Sack of Rome (455) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sack of Rome
Part of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire
Genseric sacking Rome, by Karl Briullov
Date 2 – c. 16 June 455 AD Location Rome, Italy Result Vandalic victory
Belligerents
Vandal Kingdom	Western Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Gaiseric	Petronius Maximus  †

The Sack of Rome in 455 AD was a major event in history. It happened when the Vandals, a powerful Germanic tribe led by their king, Genseric, attacked the city of Rome. The Vandals spent two weeks taking valuable items and causing a lot of damage. This event was a huge shock to the Roman world. It also showed that the mighty Western Roman Empire was getting weaker and was close to falling apart.

Why the Vandals Attacked Rome

In the 440s, the Vandal King Genseric and the Roman Emperor Valentinian III made a plan. They decided their children, Huneric and Eudocia, should marry. This was meant to make their alliance stronger. They had a peace treaty in 442, but the marriage was put off because Eudocia was too young.

In 455, Emperor Valentinian III was killed. A new emperor, Petronius Maximus, took his place. Petronius Maximus then married Valentinian's widow, Licinia Eudoxia. He also made his own son, Palladius, marry Eudocia. Petronius wanted to connect himself to the powerful Theodosian dynasty.

However, Eudoxia was very unhappy. She was upset about her husband's murder and Petronius Maximus taking the throne. So, she asked the Vandals for help to remove Maximus from power. King Genseric liked this idea. Maximus's rise to power was bad for Genseric's plans. Genseric said that the broken promise of marriage between Huneric and Eudocia meant his peace treaty with Valentinian was no longer valid. He then sailed his ships to attack Rome. His forces landed at Ostia, which is at the mouth of the Tiber River.

The Attack on the City

Before reaching Rome, the Vandals destroyed the city's aqueducts. These were like ancient water pipes that brought water into the city. When the Vandals got close, Emperor Maximus and his soldiers tried to run away. But a Roman crowd spotted him outside the city and killed him. His son Palladius might have been killed too.

When the Vandals arrived, Pope Leo I asked King Genseric not to destroy the old city or kill its people. Genseric agreed to this. The gates of Rome were then opened for him and his men.

Genseric kept his promise not to burn the city or kill its people. But he did take some people away to be slaves. During this time, Genseric also captured Empress Licinia Eudoxia, Valentinian's widow, and her daughters, Eudocia and Placidia. They were trying to escape. Eudoxia and her children were the last members of Rome's imperial family. Eudocia later married Huneric, as was planned long ago.

What Happened After

A 16th century perception of the Vandals.

It is believed that Genseric took a huge amount of treasure from Rome. He even damaged important cultural places, like the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. He stripped away its gold-covered bronze roof tiles. This is why we use the word "vandalism" today, meaning senseless destruction.

Many people think the Sack of Rome in 455 was more damaging than the Visigothic sack of 410. This is because the Vandals looted Rome for fourteen days. The Visigoths, on the other hand, only stayed in the city for three days.

How Bad Was the Sack?

Even though the Vandals are known for destroying things, how severe this sack was is still debated. Some people argue that the sack was quite "clean." They say there was little murder or violence, and the Vandals did not burn Rome's buildings. This idea comes from the claim that Pope Leo I convinced Genseric to avoid violence.

However, other historical records tell a different story. One historian, Victor of Vita, wrote that many ships full of captives arrived in Africa from Rome. These people were meant to be sold into slavery. Also, the Byzantine historian Procopius reported that a church was burned down. Some modern historians, like John Henry Haaren, have said that temples, public buildings, private houses, and even the emperor's palace were looted. Besides taking many Romans as slaves, the Vandals also took huge amounts of gold, silver, jewels, and furniture. They also destroyed works of art and killed some citizens.

See also

In Spanish: Saqueo de Roma (455) para niños