Which group sacked Rome in 410 CE, symbolizing the decline of the Western Empire?

• A. Vandals
• B. Ostrogoths
• C. Visigoths
• D. Huns

Answer: (C)

The moment when Rome’s defenses failed to protect its heart is shown by the sacking of the city in 410 by the Visigoths under Alaric I. This event broke a long era of Roman invulnerability and underscored how the Western Empire’s power had dissolved into a patchwork of Germanic kingdoms and shifting loyalties. The Visigoths had been living inside the empire as foederati and pressed for secure land and payment; when negotiations broke down, their siege ended with the city being looted, signaling a turning point in the empire’s fate. While the Western Empire would face further blows, and other groups would attack and eventually dominate different regions, it was the Visigoths who delivered that iconic breach in 410, making them the best answer. The Vandals would strike later, the Ostrogoths would come to rule Italy, and the Huns did not sack Rome in that year.