Alaric Refused at Ariminum

Although ambassadors were sent to discuss peace, Alaric’s enemies at the emperor’s court took great care that no treaty should be made with him. But after this, when an embassy had been sent to him by Innocent, bishop of Rome, and Alaric had been summoned by a letter from the emperor, he went to the city of Ariminum, which is about twenty-six miles from Ravenna. [a]

He camped outside the walls of the city. Jovius, the prefect of Italy, held a conference with him and passed on his demands to the emperor. One of them was that he should be appointed by edict to the command of both cavalry and infantry. The emperor gave Jovius full power to grant Alaric as much money and provisions as he might want, but refused ever to give him this rank. Jovius unwisely waited in Alaric’s camp for the messenger from the palace, and ordered the emperor’s decision to be read out in front of all the barbarians. When Alaric found that the rank was refused him, he was enraged at the outcome, ordered the trumpets to be sounded, and marched toward Rome. Jovius, afraid that the emperor would suspect him of siding with Alaric, did something still more foolish. He took an oath by the emperor’s safety, and made the chief officers swear, that they would never agree to any terms of peace with Alaric. Soon afterward, however, the barbarian chief changed his mind. He sent word that he did not want any position of rank, but was willing to act as an ally of the Romans, provided they would give him a certain amount of grain and some territory of little importance to them, where he might settle. [b]