After the death of Theodosius I, Alaric emerged as a leader of the Visigoths and was initially recognized by Rome as a federate commander.
Repeated disputes over pay, provisions, and settlement lands led him to march through the Balkans and into Italy, using sieges to pressure the Western court.
In 410 AD, his forces entered Rome and sacked the city. He died shortly afterward, but his campaigns accelerated Visigothic settlement in the West.