Alaric I (Alareiks in the original Gothic; Alarik or Alarich in modern Germanic languages; Alaricus in Latin; and Alarico in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish), was likely born about 370 on an island named Peuce (the Fir) at the mouth of the Danube. He was king of the Visigoths from 395–410 and the first Germanic leader to take the city of Rome. Having originally desired to settle his people in the Roman Empire, he finally sacked the city, marking the decline of imperial power in the west.
Alaric, whose name means literally "king of all" was well-born, his father kindred to the Balti, a tribe competing with the Amaliamong Gothic fighters. He belonged to the western Gothic branch, the Visigoths. At the time of his birth the Visigoths dwelt inBulgaria, having fled beyond the wide estuary marshes of the Danube to its southern shore so as not to be followed by their foes from the steppe, the Huns. There is evidence, however, as suggested for example by Peter Heather, that the Huns were not near the Danube until closer to the 5th century; however, there is no doubt that the migration of the Visigoths westward was in response to what was the threat of the Huns.[citation needed]
