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In AD 410, the Roman world suffered an unprecedented catastrophe. For the first time in 800 years a barbarian army, led by the Visigoth king Alaric, sacked the ancient city of Rome. Alaric carried off Rome's most valuable treasures, but died unexpectedly before he could leave Italy and was buried in a secret tomb laden with part of the plunder; a tomb which has been a temptation for treasure seekers ever since. In "The Lost Gold of Rome", Daniel Costa brings to vivid life the little-known but fascinating story of the deeds, death and mysterious burial of Alaric. Alaric first rebelled against the Romans in 391. Defeated, he and his soldiers were co-opted into the Roman Army and contributed to the victory of Theodosius the Great, a devout Christian, in the battle with the last pagan emperor in the West. Alaric rebelled again in 395 and pillaged Greece. Vanquished repeatedly over the years, he refused to give up and eventually led his people to the very centre of world history. Alaric played a significant role in initiating the dismemberment of the Western Roman Empire, and unintentionally gave papacy their first opportunity to get involved in secular politics.The life of Alaric is overshadowed by fascination with the mysteries associated with his burial, for instance the belief that sacred furnishings from the Temple at Jerusalem, which the Romans captured in AD 70, may be among the riches buried with him. Countless treasure hunters have tried to discover the 'lost gold of Rome', including the Nazi Heinrich Himmler. Gripping and lively, Daniel Costa's book also encompasses the fall of the Roman Empire, the survival of Rome and the rise of papacy, as well as revealing one of the best-kept secrets of Islam.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Delightful Romp Through History,
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This review is from: The Lost Gold of Rome: The Hunt for Alaric's Treasure (Hardcover)
Daniel Costa brings to life the last days of Imperial Rome, as well as the chaotic sweep of European history in the first millennium after Christ. The book chronicles the sacking of Rome by Alaric and the Visigoths in 410, A.D., the first breach of the city's walls in some 800 years.
The book's subtitle, "the hunt for Alaric's treasure," reveals the book's theme as Costa examines the various efforts over the centuries to find Alaric's gravesite in the belief that, consistent with Gothic tradition, a vast fortune would have been buried with him. Costa also reviews the scant evidence on where the gravesite and buried treasure are likely to be. Costa's book is lively and well-written. He weaves into a comprehensible pattern the rise and fall of the innumerable kingships that ultimately led to the creation of the European nation-states we know today. He also tells of the rise of Islam and its impact on European society of the time, a story not unlike the struggle going on today between jihadists and Western civilization. This is a book worth reading by anyone who wants to know whence we came and ponder the lessons to be derived therefrom.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Barbarians and the gold of the Empire,
By
This review is from: The Lost Gold of Rome: The Hunt for Alaric's Treasure (Hardcover)
This is an admirable book. The logical thread of the story is clearly followed; the analysis of the pertaining facts is animated by the insertion of the right amount of significant details. Every event described is suggestively presented in the context of its historical background. An easy and elegant style makes this book be highly informative, as well as accessible and entertaining. In brief, a real surprise! A valuable lesson of Dark Ages history, seen from the unusual angle of the treasure hunting.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Treat for Treasure Hunters and Historians,
By
This review is from: The Lost Gold of Rome: The Hunt for Alaric's Treasure (Hardcover)
I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting book which will enthral the armchair treasure hunter and historian alike. And, with everything still to play for, is also destined to become a great source book for the practising treasure hunter.
There is no inventory to be found of what spoils Alaric and the Visigoths carried off following their sacking and plundering of Rome in 410 AD nor indeed what they buried with Alaric on his sudden death a few months later. To address this issue Daniel Costa has painstakingly researched the funeral practices of the Visigoths to confirm that they buried their nobles with treasures as well as what manner of precious objects Rome contained at the time, in order to determine what the Visigoths stole. His amazing conclusion is that Alaric plundered many tonnes of priceless gold and silver objects of which at least five tonnes would have been buried with him in southern Italy to help him through the after life. But, of course, this book is much more than a treasure story or an inventory of gold, silver and jewels, it is also a dynamic narrative of characters and crucial events in the history of Europe. If you enjoy history or treasure stories this is a must for your bookshelf.
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