Arcadius, the emperor of the East, wishing to dissuade Alaric from further conquests and such wholesale massacres, promoted him to the rank of Master-general of the eastern Illyricum, but it had an opposite effect.  “The birth of Alaric, the glory of his past exploits, and the confidence in his future designs, insensibly united the body of the [Gothic] nation under his victorious standard; and, with the unanimous consent of the barbarian chieftains, the Master-general of Illyricum was elevated, according to the ancient custom, on a shield, and solemnly proclaimed king of the Visigoths.  Armed with this double power, situated on the verge of the two empires, he alternately sold his deceitful promises to the courts of Arcadius and Honorious; until he declared and executed his resolution of invading the dominions of the West....  He was tempted by the fame, the beauty, the wealth of Italy, which he had twice visited; and he secretly aspired to plant the Gothic standard on the walls of Rome, and to enrich his army with the accumulated spoils of three hundred triumphs.”  He marched into Italy, and the emperor fled before him.  A temporary respite was finally procured by the promise of a payment of four thousand pounds of gold.

Alaric soon appeared, however, before the very walls of Rome, and that splendid city, surrounded by hordes of barbarians, was soon reduced to a wretched condition by famine.  Two representatives of the Romans waited upon Alaric for terms of peace, stating that if such could not be arranged the inhabitants of the city, animated by despair, would fight to the bitter end.  To this the haughty conqueror made this famous reply:  “The thicker the grass, the easier it is mowed.”  With an insulting laugh, he named the ransom required—­all the gold and silver contained in the city, all the rich and precious movables, together with all the slaves.  Then the ministers humbly asked, “What do you intend to leave us?” “Your lives,” the haughty king replied, and retired.  He finally relaxed a little and fixed other terms, which included the immediate payment of the enormous sum of five thousand pounds of gold, thirty thousand pounds of silver, besides other treasure.  “The victorious leader, who united the daring spirit of a barbarian with the art and discipline of a Roman general, was at the head of a hundred thousand fighting men; and Italy pronounced, with terror and respect, the formidable name of Alaric.”

A second time Rome was besieged by Alaric and taken.  Honorious was deposed and Attalus made emperor; but Honorious was afterwards restored.  In A.D. 410 he again marched upon the city, captured and entered it.  “Eleven hundred and sixty-three years after the foundation of Rome, the imperial city, which had subdued and civilized so considerable a part of mankind, was delivered to the licentious fury of the tribes of Germania and Scythia.”  For six days the city was sacked by the barbarous soldiery, and the horrible scenes of robbery, murder, and rapine that ensued can not be described.  It has been said that “civilized warfare is sufficiently terrible,” but that would be almost a blessing compared with such scenes as these.  For a space of four years Alaric ravaged Italy almost without opposition.