Book contents
- The Falls of Rome
- The Falls of Rome
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Maps
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations for Frequently Cited Works
- Abbreviations for Imperial Offices in Late Antiquity
- 1 Approaches to the Fate of the Late Antique City
- 2 The Constantinian Compromise
- 3 Responses to the Sack of Rome in 410
- 4 Rome after the 455 Vandal Occupation
- 5 Why Gibbon Was Wrong
- 6 The Fall of Ostrogothic Rome and the Justinianic Reconstruction
- 7 The Demise of the Senate
- Tables
- Bibliography
- Index
3 - Responses to the Sack of Rome in 410
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 September 2021
- The Falls of Rome
- The Falls of Rome
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Maps
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations for Frequently Cited Works
- Abbreviations for Imperial Offices in Late Antiquity
- 1 Approaches to the Fate of the Late Antique City
- 2 The Constantinian Compromise
- 3 Responses to the Sack of Rome in 410
- 4 Rome after the 455 Vandal Occupation
- 5 Why Gibbon Was Wrong
- 6 The Fall of Ostrogothic Rome and the Justinianic Reconstruction
- 7 The Demise of the Senate
- Tables
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The Sack of Rome in 410 by the Gothic General Alaric was the result of years of failed imperial negotiations. It dealt a significant psychological blow to the city, but the physical damage was limited. By focusing on the actions of Rome’s civic officeholders, I demonstrate how senatorial aristocrats engaged in competitive reconstruction efforts as they also developed new ties to the imperial court and the military. In contrast, the popes of Rome had limited resources and so left wide-scale rebuilding efforts to the emperor and senatorial officeholders. Only with the return to Rome of the emperor Valentinian III (425–55) do we see a rise in the civic profile of Rome’s then bishop, Leo (440–61).
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- The Falls of RomeCrises, Resilience, and Resurgence in Late Antiquity, pp. 96 - 147Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021