Stilicho, Radagaisus, and the So-Called “Battle of Faesulae” (406 CE)

Abstract

In 405 ce , an enormous barbarian confederation led by a certain Radagaisus invaded Italy. The western Roman generalissimo Stilicho managed to overcome them near Florence in 406. Historians have treated this war casually, considering it as resolved successfully and soon overshadowed by greater conflicts. However, scholarly consensus on Radagaisus’s defeat is largely dependent on Orosius’s testimony that describes it as the outcome of a Fabian strategy conducted with minimal bloodshed near Faesulae. This report is at odds with other sources which indicate that Stilicho struggled to contain Radagaisus and ultimately inflicted a great slaughter on his forces near Florence. Orosius’s testimony cannot be accepted and internal cross-examination reveals major inconsistencies. A careful analysis of the various stages of Radagaisus’s invasion has major new implications for our understanding of the careers of key protagonists such as Alaric, Uldin, and Sarus, as well as of the breach of the Rhine frontier in 406.