Enemies of Rome – Part I

In this series, I have gone through the history of the Roman civilization and compiled a list of the people / other civilizations who I would consider to be a detriment to, or a “thorn in the side” of this ancient civilization. This could be a tribe, competing civilization, a military commander outside the empire or even a Roman themselves. Below is part one of the enemies of Rome:

The leader of the Germanic tribes during the reign of Rome’s first emperor, Augustus. Arminius was born in either 18 or 17 BC and died in AD 21.

Arminius was a prince of the Roman-friendly Cherusci tribe who later became an officer in the Roman army. It was here that he was able to learn so much about Roman warfare, including its strengths and weaknesses.

He is best known as the Roman officer who became Germanic chieftain and led his tribes to ambush and destroy three Roman legions in the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. This annihilation of Varus’ legions was worsened by the fact that the tribes captured three legionary eagles, symbols of Roman pride, identity and military supremacy.

Opponents of Arminius within his own tribe murdered him in AD 21 as they thought his power and dominance of the Germanic tribes was becoming too problematic.

According to some sources, these events led to the Roman Empire to declare that it was not worth trying to turn Germania into Roman territory.

Alaric was the first King of the Visigoths and was likely born around AD 370 and died in AD 411.

As many barbarian soldiers did at the time, Alaric spent time in the Roman army as head of the Gothic foederati (barbarian forces “employed” by the Romans).

After being betrayed by the Romans, Alaric mutinied against Rome and invaded Italy in the early fifth century.

Alaric led armies that besieged Rome on at least two occasions. The first siege was only lifted after the Roman senate paid off Alaric and his forces with gold, silver and various other valuable goods.

After further breakdowns in communication and political intrigue, Alaric and the Goths sacked Rome in AD 410 – the first time the eternal city had been sacked in 800 years. This led to the acceleration to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. They ravaged the city for three days before leaving for southern Italy.

Alaric died in AD 411, most likely from fever.

Hannibal Barca was a Carthaginian general who was born in 247 BC and died sometime between 183-181 BC.

Hannibal is most famous for crossing the Alps with war elephants as he invaded Italy during the Second Punic War and for his famous victories against the then Roman Republic

After entering Italy, Hannibal sacked town after town, while some towns surrendered and allied themselves with Hannibal. Along the way, the army of Hannibal defeated the Romans in several famous battles, including at Trebia and Trasimene. But it was at Cannae that Hannibal inflicted one of the worst defeats in Rome’s history when he defeated a much larger Roman army. It is said that the Roman’s lost between 50,000 – 70,000 men along with many nobles and officers of high rank as well as senators, consuls and tribunes in one day.

Hannibal terrorized the Romans in Italy for years, but never laid siege to Rome itself. Some speculate that it was because he lacked the necessary siege equipment to lay siege to a walled city.

The tide turned when Roman general Scipio (later Scipio Africanus) took the war to Carthage, forcing Hannibal to abandon Italy and return to his homeland. From there, the two armies met and fought in the Battle of Zama, with Rome finally scoring a major victory against their eternal foe.

Hannibal remained in Carthage for a few more years before fleeing to Asia, eventually ending up in Bithynia. He was betrayed and was about to be handed over to the Romans when he is said to have committed suicide.

Flavius Ricimer, or simply Ricimer, was a Roman general of Germanic ancestry. He was likely born in AD 418 and died in AD 472.

Ricimer gained experience in the Roman military alongside future emperor Majorian under magister militum, Flavius Aetius. During a time of instability and the sacking of Rome in the mid AD 450s by the Visigoths, the Visigothic King Theodoric II proclaimed Avitus as emperor. This led to a promotion for Ricimer in the Roman army.

Avitus was later allegedly killed by Majorian and Ricimer after the two rebelled against the emperor sometime after AD 456.

Ricimer served as magister militum under Emperor Majorian after the latter was promoted to emperor in 457. Seeing an opportunity to control or at least exert influence over Majorian, Ricimer convinced the Eastern Roman emperor, Leo, to recognize Majorian as Western ruler.

As Emperor Majorian was about to embark on a campaign against the Vandals, most of the Roman fleet was sunk in the harbor of Spanish city Cartagena. Sources speculate whether Ricimer was responsible for this disaster. Ricimer convinced the senate to turn against Majorian after the disaster. Upon disbanding his army in Italy, Majorian was confronted by Ricimer in Tortona. The emperor was subsequently arrested and eventually killed under the orders of Ricimer.

After a period of a few months and under mounting pressure from his opponents due to his actions against Majorian, Ricimer named Libius Severus as emperor. This was not recognized by the Eastern Roman Empire.

Several years later, Ricimer needed assistance from the East, but Severus remained a roadblock in the way of said assistance. Emperor Severus died in 465, apparently poisoned by Ricimer. This has been disputed though.

After almost two years of no emperor in the West, Eastern Emperor, Leo, proclaimed Anthemius as Emperor in the West.

Another campaign against the Vandals was organized by Eastern Emperor, Leo. This again ended in disaster, partly due to Ricimer not sending his fleet. He was under the command of former rival, Marcellinus, during the campaign but Ricimer appears to have had a hand in his murder as well.

Relations between Emperor Anthemius deteriorated to the point where Ricimer gathered troops and laid siege to Rome, with Anthemius in the city. Ricimer also proclaimed Olybrius emperor while the siege was ongoing. After months of sieging, Rome surrendered and Anthemius was executed while trying to escape the city.

Ricimer died of natural causes six weeks after the death of Anthemius but the treachery and havoc he wreaked upon the empire lasted to the end, with his actions accelerating the fall of the waning empire.

Attila the Hun, or simply Attila, was a ruler of the Huns and was likely born around AD 406 and died in AD 453.

Attila’s domain covered central and eastern Europe and his empire consisted of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans and Bulgars, among other peoples.

He terrorized the Eastern and Western Roman Empires, crossing the Danube River on multiple occasions, plundering and laying waste to the surrounding landscape. However, he could not conquer the Eastern capital of Constantinople. He then turned his gaze westward and the prize of Rome.

Attila spent the next few years invading and sacking provinces in the Western and Eastern empires, with many areas being left defenseless due to the re-deployment of the limited Roman forces at the time.

Attila invaded northern Italy in AD 452, sacking and razing towns along the way. His advance was hindering by small raiding forces, while problems within the camp of Attila caused the invasion to grind to a halt. Crop failure in Italy also meant that local food supplies were not available to sustain the invading force.

Attila then withdrew from Italy and had planned another attack against Constantinople but dies in early AD 453, most likely of internal bleeding. The Hunnic Empire basically collapsed shortly afterwards, with none of Attila’s descendants able to continue his legacy.

Attila’s reign of terror came at a time when the Roman Empire was in severe decline and the Huns merely added to its misery.