The Sack of Rome

Carried out by Totila (The Gothic King) in 546 AD, the siege lasted for almost a year, before the city fell to the Goths. 

When the siege began on winter, 545 AD, the commander of the imperial garrison would only sell the grain stock to civilians at a highly inflated price. He apparently also refused to allow civilians to leave the city. Due to this, many of the civilians committed suicide. Eventually, he allowed them to leave, and many of the famished civilians were killed by the Goths. Pope Vigilius, having fled to Syracuse, attempted to help by sending ships with grain to Rome, only to end up feeding the surrounding Goths instead.

As it would turn out, Tortilla wanted rid of Rome, so he could use the land for sheep. While this didn’t happen, his army plundered the city once it was finally breached, and tore down one third of the defensive walls before chasing after the Roman forces in Apulia.