ermanic invaders, the empire in the East was able to
offer a successful resistance both to foreign invasions and the ambitions
of its own barbarian generals. This is in part accounted for by the
greater solidarity and vigor of the Hellenic civilization of the eastern
provinces, and the military strength of the population, particularly in
Asia Minor, and in part by the success of the bureaucracy in holding the
generals in check, a task which was facilitated by the division of the
supreme military authority among several masters of the soldiers. The
strength of the eastern empire caused the West to look to it for support
and the western emperors upon several occasions were nominated, and at
other times given the sanction of legitimacy, by those in the East.

II. THE VISIGOTHIC MIGRATIONS

*The revolt of Alaric, 395 A. D.* Seizing the opportunity created by the
death of Theodosius and the absence of the army of the East which he had
led into Italy, Alaric, a prince of the Visigothic _foederati_, began to
ravage Thrace and Macedonia with a band of his own people, aided by other
tribes from across the Danube. He was opposed by Stilicho who was leading
back the troops of the eastern emperor and intended to occupy eastern
Illyricum. However, the latter was ordered by Arcadius to send the army of
the East to Constantinople and complied. This gave Alaric free access to
southern Greece which he systematically plundered. However, Stilicho again
intervened. He transported an army by sea to the Peloponnesus, and
maneuvered Alaric into a precarious situation, but came to terms with him,
possibly because of a revolt which had broken out in Africa. Stilicho was
declared an enemy by Arcadius, while Alaric, after devastating Epirus,
settled there with his Goths, and extorted the title of _magister militum_
from the eastern court.

*The death of Stilicho, 408 A. D.* In 401 A. D., when Stilicho was
occupied with an inroad of Vandals and Alans into Raetia, Alaric invaded
Italy. However, Stilicho forced him to withdraw, and foiled a second
attempt at invasion in 403 A. D. But Alaric did not long remain inactive.
He now held the title of master of the soldiers from Honorius and had
agreed to help Stilicho to accomplish his designs upon Illyricum. But when
the western empire was embarrassed by new invasions and the appearance of
a usurper in Gaul, he made his way into Noricum and demanded an indemnity
and employmen