On 17th December 546, Rome fell to the Ostrogoths under King Totila in a brutal event that marked one of the many tragedies during the Gothic War (535-554). The sacking of Rome was a result of the prolonged conflict between the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) and the Ostrogoths for control of Italy.
While not the first time Rome had been ravaged, this particular assault underscored the city’s vulnerability in a rapidly changing world.
The Gothic War and the Rise of Totila
The Gothic War, launched by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, aimed to reclaim Italy from the Ostrogoths. By 546, the conflict had dragged on for over a decade, devastating much of the Italian peninsula. Totila, who became king of the Ostrogoths in 541, was a formidable leader determined to resist Byzantine forces and restore Ostrogothic control over Italy.
By the mid-6th century, Rome was a shadow of its former glory. Once the centre of an empire, the city was now sparsely populated and weakened by sieges, famine, and political instability. Totila saw an opportunity to deal a crushing blow to the Byzantines by seizing this symbolic city.
The Siege and Fall of Rome
Rome had already suffered through a series of sieges during the war. In 546, Totila laid siege to the city again, cutting off food supplies and waiting for starvation to take its toll. The Byzantine garrison, under the command of General Bessas, struggled to defend the city but failed to mount an effective resistance.
As famine worsened, Rome’s suffering population turned on one another, and many died of hunger and disease. The city was ultimately betrayed by a group of Isaurian soldiers, who opened the gates and allowed Totila’s forces to pour in during the night.
According to contemporary historian Procopius, the sacking of Rome was ruthless. Totila’s army looted the city, destroyed buildings, and desecrated monuments. Although Totila had initially promised to spare Rome, the devastation was severe enough to leave the city in ruins.
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Totila’s Strategy and Legacy
While Totila’s capture of Rome was a significant symbolic victory, it did little to alter the course of the Gothic War. The Byzantines, under General Belisarius, eventually recaptured the city in 547, though it would change hands again before the war’s conclusion.
Totila’s treatment of Rome reflected his broader military strategy: to undermine Byzantine authority and display the power of the Ostrogoths. However, his efforts ultimately failed, as the war ended in a Byzantine victory and the destruction of the Ostrogothic Kingdom.
The Impact of the Sacking of Rome
The sacking of 546 was one of several blows that reduced Rome’s status as a thriving urban centre. Once a city of over a million inhabitants, Rome was now home to just a few thousand people. The repeated sieges and sacks during the Gothic War accelerated the city’s decline, both physically and politically.
The Roman Forum, once the heart of the empire, fell into disrepair. Buildings were abandoned, aqueducts were damaged, and the city’s population dwindled further. Though Rome would survive, its days of imperial grandeur were gone.
In the end, the sacking of Rome was not just an event in the Gothic War, but a turning point in the history of a city that once ruled the known world. It marked the beginning of a new era for Rome, one defined by survival rather than dominance.
