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I am relatively new to the forum and this is my first attempt at a Timeline so any constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated! I felt that I could start at a time when the Empire still had a chance to bounce back.


Anno Domini 402


It was Easter Sunday AD 402 and General Flavius Stilicho was poised to launch the attack that could change the fortunes of the Roman Empire in the West. The Gothic army under Alaric had been positioned outside

of Hasta ready to take the Emperor Honorius captive however upon the arrival of Stilicho’s army they retreated to Pollentia. He had long considered the Goths’ Arian religion a vile challenge to the Church in Rome and he

would use their faith to his advantage. The night before Stilicho had managed to slip several newly recruited foederati into the barbarian camp with a very special mission to accomplish. If everything went to plan then Stilicho

would have his man and he hoped break the resolve of the Gothic invasion of Italy. He sat quietly with his men as they waited for the signal to attack and it came as the Easter celebrations reached a crescendo in the Gothic

camp. With a cry the Romans burst forth from their hiding places launched the attack. As they drew close the men discharged their pila and plumbata into the mass of people gathered in the camp. Alaric was about to rally

his people for the retreat when several soldiers came rushing up to him and told him that his own family was in danger of being killed in the assault and that they still had time to secure them before the Goths collapsed. Alaric

gathered these men and several others to try and reach his family.

There was some distance to cover between his current position and where his family was. The Romans were trying to push into this area of the camp no

doubt hearing that there were high value prisoners to be had. As they were fighting their way through the melee Alaric felt a sharp pain in his side, a short knife had been plunged into him. As he turned to face his attacker it

was one of his own soldiers. It was the warrior who had alerted him to his family’s peril. In reality this man was one of the foederati that had snuck into Gothic camp the night prior. As Alaric attempted to deliver a blow to

his attacker another agent sent the killing blow into his spine. Alaric’s body slumped and fell to the ground like a bag of stones, dead. Word spread quickly of the King’s death and the Gothic infantry began to break as panic

swept through the ranks. The Roman cavalry pursued the retreating barbarians killing any they could and scaring off the rest. As the rest of the camp fell into Roman control the Goths that still could fled into the country. As

the last enemy combatents either fell or fled the Roman soldiers let out a mighty cry of victory Roma Victrix!
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