How Stilicho defeated a massive barbarian invasion without fighting a single open battle
In 406, King Radagaisus led a massive force of Germanic and Alani warriors into Italy, threatening Rome itself. Instead of risking a direct clash, the Roman general Stilicho employed a patient strategy of encirclement and starvation, effectively trapping the invaders and securing a decisive victory for the Western Empire.
The conflict began in late 405 or early 406 when Radagaisus crossed the Alps, devastating northern Italy before laying siege to Florence. The scale of the invasion was immense; while Radagaisus commanded roughly 20,000 warriors, his total camp population—including wives, children, and slaves—reached between 50,000 and 100,000 people. Facing this threat, the Roman Master-General Stilicho assembled a force of 20,000 soldiers, bolstered by the support of Uldin the Hun and Sarus the Goth.
Stilicho’s approach was unconventional. Rather than engaging in an open field battle, he arrived at Florence and successfully smuggled supplies to the city’s small garrison. He then initiated a strategy of circumvallation, constructing systematic entrenchments around the barbarian camp. Despite repeated, poorly coordinated breakout attempts by Radagaisus’ forces, the Roman lines held firm. The lack of unity among the various barbarian bands, combined with the logistical nightmare of feeding a massive non-combatant population in hostile territory, rendered the invaders' position untenable.
By August 23, 406, the situation had become hopeless. Radagaisus abandoned his camp to surrender in Stilicho’s tent. Although he had been offered terms, Stilicho immediately ordered his execution. This victory at Faesulae cemented Stilicho’s reputation as the savior of Italy, though the surviving members of the defeated army eventually fled to join Alaric. The campaign remains a testament to the effectiveness of defensive, logistical warfare against numerically superior but disorganized forces during the twilight of the Western Roman Empire.
Source: Battle of Faesulae (406)
