace]] by [[Eutropius (consul 399)|Eutropius]], the new supreme minister and the only eunuch consul of Rome, who, Zosimus claims, controlled Arcadius "as if he were a sheep".{{efn|See: Zosimus, book 5 http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/New_History/Book_the_Fifth}} A poem by [[Synesius]] advises Arcadius to display manliness and remove a "skin-clad savage" (probably referring to Alaric) from the councils of power and his barbarians from the Roman army. We do not know if Arcadius ever became aware of this advice, but it had no recorded effect.{{sfn|Burns|1994|pp=162–163}}

Stilicho obtained a few more troops from the German frontier and continued to campaign indecisively against the Eastern empire; again he was opposed by Alaric and his men. During the next year, 397, Eutropius personally led his troops to victory over some [[Huns]] who were marauding in Asia Minor. With his position thus strengthened he declared Stilicho a public enemy, and he established Alaric as ''magister militum per [[Diocese of Illyricum|Illyricum]]''{{sfn|Kulikowski|2019|p=126}} Alaric thus acquired entitlement to gold and grain for his followers and negotiations were underway for a more permanent settlement.{{sfn|Kelly|2009|p=52}} Stilicho's supporters in Milan were outraged at this seeming betrayal; meanwhile, Eutropius was celebrated in 398 by a parade through Constantinople for having achieved victory over the "wolves of the North".{{sfn|Kelly|2009|pp=52–53}}{{efn|This victory celebration included recognizing Eutropius's part in allowing Roman troops to be reinforced by Goths, who jointly ejected the Huns from nearby [[Armenia]].{{sfn|Kelly|2009|p=53}}}} Alaric's people were relatively quiet for the next couple of years.{{sfn|Halsall|2007|p=200}} In 399, Eutropius fell from power.{{sfn|Burns|1994|p=169}} The new Eastern regime now felt that they could dispense with Alaric's services and they nominally transferred Alaric's province to the West. This administrative change removed Alaric's Roman rank and his entitlement to legal provisioning for his men, leaving his army—the only significant force in the ravaged Balkans—as a problem for Stilicho.{{sfn|Burns|1994|p=175}}