Warrior Bio: Alareiks the Bold, Chief of the Visigoths, circa 410 CE.

Author's Note:  Despite the fact that we normally call him, "Alaric" in English, I've found that the original spelling of his name was Alareiks, and so that's what I'm going to refer to him as.  I hope that you enjoy the Bio!

This model is an excellent representation of the equipment and appearance of Gothic warriors from Alareiks' time.  From a military perspective, he Visigoths served as a cultural midpoint between the earlier Romans and later Franks and Norsemen.  This image is used without permission from http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/.

-Offensive Assessment

~Close Quarters Combat; Spatha, Shield.  For centuries the Romans had supplemented their armies with foreign mercenaries known as auxilia; these soldiers fought in their traditional manner, whatever it might be.  Greek and Balearic slingers, Celtic and Gothic cavalry, Arabian and Syrian archers all fought alongside their Roman conquerors.  At this time the specific type of auxilia that Alareiks would have led was known as the foederati, German troops armed and armored by the Romans but organized through tribal structures.  As the “king of all” (the meaning of his name) Alareiks would have certainly served in a high leadership position in the foederati.  The primary weapons of the Visigoths at this time were the sword and the spear – the infantry being given the former and the cavalry the latter.  The foederati under Alareiks would have been armed with the Roman spatha, a descendant of the old gladius and now the chief melee weapon of all Roman armies.  The spatha was identical to the traditional gladius in its shape and use, but differed in its size – the spatha would be thirty inches in length, six more than the gladius, giving the user a much longer cutting edge and putting more distance between himself and his enemy.  As a one-handed weapon the spatha was designed to be used with a shield; the model preferred by the foederati was the flat, oval-shaped scutum.  When used together in tandem the spatha and scutum combination gave the user many options, allowing them to alternately stab, cover, cut, crush, slash, bash, and generally defile the sanctity of their opponent’s bodies.  It’s easy enough to award them all five (5) points in this category.

~Weapons of Reach; Framea, Lance, Shield.  The traditional melee weapon of the Visigoths was the framea, a short spear three feet in length and topped with an iron head.  It could be thrust under a shield or thrown accurately at distances up to thirty feet in distance, making for a very versatile weapon.  The average number of framea spears carried by a Gothic warrior to battle would have been around three, with any more or any less depending on the individual.  However, the framea was only used by infantry fighters; when on horseback the primary weapon of reach used by Goths would have been the lance, a long pole about twelve feet in length also topped with iron.  The lance would have been held with both hands, with the rider using the strength of his feet and calves to keep him steady in the saddle – Hunnish-style stirrups would not become widespread in Europe until six centuries later.  The same foederati shield would have been used along with the framea, but would have been impossible to use alongside the cavalry lance.  For that these weapons get a seven (7) of ten (10) points, also due to the limited melee capabilities of the framea beyond being thrown.  In previous times the Roman soldiers would have been equipped with “aggressive” tools such as the short gladius and the heavy pilum, but in this age the attitude of Roman civilization had shifted from expansion to preservation.  Weapons were made to intimidate and put distance between the user and his enemy, limiting loss of life to unnecessary bloodshed.

This drawing shows the typical weapons of all Gothic warriors:  javelins, a sword, helmet and shields.  Additionally, many different types of jewelry and Gothic metalwork are shown, such as belt-buckles, helmet variations, and pendants.  Most Visigoth men had spent time in Roman armies at some point in their lives, and so would have had Roman training, making them formidable opponents.  This image is used without permission from https://marikaintegratedproject09.wikispaces.com/.

 ~Long-Distance Fighting; Plumbatae, Javelins, Shield.  The plumbata was another weapon given to the Goths by the Romans; it was first used as a replacement for old Roman pilum in the days of the Empire and soon spread throughout the Mediterranean as an excellent distance weapon.  Between three and six plumbatae could be strapped to the inside of a shield, with each one being topped by an iron head and lead ball-weight to ensure that it would land-point first into its target.  The plumbatae were very accurate at distances up to sixty yards away, with some soldiers fashioning crude atlatls to increase that range even further.  However, modern experiments have shown that the plumbatae possessed relatively poor penetration ability compared to larger thrown weapons such as the pilum, and would not be a guaranteed killer in its own right.  The plumbatae is believed to have been in use in armies underneath leaders such as Alexander the Great (who as a front-line commander may have used the weapon technology himself), Gaius Julius Caesar, and Scipio Africanus.  All told, the plumbatae get sixteen (16) of twenty (20) possible points.

~Specialized Weapons; Great Ax, Shield.  A popular weapon among the Goths was the great ax – often-times, a particularly strong warrior would take up his wood-cutting ax and bring it to war with him, wreaking havoc on enemy shields and armor.  Unfortunately, despite its great potential for destruction, the great ax was a very slow-moving weapon that could be easily dodged by a warrior with his wits about him.  As a two-handed weapon it took a long time to prepare to use and left the man wielding it without shield and vulnerable to counter-attack.  That said, those warriors that did use shields (and which composed the majority of Gothic armies) would use their shields as weapons themselves, bashing and blocking enemy attacks and bodies as needed.  Four (4) of five (5) possible points are awarded here, with the pseudo-Roman scutum shield saving the score from something altogether dismal.

As the Eastern Roman Empire gradually lost power and influence, it sought to cut corners (and costs) where possible - and one of the most expensive costs to the Byzantines was arming their soldiers with chain-maille.  Therefore, a cheaper alternative came into vogue:  lamellar armor.  Made in the style of Roman maille of a vest with shoulder-guards, it was constructed from layers of leather scales for lower-class soldiers and iron scales for higher-class leaders and commanders.  Lamellar eventually spread to use among the barbarians and early ancestors of the Norsemen.  This image is used without permission from http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/.

-Defensive Assessment

~Head; Helmet, Arming Cap.  The helmet worn by a Visigoth nobleman such as Alareiks would have been typical of those found in armories all across Dark Age Europe – it would have been a simple device made from two curved pieces of iron bolted together and adjusted to fit the head.  Cheek-plates would then be attached to provide more protection.  Finally, the helmets worn by Visigoth leaders were often topped with small pointed crests and decorated with bronze or brass.  Helmets worn by the regular Visigothic troops would have been Roman in origin, either gotten through service as foederati or looted from the battlefield.  These late Roman helmets were crude versions of the old Imperial montefortino model, lacking visors, having smaller neck-guards, and being secured by a knotted string rather than a leather chinstrap.  Regardless, this new helmet was still made from excellent Roman iron and featured better visibility and hearing ability than its ancestor thanks to the smaller cheek-plates and ear cutouts.  Under both of these helmets would have been worn an early version of the Middle Age arming cap, a thick piece of leather made to protect the scalp from rubbing against the metal of the helmet and reduce the impact – however slightly – of overhead impacts.  Altogether, both of these helmets earn sixteen (16) of twenty (20) possible points due to a good balance of protection and freedom of the senses, but fall short due to relatively low-quality materials and vulnerability to the back of the head, neck and throat.

~Torso; Maille.  As with the helmet, the primary piece of body armor across Dark Age Europe was maille – chain-maille was popular among cultures in the West, and scale-maille was popular in the East.  The maille worn by Alareiks would have likely been chain due to his affiliation with the Western Roman Empire, though scale-maille is a distinct possibility considering the numerous conflicts that he participated in with and against the Byzantines.  The cloth byrnie was not very popular yet, so maille was worn directly over normal clothing.  Roman armor at the time covered the wearer down to the elbows and the waist, completely protecting the chest and back.  Maille was a flexible body defense capable of stopped most direct attacks to the body, being especially effective against slashes and at least capable at stopping thrusts.  The maille worn by Goths like Alareiks gets a good score of eight (8) of ten (10) possible points.

This Gothic bronze-and-iron helmet dates from 525 CE, more than one hundred years after Alareiks' time.  However, it is still plainly in the Visigothic style.  The influence of the more progressive spangenhelm can be seen in the construction of the skull.  The image is used without permission from http://www.geocities.ws/.

~Limbs; Bracers.  The only limb defense of the Visigoths was bracers – another staple of armor systems of the time.  Maille was not advanced or plentiful enough to extend fully the wrists or even legs, so warriors had to rely on their agility in order to preserve life and limb.  Leather bracers were popular for their ease of use and creation, though their actual protective qualities left much to be desired.  The Visigoths were unique among their neighbors in that they wore long pants and sleeves in all weather conditions, with the coarse material of their shirts serving as a sort of protective glove against thorns and other mundane problems, but certainly not swords or spears.  The bracers warrant a score of two (2) of five (5) points in this category.

~Mobile; Shield.  There were two types of shields used by Visigoth warriors:  the traditional man-shaped shield and captured Roman scuta.  The traditional Visigoth shield was unique to them and no other European culture – it was about three feet tall and half as wide, widening sharply from the bottom up.  The last eight to ten inches of its height stood up from the rest of the shield so that when held directly in front of the user it would completely cover his arms, chest and head without wasting any more space.  Like the later roundshield, it had a bar running from top to bottom with an iron boss fitted into the center to give the user a good handgrip, allowing him to maneuver it however he would like and use it on both offense or defense.  The other shield available to the Goths was the captured Roman scuta; formerly the flat oval-shaped auxilia shield, it was now the staple of the Western Roman army.  These would have been gotten by Visigoth fighters through Roman service or post-battle looting, and would have been used just like their traditional shields.  Together, these two shields get four (4) of five (5) possible points avoiding an average score of three (3) thanks to the man-shaped shields’ unique, lightweight shape and the good grip mechanism used by them both.

The Byzantines found themselves in a terrible spot following the Visigoth's revolt; they took a large part of the Eastern Empire's military forces away when they rebelled against the Emperor.  However, the Roman general Stilicho proved himself as an able commander on both land and sea, protecting Greece from Alareiks' raiders and earning his respect.  Stilicho played a large role in brokering peace settlements between the two warring factions, but paid a price for his success:  fearing his influence and popular support, the Eastern Roman Emperor had him killed for false charges of treason against the throne.  This lack of strong leadership among the Romans resulted in the catastrophic sack of Rome by Alareiks' Visigoths in 410 CE.  Image used without permission from http://jaysromanhistory.com/.

-Variables Assessment

~Tactics; a favorite tactic of Alareiks was to draw his infantry up into a wide block before directly attacking the enemy, who would have taken a similar formation.  However, he would place his cavalry far outside of the ranks of his battle-lines; at the right moment, he would signal them to engage the flanks of the enemy, dividing their army into two halves.  The half already engaged against the infantry would be slaughtered, and seeing this, the other half would often turn tail and flee under pursuit from the cavalry.  However, Alareiks himself was an average tactician, combining what he had learned as a Gothic fighter with what he had learned from his time as a Roman officer.  He gets three (3) of five (5) points here.

~Training; Visigoth warriors had many enemies – primarily the Romans of the West and East Empires, other Goths, and the invading Huns.  Therefore, if they wanted to survive then they had to be excellent fighters; sparring and regular weapons training was commonplace among the various groups of Visigoth migration-groups, with an estimated 50,000 of their 200,000-strong population being battle-ready, seasoned warriors.  Additionally, under the system, all Visigoth adult males were required to serve time in the Roman military, where they would have gotten further training in the usage of Roman arms and armor.  When Alareiks sacked Rome in the early Fifth Century CE he ordered his soldiers to take utmost care in preserving human life and Roman structures, and although there was a total plundering of the city and desecration of several Imperial mausoleums there are few recorded deaths and rapes, unlike other sieges of the time.  Overall the training of Alareiks and his Goths gets four (4) of five (5) points.

Despite the anachronistic gold-colored chain-maille and the Norman-style kite shield, this artist's rendition of two Fifth Century Gothic soldiers very accurately portrays the Visigoths' evolution from an infantry-based war machine to a more horse-centered culture.  The rounded shields, longer swords, regular spears and the obvious horsetail plume are all due to that change.  This image is used without permission from http://www.geocities.ws/.

~Morale; the original motivation for the Gothic migration to Western Europe was to escape the Huns who were raiding and pillaging all across the frontier with Asia.  The Visigoths originally tried to peacefully coexist with the Romans, who were dominant in Europe, asking if they could have lands of their own in return for military service and economic support.  However, the Romans refused, resulting in the multiple wars and massive bloodshed until they came to their senses and gave the Goths what they had asked for in the first place.  Then the Romans decided to take advantage of them, forcing Gothic soldiers to take the worst in battle, and delivering poor supplies if any at all, resulting in Alareiks’ infamous Sack of Rome.  The Visigoths only fought to better their condition and the status of their families, often choosing the well-being of their kin before their own.  Retreat was very much an option for them if a battle was not going well, as they knew full-well that if they died then their families would die as well.  All total, the score for the Visigoths is three (3) of five (5) points.

~Innovation; Alareiks was unique in that he preferred payment to bloodshed, but was certainly not a mercenary – he was an elected leader of his people and looked upon as an example to them.  As such, his policy of respecting the Romans and working with them whenever possible expanded through the way his military behaved and fought.  The Visigoths combined many of their traditional equipment with those given to – or taken from – the Romans, creating a very formidable fighting-force.  From the plumbatae to the man-shaped shield, they had one of the most unique gear-sets to be found in European history.  However, they still kept to old traditions of fighting and living, and for that they get three (3) of five (5) points.