Sack of Rome (546) 546
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 546 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | Italy | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Gothic War of 535–554 | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 41.8858, 12.5086 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
In 546, Rome was besieged for a year by the Gothic king Totila during the Gothic War between the Ostrogoths (Goths) and the Byzantine Empire.
The siege caused devastating famine inside the city, worsened by corruption among Byzantine commanders, who hoarded grain and sold it at inflated prices to Rome's citizens. Some citizens died of suicide, while others died trying to flee the city. Attempts by General Belisarius to relieve the city failed due to poor coordination and setbacks. Belisarius fell ill and withdrew his forces.
On 17 December 546, a group of Isaurian guards betrayed the city and assisted a small group of Goths in breaching the walls. The Goths opened one of the gates at night for the rest of the Gothic forces to enter Rome. Most of the inhabitants fled, leaving only a small number of civilians who sought refuge in churches. The city was then plundered. Totila planned to destroy the monuments and principal buildings of Rome, but he reconsidered after receiving a letter from Belisarius urging him to spare the city. The Goths partially dismantled Rome's walls before withdrawing, aiming to weaken its strategic value for the Byzantines to recapture it. Despite the city's desolate state, Belisarius repaired the fortifications and successfully defended the city.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Sack of Rome (546) (revision 1370252576), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Siege of Rome (537–538) 537 · 2 km
- Sack of Rome (390 BC) 390 BC · 2 km
- Siege of Rome (472) 472 · 2 km
- Siege of Rome (549–550) 549 · 2 km
- Battle of the Colline Gate 82 BC · 3 km
- German occupation of Rome 1943 · 3 km
Other battles of the Gothic War of 535–554
- Battle of Treviso 541
- Siege of Verona 541
- Battle of Faventia 542
- Battle of Mucellium 542
- Siege of Naples (542–543) 542
- Siege of Rome (549–550) 549
- Battle of Sena Gallica (551) 551
- Battle of Mons Lactarius 552
- Battle of Taginae 552
- Battle of the Volturnus 554
All 20 battles of the Gothic War of 535–554 →
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