Battle of Pollentia

The Battle of Pollentia took place on April 6, 402 in northern Italy between troops of the Roman Empire and the Visigoths invading from the east .

Italy was largely without military protection at the time when the Visigoths approached under King Alaric I , as most of the troops were used to fight the Alamanni on the troubled northern border. Thus the Visigoths were able to cross the Julian Alps largely unhindered, besiege Aquileia and occupy Istria and Veneto . Thereupon the western Roman military leader Stilicho advised the emperor Honorius to entrench himself in the fortified Milan ; Stilicho himself crossed the Alps with his troops in the winter of 401/402 and prompted further levies or called legions from distant provinces. In view of the seemingly unstoppable advance of the Visigoths, Stilicho initially retreated as far as Arles , but in the spring decided to venture south of Turin on the Tanaro River , where he wanted to break up the ring of siege that Alaric had laid around the city of Asti . Stilicho set the attack date on the morning of April 6th, i. H. on Easter, since he expected to be able to surprise the Visigoths at morning prayers. The surprise attack succeeded at first, but Alaric was able to avoid panic. He even succeeded in defeating the Alan auxiliary troops Stilichos under their leader Saul, who was killed in the process. But the ensuing assault on the Visigoth camp by Stilicho's main troops proved to be a resounding success. Alaric was forced to evacuate the battlefield and withdraw to Liguria with the remaining troops in the evening. Much of the treasures he had captured in the Balkans remained in the camp, as did his wife.

Stilicho was resented for not following the Visigoths. Despite his victory, this strengthened the distrust of the anti-Germanic faction of the empire against him and should contribute to his subsequent overthrow. In any case, Alaric was able to assert himself in eastern northern Italy and reorganize his troops, with which he then dared another military confrontation in the same year (→ Battle of Verona ).

Today an archaeological site with the remains of ancient Pollentia can be found in the Pollenzo district of the city of Bra .