Why did alaric capture rome?

Answer 1

He did not captured Rome. He sacked it and then went to Calabria (the toe of Italy) and died there. Had he stayed in Rome he would have had to face the coming of the Roman legions gathered from around the empire. Moreover, he did not want to undermine the empire. He was acting out of his grievance for not having been appointed as a general of the Roman army as he had expected.

This grievance led him to attack northern Italy, but was defeated by Stilicho, the chief of staff of the army of the west. The treacherous murder of Stilicho made the situation bad. Stilicho was the only commander who was capable to defeat Alaric. Without him Italy became vulnerable. Stilicho also had made an alliance with Alaric. They planned to attack the part Illyrucum which belonged to the empire of the east together. This would have satisfied Alaric's ambitions.

The young and incompetent emperor Honorious mishandled Alaric's demand of a large sum of money as compensation for the cancellation of the campaign in Illlyrucum which followed Stilicho's death. As a result, Alaric besieged Rome three times. The third time he sacked it.

It is likely that Alaric went to Calabria because he planned to go to Africa (the breadbasket of the empire) to disrupt Rome's grain supplies.

Answer 2

He did not captured Rome. He sacked it and then went to Calabria (the toe of Italy) and died there. Had he stayed in Rome he would have had to face the coming of the Roman legions gathered from around the empire. Moreover, he did not want to undermine the empire. He was acting out of his grievance for not having been appointed as a general of the Roman army as he had expected.

This grievance led him to attack northern Italy, but was defeated by Stilicho, the chief of staff of the army of the west. The treacherous murder of Stilicho made the situation bad. Stilicho was the only commander who was capable to defeat Alaric. Without him Italy became vulnerable. Stilicho also had made an alliance with Alaric. They planned to attack the part Illyrucum which belonged to the empire of the east together. This would have satisfied Alaric's ambitions.

The young and incompetent emperor Honorious mishandled Alaric's demand of a large sum of money as compensation for the cancellation of the campaign in Illlyrucum which followed Stilicho's death. As a result, Alaric besieged Rome three times. The third time he sacked it.

It is likely that Alaric went to Calabria because he planned to go to Africa (the breadbasket of the empire) to disrupt Rome's grain supplies.