Battle of Pollentia
The
Battle of Pollentia was fought on
6 April 402 (
Easter) between the
Romans and the
Visigoths.
Since February, the Visigoths, led by
Alaric I, had been sieging
Mediolanum, the capital of
Roman Emperor Honorius, defended by Roman Gothic troops. The arrival of
Stilicho and his army had forced Alaric to relieve the siege and move towards
Hasta (modern
Asti) in western Italy.
Stilicho reached the Visigoth army at
Pollentia (modern Pollenzo, part of the commune of
Bra), and attacked it on Easter, since the Visigoths, who were
Arians, were busy celebrating the holiday. Stilicho captured Alaric's familiars, while the
Alan Saul, general of the Roman army, captured Alaric's camp.
Stilicho offered to return the prisoners in exchange for the Visigoths returning to
Illyricum; but upon arriving at
Verona, Alaric stopped his retreat, and was defeated in the
Battle of Verona. With many of his generals going with Stilicho, Alaric was forced to leave Italy. Serena, wife of Stilicho, paid for a musive floor in the basilica of the Apostles, in Mediolanum, as an
ex-voto for Stilicho's victory.
