Alaric was born on an island on the delta of the Danube River. He was a member of the noble Balti dynasty of Visigoths. He was first mentioned in 394 AD as a commander under the Roman Emperor Theodosius I in his war against Eugenius. He became the leader or king of the Visigoths in the mid 390s. Alaric rebelled against Emperor Arcadius in 395 and invaded Greece. When he came to the walls of Athens, the city paid a heavy ransom so he left them unharmed. He then defeated Corinth, Argos and Sparta. He continued to lay waste to Greece until 397 when the Roman general Stilicho surrounded Alaric's army at Arcadia. They cut off the water to the Gothic camp and thought it was impossible for Alarc to escape. But Alaric broke through their lines and marched to the north over very difficult terrain. Alaric then made a treaty with Arcadius. Stilicho returned to Italy without having defeated Alaric.