The faithless Alaric, though he for a while departed from Rome, soon appeared before it with a numerous army. Honorius attempted to avert the blow by a new treaty, but all such attempts were now vain; and Rome, the mistress of the world, was delivered up to the pillage of a Gothic army. After six successive days of plunder, the city was set fire to in several places, and was speedily reduced to a heap of ashes and ruins. All who took refuge in the churches were spared; but the infuriated Goths did not confine their hatred to those who were found in arms, and many of the principal inhabitants were massacred in cold blood. A storm of thunder and lightning is said to have added its devastations to those of the enemy. and to have completed the ruin of the last remains of Pagan idolatry.
Alaric was soon afterwards seized with a violent ill ness, which carried him off in the neighbourhood of Rhcgium ; but though the death of Constantine and some other usurpers left Honorius in the undisturbed possession of power, yet Gaul, Britain and Rome, con tinued under the occupation of the barbarians till the death of Honorius, which took place in the 29th year of his reign.
The death of Honorius was followed by several usurpations of the sovereignty; but the title of empe ror of the west was conferred on Valentinian the Third, whose mother, Placidia, was made regent during his minority. No sooner was he seated rm the throne, than the empire was atattackedAttila, the celebrated leader of the Hung, nose exploits both on this and former ne.asions have been detailed in our account of ms life. Valentinian had rendered himself odious by his violence, his oppressions, and his incontinence, and in the 36th year of his age he was murdered by Petronius Maximus, to whose wife he had offered violence.
Maximus was immediately raised to the empire; but though he was desirous of retiring into private life, his friends persuaded him to abandon this reso lution. After the death of his wife, he compelled the
empress Eudoxia to marry him; but this high-spirited woman, who had been deeply attached to Valentinian, was so enraged at being married to his murderer, that she invited Genscric, king of the Vandals, into Italy. When Genseric appeared before Rome, a violent tu mult took place. in which the emperor Maximus was killed. Genseric took and plundered the city, and car ried off all the valuable articles which had escaped the rapacity of the Goth's.
Rome was now reduced to the most deplorable con dition; but its existence was for a while prolonged by the courage and virtues of Marjorianus, who was now raised to the empire. He drove the Vandals out of Italy, but he was soon afterwards murdered by Rici me• a Goth, who had long governed with absolute power. Marjorianus was succeeded by Anthemius, but when he began to govern in opposition to the wishes of Ricimer, the Gothic general revolted, and took Rome, committing numerous cruelties, and put ting to death the emperor Anthemius. Anthemius was succeeded in the empire by Olybius, who died soon after his accession. The supreme power was now usurped by Glycerius, who was deposed in 474, and succeeded by Julius Nepos. Nepos was driven from the throne by his general Orestes, who caused his own son Augustus to be proclaimed emperor. In the year 476, the barbarians who had served in the Roman armies, demanded the third part of the lands of Italy as the reward for their services; but as Orestes refused to grant this demand, they chose for their leader Odoacer, who became the first king of Italy.
From this period the history of Rome merges into that of Italy, and will be found fully detailed in our article on ITALY.