Sack of Rome
546 CE.
Shown on the map at 41.886°, 12.509°.
In 546, Rome was besieged for a year by the Gothic king Totila during the Gothic War between the Ostrogoths (Goths) and the Byzantine Empire. The siege caused devastating famine inside the city, worsened by corruption among Byzantine commanders, who hoarded grain and sold it at inflated prices to Rome's citizens. Some citizens died of suicide, while others died trying to flee the city. Attempts by General Belisarius to relieve the city failed due to poor coordination and setbacks. Belisarius fell ill and withdrew his forces. On 17 December 546, a group of Isaurian guards betrayed the city and assisted a small group of Goths in breaching the walls. The Goths opened one of the gates at night for the rest of the Gothic forces to enter Rome. Most of the inhabitants fled, leaving only a small number of civilians who sought refuge in churches. The city was then plundered. Totila planned to destroy the monuments and principal buildings of Rome, but he reconsidered after receiving a letter from Belisarius urging him to spare the city. The Goths partially dismantled Rome's walls before withdrawing, aiming to weaken its strategic value for the Byzantines to recapture it.
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