Fall of Rome Emperors Timeline

476 As the End Point for 'The Fall of Rome'

There is debate over the starting and ending dates for the period in Roman history when the empire was in decline and headed for a fall. There is also debate over what constitutes the Fall of Rome, although Gibbon's popularization of the expulsion of the last Roman emperor in the West, Romulus Augustulus, makes that the most useful contender.

What Was the Starting Point?

The conventional start is the mid-third century period known as the Age of Chaos, the Imperial Crisis, or Crisis of the Third century. Even if one starts the declining period a bit earlier -- for instance, at the start of the declining physical extent of the Empire under Marcus Aurelius and his son -- the time period is fairly straightforward.

Which Emperors Can We Blame?

What isn't so straightforward is the decision about whose names to put on a list of the emperors. Especially during the Crisis of the Third Century, there were too many contenders to organize and order them all in a clear list. This timeline uses the chronology of Adrian Goldsworthy in his How Rome Fell to select those emperors who were legitimate, so some of your favorites may not appear on this list. Besides the emperors, a sample of the major themes and events leading to Rome's fall are included. Also see Emperors after the division in 395.