In August 410 AD, the Visigoths under the command of Alaric I breached the walls of Rome, Italy, plundering the city for three days. While Rome was no longer the political capital of the empire, its fall sent shockwaves across the Mediterranean world, as the ancient city was viewed as an eternal, invincible symbol of civilization. Pagans blamed Christianity for undermining the empire's traditional strength, prompting Saint Augustine of Hippo to write his monumental theological defense, 'The City of God'. This text redefined history as a spiritual conflict between earthly kingdoms and the heavenly kingdom.

The psychological trauma of the fall of Rome shattered classical optimism and birthed a dark, reflective mood in late antiquity poetry. Augustine's resulting dual-city framework provided medieval poets like Dante with a profound symbolic architecture to critique corrupt earthly rulers against the backdrop of eternal justice.