The Sack of Rome by the Visigoths (410)

This painting depicts the Sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Visigoths led by Alaric. For the first time in nearly 800 years, the Eternal City was captured and plundered by a foreign army, causing immense shock throughout the Roman Empire. The scene illustrates violence, chaos, and the despair of the inhabitants as Roman authority collapses. This event symbolizes the gradual decline of the Western Roman Empire, weakened by invasions, political instability, and economic difficulties.