At the Gates of Rome - The Fall of the Eternal City, AD 410

A dramatic retelling of the final years of the Western Roman Empire and the downfall of Rome itself from the perspective of the Roman general Stilicho and Alaric, king of the Visigoths.

It took little more than a single generation for the centuries-old Roman Empire to fall. In those critical decades, while Christians and pagans, legions and barbarians, generals and politicians squabbled over dwindling scraps of power, two men - former comrades on the battlefield - rose to prominence on opposite sides of the great game of empire. Roman general Flavius Stilicho, the man behind the Roman throne, dedicated himself to restoring imperial glory, only to find himself struggling for his life against political foes. Alaric, King of the Goths, desired to be a friend of Rome, was betrayed by it, and given no choice but to become its enemy. Battling each other to a standstill, these two warriors ultimately overcame their differences in order to save the empire from enemies on all sides. And when one of them fell, the other took such vengeance as had never been seen in history.

Don Hollway, author of The Last Viking, combines ancient chroniclers' accounts of Stilicho and Alaric into an unforgettable history of betrayal, politics, intrigue and war for the heart and soul of the Roman Empire.

List of contents

Dramatis Personae
Chronology
List of Illustrations
Author's Note
Introduction
Prologue: The Fall of Rome

PART ONE: AD 378-397
I. Adrianople
II. Foederati
III. A World Divided
IV. Leaders
V. The Battle of the Frigidus
VI. Pater Patriae

PART TWO: AD 395-408
VII. Invaders
VIII. Betrayal
IX. Triumvirate
X. Enemies on All Sides
XI. Barring the Gates
XII. Barbarians Ascendant
XIII. Uprising
XIV. The World Turns
XV. Invasion
XVI. Death Renders All Equal
XVII. "Everything Will Fall to Pieces"
XVIII. Radagaisus
XIX. Annus Horribilis
XX. Contenders for the Throne
XXI. Overthrow
XXII. Downfall

PART THREE: AD 408-410
XXIII. The New Order
XXIV. The March on Rome
XXV. First Siege
XXVI. Poena Cullei
XXVII. Second Siege
XXVIII. Third Siege
XXIX. The Graveyard of the Romans
XXX. Finis

Epilogue: The Triumph of Barbarism
Sources
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments

About the author

Don Hollway is an author, illustrator, and historian. His first book, The Last Viking, is a gripping history of King Harald Hardrada which was acclaimed by bestselling author Stephen Harding and by Carl Gnam of Military Heritage magazine. He is also a classical rapier fencer and historical re-enactor. He has published articles in History Magazine, Military Heritage, Military History, Wild West, World War II, Muzzleloader, Renaissance Magazine and Scientific American. His work is also available at www.donhollway.com. He lives in Dallastown, PA.

Summary

A dramatic retelling of the final years of the Western Roman Empire and the downfall of Rome itself from the perspective of the Roman general Stilicho and Alaric, king of the Visigoths.

It took little more than a single generation for the centuries-old Roman Empire to fall. In those critical decades, while Christians and pagans, legions and barbarians, generals and politicians squabbled over dwindling scraps of power, two men - former comrades on the battlefield - rose to prominence on opposite sides of the great game of empire. Roman general Flavius Stilicho, the man behind the Roman throne, dedicated himself to restoring imperial glory, only to find himself struggling for his life against political foes. Alaric, King of the Goths, desired to be a friend of Rome, was betrayed by it, and given no choice but to become its enemy. Battling each other to a standstill, these two warriors ultimately overcame their differences in order to save the empire from enemies on all sides. And when one of them fell, the other took such vengeance as had never been seen in history.

Don Hollway, author of The Last Viking, combines ancient chroniclers' accounts of Stilicho and Alaric into an unforgettable history of betrayal, politics, intrigue and war for the heart and soul of the Roman Empire.

Foreword

A dramatic retelling of the final years of the Western Roman Empire and the downfall of Rome itself from the perspective of the Roman general Stilicho and Alaric, king of the Visigoths.

Additional text

Fans of Hollway's short work already know his outstanding narrative style is matched by his impressive range. Coming on the heels of his medieval masterpiece The Last Viking, At the Gates of Rome brings Hollway's marriage of thrilling storytelling and historical rigor to Late Antiquity. In this illuminating page-turner, Hollway walks us through the fate of one of the most significant civilizations in human history. There are works of history we return to as reference, and those we return to as inspiration. In At the Gates of Rome, Hollway has given us both.

Product details

• Authors: Don Hollway
• Publisher: Osprey Publishers
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.05.2022
• EAN: 9781472849984
• ISBN: 978-1-4728-4998-4
• No. of pages: 368
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Antiquity; Rome, military history, HISTORY / Military / Ancient, Ancient Rome, Ancient History, Classical history / classical civilisation, BCE to c 500 CE, c 1 to c 500 CE, Invasion, conquest and occupation