Stilicho travels over the Alps in 401…

Gainas's head rides a pike through Constantinople by the beginning of 401.

Fravitta, as reward for his role in defeating Gainas, asks to be allowed to worship the pagan gods freely: the Emperor grants him his wish and designates him as consul for the year 401.

Meanwhile, groups of Huns start a series of attacks across the Danube, and the Isaurians maraud far and wide in Anatolia.

Arcadius, after sending many gifts to the Hunnish chieftain Uldin in appreciation of his victory over the Goths and Gainas, now allies himself with the Huns.

Augustine establishes confessional literature in his thirteen books of Confessions, written between 397 and 398.

Completed in 401, the first ten books recount the author’s spiritual journey from paganism through Manichaeism to Christianity; the final three books are meditations on the Book of Genesis and other books of the Bible.

In writing about how much he regrets having led a sinful and immoral life, Augustine discusses his regrets for following the Manichaean religion and believing in astrology.

He writes of Nebridius's role in helping to persuade him that astrology was not only incorrect but evil, and of Bishop Ambrose's role in his conversion to Christianity.

Displaying intense sorrow for his sexual sins, he writes on the importance of sexual morality.

He also mentions that his favorite subject in school was mathematics because it was concrete and more rigorously defined than other subjects.

The book is thought to be divisible into chapters which symbolize various aspects of the Trinity and trinitarian belief.

Widely seen as the first Western autobiography ever written, Augustine’s Confessions is to be an influential model for Christian writers throughout the following thousand years up to the dawn of the Renaissance.

There had been increasing barbarian incursions into Britain around 396  and an expedition—possibly led by Stilicho—had brought naval action against the raiders.

It seems peace was restored by 399, although it is likely that no further garrisoning was ordered; and indeed by 401 more troops are withdrawn, to assist in the war against Alaric.

Alaric, probably desperate, leaves his base in Epirus in early spring 401, invades Italia, and drives Honorius westward from Mediolanum, besieging him in Hasta Pompeia in Liguria.

Fravitta rapidly falls from favor after his consulate ends because of several intrigues in the Eastern court, as the imperial policy towards the Goths has changed because of the rebellion of Gainas: the Visigothic cheiftain in is in 402 or 40# unjustly accused of treachery and put to death.

Theophilus of Alexandria is in the year 402 summoned by the emperor to Constantinople to apologize before a synod, over which John Chrysostom is to preside, on account of several charges which have been brought against him by certain Egyptian monks, especially by the so-called four "tall brothers".

Theophilus, their former friend, had suddenly turned against them, and had them persecuted as Origenists.

Placing himself at the head of soldiers and armed servants, Theophilus had marched against the monks, burned their dwellings, and ill-treated those whom he captured.

When these monks fled to Constantinople to appeal to Patriarch John, Theophilus had written to Epiphanius of Cyprus, requesting him to go to and prevail upon Chrysostom to condemn the Origenists.

Alaric has spread desolation through North Italy, striking terror into the citizens of Rome.

Imperial forces under Stilicho's command engage the barbarian Danubian coalition at the bloody Battle of Pollentia (Polenza, near modern Bra).

The battle, fought on Easter Sunday, April 6, 402, is a victory for Rome tahht, though costly, effectively halts the Goths' progress.

Stilicho captures the Gothic camp, taking Alaric's wife and family hostage.

It is not unreasonable to suppose that he and his troops were hampered by the presence of large numbers of women and children, which give his invasion of Italy the character of a human migration.

Stilicho's enemies will later reproach him for having gained his victory by taking impious advantage of the great Christian festival.

Alaric, too, is a Christian, though an Arian, not Orthodox.

He had trusted to the sanctity of Easter for immunity from attack.

Gwanggaeto, determined to protect his Kingdom from further threat, decides in 402 to launch an attack on Later Yan itself.

In the same year, Gwanggaeto defeats the Xianbei, seizing some of their border fortresses.

Alaric and his Visigoths, defeated at Verona in June 402, subsequently withdraw from Italy.

Honorius had at first based his capital in Mediolanum (Milan), but with the Visigoths under Alaric having entered Italy, he moves his capital in 402 to …

…the coastal city of Ravenna, which is protected by a ring of marshes and strong fortifications.

While the new capital is easier to defend (although in fact the city falls to opposing forces numerous times in its history), it is poorly situated to allow Roman forces to protect central Italy from the increasingly regular threat of barbarian incursions.

It is also likely that the move to Ravenna was due to the city's port and good seaborne connections to the Eastern Roman Empire.