Professor Peter Heather

What prompts the sack of Rome by the Vandals in 457 is a chain of events that follows on from Attila's death, which means that the reigning Western emperor, Valentinian III, doesn't think he needs his chief advisor anymore, a man called Aetius, who's another very competent generalissimo like Stilicho or Flavius and Constantius, so he kills him. Supporters of Aetius kill Valentinian in turn.

What prompts the sack of Rome by the Vandals in 457 is a chain of events that follows on from Attila's death, which means that the reigning Western emperor, Valentinian III, doesn't think he needs his chief advisor anymore, a man called Aetius, who's another very competent generalissimo like Stilicho or Flavius and Constantius, so he kills him. Supporters of Aetius kill Valentinian in turn.

We've got political chaos. Geiseric sense opportunity, but also the need to establish that his Vandal kingdom will be safe.

We've got political chaos. Geiseric sense opportunity, but also the need to establish that his Vandal kingdom will be safe.

We've got political chaos. Geiseric sense opportunity, but also the need to establish that his Vandal kingdom will be safe.

Yeah, yeah. He's the son of the first has-been Vandal king who created the alliance, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. He's the son of the first has-been Vandal king who created the alliance, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. He's the son of the first has-been Vandal king who created the alliance, yeah.

The Vandal Sack of Rome is certainly more brutal. They're there a week. And the current Western emperor, he's really still only at the kind of pretender stage. He is the emperor in name. Petronius Maximus is killed, fleeing the city as the Vandals arrive. Yeah, supposedly they strip up much more of the city. Again, it's not left burnt and in ruins, but it's a very substantial sack.

The Vandal Sack of Rome is certainly more brutal. They're there a week. And the current Western emperor, he's really still only at the kind of pretender stage. He is the emperor in name. Petronius Maximus is killed, fleeing the city as the Vandals arrive. Yeah, supposedly they strip up much more of the city. Again, it's not left burnt and in ruins, but it's a very substantial sack.

The Vandal Sack of Rome is certainly more brutal. They're there a week. And the current Western emperor, he's really still only at the kind of pretender stage. He is the emperor in name. Petronius Maximus is killed, fleeing the city as the Vandals arrive. Yeah, supposedly they strip up much more of the city. Again, it's not left burnt and in ruins, but it's a very substantial sack.

I think you can say that the Vandals are playing a more substantial role in the fall of the Empire for this reason. The Empire is actually a very simple structure. You tax the agricultural production of provincial holdings to maintain the central army. Every time you lose control of provincial territories,

I think you can say that the Vandals are playing a more substantial role in the fall of the Empire for this reason. The Empire is actually a very simple structure. You tax the agricultural production of provincial holdings to maintain the central army. Every time you lose control of provincial territories,

I think you can say that the Vandals are playing a more substantial role in the fall of the Empire for this reason. The Empire is actually a very simple structure. You tax the agricultural production of provincial holdings to maintain the central army. Every time you lose control of provincial territories,

you sap that flow of revenues and make it impossible for the empire to maintain armies of the same scale. What we see happening between 440, actually you can see it happening from 420 onwards,

you sap that flow of revenues and make it impossible for the empire to maintain armies of the same scale. What we see happening between 440, actually you can see it happening from 420 onwards,

you sap that flow of revenues and make it impossible for the empire to maintain armies of the same scale. What we see happening between 440, actually you can see it happening from 420 onwards,

is the slow draining away of this tax revenue lifeblood of the Western Empire to the extent that it can no longer maintain sufficient forces to be the preponderant military force within Western imperial territory. That's the process. And North Africa was the kind of jewel in the crown of the Western Empire.

is the slow draining away of this tax revenue lifeblood of the Western Empire to the extent that it can no longer maintain sufficient forces to be the preponderant military force within Western imperial territory. That's the process. And North Africa was the kind of jewel in the crown of the Western Empire.

is the slow draining away of this tax revenue lifeblood of the Western Empire to the extent that it can no longer maintain sufficient forces to be the preponderant military force within Western imperial territory. That's the process. And North Africa was the kind of jewel in the crown of the Western Empire.