Fall of Rome - The End of the Roman Empire

From its early days as a monarchy, through the Republic and the Roman Empire, Rome lasted a millennium ... or two. Those who opt for two millennia date the Fall of Rome to 1453 when the Ottoman Turks took Byzantium (Constantinople). Those who opt for one millennium, agree with Roman historian Edward Gibbon. Edward Gibbon dated the Fall to September 4, A.D. 476 when a so-called barbarian named Odoacer (a Germanic leader in the Roman army), deposed the last western Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, who was probably partly of Germanic ancestry. Odoacer considered Romulus so paltry a threat he didn't even bother to assassinate him, but sent him into retirement.*

At the time of the coup and for the two preceding centuries, there had been two emperors of Rome. One lived in the east, usually in Constantinople. The other lived in the west. The emperor whom Odoacer deposed had lived in Ravenna, Italy. Afterwards, there was still one Roman emperor, Zeno, who lived in Constantinople. Odoacer became the first barbarian king of the western empire.

While this bloodless coup in 476 is a frequently accepted date for the Fall of Rome and the beginning of the Middle Ages, it was not, at the time, a major turning point. Many events and tendencies led up to it and there were many people who continued to think of themselves and who continue to be thought of as Romans.

The following is a list of features on this site related to the end of the Roman Empire and the Fall of Rome. This includes theories about the Fall of Rome (including lead) and several of the Roman emperors whose actions hastened the end of the Roman Empire in the West. The first section contains information on important men whose origins were far from the city of Rome.

Non-Romans With an Impact on the Fall of Rome

1. Goths Origins? - Michael Kulikowsky explains why Jordanes, our main source on the Goths, who is himself considered a Goth, should not be trusted.
2. Attila - Profile of Attila, who is known as the Scourge of God.

3. The Huns - In the revised edition of The Huns, E. A. Thompson raises questions about the military genius of Attila the Hun.
4. Illyria - Descendants of the early settlers of the Balkans came into conflict with the Roman Empire.
5. Jordanes - Jordanes, himself a Goth, abridged a lost history of the Goths by Cassiodorus.
6. Odoacer - The barbarian who deposed the emperor of Rome.
7. Sons of Nubel and the Gildonic War - If the sons of Nubel hadn't been so eager to do away with one another, Africa might have become independent of Rome.
8. Stilicho and Rufinus: Last Best Chance to Defeat the Goths and Alaric - Because of personal ambition, Praetorian Prefect Rufinus prevented Stilicho from destroying Alaric and the Goths when they had a chance.
9. Alaric Timeline - Alaric didn't want to sack Rome, but he did want a place for his Goths to stay and a suitable title within the Roman Empire. Although he didn't live to see it, the Goths received the first autonomous kingdom within the Roman Empire.

Rome and Romans

1. Civil Units - Administrative and civil units in the Roman Empire of the fourth century.
2. The Fall of the Roman Empire, by Peter Heather - Review - If you're looking for a thorough, basic book on the fall of Rome from a modern perspective, Peter Heather's The Fall of the Roman Empire would be a good choice. It has its own agenda, but so do the Christianity-focused (Gibbon) and economic-focused (AHM Jones) classic works on the fall of Rome.
3. The Fall of Rome - Guest feature by Adrian Dorrington on the fall of Rome -- at least in the West.
4. Fall of Rome links - Resources on the Fall of Rome.
5. End of the Republic - Pages on this site related to the men and events from the Gracchi and Marius through the turbulent years between Julius Caesar's assassination and the start of the principate under Augustus.
6. Why Rome Fell - A.D. 476, the date Gibbon used for the fall of Rome based on the fact that it was then that Odoacer deposed the emperor of Rome, is controversial -- as are the reasons for the fall.

Emperors

1. Roman Emperors - Portraits of 36 of the Roman emperors.

2. 12 Caesars - Portraits of Julius Caesar and the 1st 11 emperors of Rome.

3. Age of Military Anarchy Emperors - Table of the dates and manners of death of the generally short-lived and murdered emperors from Maximinus Thrax to Carinus.
   Quiz: Chaos Emperors/Tetrarchy.
4. Civil War of 69 Emperors - Table of dates and data on the emperors who immediately followed Nero, Galba, Otho and Vitellius.
5. Constantine Dynasty Emperors - Table of dates and data on the emperors of Constantine's dynasty.
6. Dates of the Emperors - Table listing the names and dates of the late emperors of Rome.
7. Flavian Emperors - Table of dates and data on the Flavian emperors, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian.
8. Imperial Battles - Names and dates of major imperial battles, sieges, and civil wars.
9. Julian the Apostate - When Julian came to power Christianity was less popular than paganism, but when the pagan Julian was killed in battle, it was the end of Roman official acceptance of polytheism.
10. Late Emperors - Table of eastern and western Roman emperors after the death of Theodosius I.
11. Tetrarchy Table - Table of the emperors from Diocletian to Constantine the Great.
    Quizzes: End of Tetrarchy/Constantine | Chaos Emperors/Tetrarchy
12. Theodosius I - Theodosius put an end to the heresies at Constantinople and was the last emperor effectively to control both East and West.
13. Valens and the Battle of Adrianople - The Battle of Adrianople in the Eastern Roman Empire in A.D. 378, was one of the crucial events leading to the ultimate Fall of the Roman Empire.

Quiz
End of the Republic

*I think it's relevant to point out that the last king of Rome was also not assassinated, but merely expelled. Although ex-king Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin the Proud) and his Etruscan allies tried to get the throne back by warlike means, Tarquin's actual deposition was bloodless, according to the legends the Romans told about themselves.