Alaric: King of the Visigoths (Forgotten Rulers) - Softcover

Harcourt, Edward

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798184811130

Publisher: Independently published, 2026

Synopsis

In Alaric: King of the Visigoths, Edward Harcourt tells the story of the Gothic ruler whose name became inseparable from the Sack of Rome in AD 410, one of the defining moments of the ancient world. Rising from the ranks of Rome's federate armies, Alaric led his people through decades of warfare, diplomacy, and migration as the Western Roman Empire struggled to preserve its authority.

Drawing on contemporary sources including The New History of Zosimus, the writings of Orosius and Augustine, the fragments of Olympiodorus, and the Gothic tradition preserved in Getica, Harcourt traces Alaric's journey across the Balkans, Greece, and Italy. He explores the complex relationship between Rome and the Goths, revealing a leader who sought security and recognition for his people as much as military victory.

More than the biography of a Gothic king, this book is the story of a world in transition. Through Alaric's life, readers witness the gradual transformation of the Roman Empire and the emergence of a new political order that would shape Europe for centuries to come.

Edition details

• Publisher: Independently published
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798184811130
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 182