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The Visigoths defeated the Roman legions at the Battle of Adrianople. After this battle, Rome was force to surrender land to the Visigoths.
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Germanic groups crossed the frozen Rhine River and entered what is today the country of France. The Romans were too weak to force them back to the border.
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The Visigoth leader, Alaric, and his soldiers captured Rome itself. They burned records and looted the treasury. This was the first time in 800 years that Rome had been conquered. It shocked the entire empire.