- 4 provinces for Gothic settlement,
- an annual allotment of grain, and
- money.
Practical concerns -- like food -- kept Alaric from immediately implementing his plan. He reduced from 4 to 2 the number of settlement provinces his Goths required. He even offered to fight for Rome. Alaric sent the Roman bishop, Innocent, to negotiate these new terms with the Emperor Honorius, in Ravenna. This time, Jovius recommended that Honorius reject the offer. Honorius concurred.
Following this refusal, Alaric marched to Rome and blockaded it for a second time at the end of 409. When the Romans yielded to him, Alaric proclaimed Priscus Attalus western Roman Emperor, with the approval of the Senate.
Alaric became Attalus' Master of the Foot, a position of power and influence. Alaric urged Attalus to capture the province of Africa because Rome depended on its grain, but Attalus was reluctant to use military force; instead, he marched with Alaric to Ravenna where Honorius agreed to split, but not cede the Western Empire. Honorius was ready to flee when the Eastern Empire sent 4000 soldiers to his aid. These reinforcements forced Attalus' retreat to Rome. There he found suffering because, since the African province supported Honorius, it had refused to send grain to rebellious Rome. (This was precisely why Alaric had urged him to capture Africa.) Alaric again urged military force against Africa, but Attalus still refused even though his people were starving.
Clearly, Attalus was a mistake. So Alaric successfully turned to Emperor Honorius to arrange for the removal of Attalus from office.
Leaving his army at Arminum, Alaric then went to Honorius to discuss the terms of his people's peace treaty with the Western Empire. While Alaric was away, an enemy of Alaric, although also a Goth in service to Rome, Sarus, attacked Alaric's men. Alaric broke off negotiations to march on Rome.
Once more Alaric surrounded the city of Rome. Once more the inhabitants of Rome came close to starvation. On August 24, 410, Alaric entered Rome through the Salarian gate. No longer feeling merciful, Alaric let his men wreak havoc, burning the Senate house, raping and pillaging for 2-3 days, but leaving the churches intact, before setting off for Campania and Africa.
Edward Gibbon's A.D. 476 is the traditional date for the Fall of Rome, but 410 may be a better choice because on August 24, 410, Rome actually fell, losing out to a barbarian invader.
Source: History of the Later Roman Empire: From the Death of Theodosius I to the Death of Justinian (Volume 1) (Paperback), by J. B. Bury
