Branded with disgrace and considered the dregs of Roman society, the Goths were cruel “barbarians” who destroyed “civilization,” at least in the traditional interpretation of the history of the collapse of Rome. But if you shift your viewpoint just a little, it brings their and our history to life. Although the Romans cared about law and order, it was a society where cruelty and the desire for profit triumphed. Alaric grew up near the river that separated Gothic land from Roman possessions. He experienced the impact of frontier policies that took settler children away from their parents, and he was denied the benefits he likely expected from military service. The Romans argued bitterly over who should be granted the privileges of citizenship. They wanted to consolidate their power in the world, but were not so sure about Roman identity; they depended on foreign goods, but they ridiculed foreigners and denied them the right to be heard and considered human. Unlike the Romans, among whom there was a rise in fanaticism, intolerance and radicalism during Alaric’s lifetime, the Goths, as practicing Christians, valued religious pluralism and tolerance. The Goths, given marginal features and presented as terrifying harbingers of destruction and the onset of the Dark Ages of history, preserved the achievements of the Ancient World that we take for granted. In the coming centuries, Gothic would become a symbol of freedom itself - a quality that was highly valued by members of the British government who were skeptical of power kings and queens; they built their parliament building in the Gothic style. For everyone who is interested in history. For those who are ready to look at the events of the past in a new way.