Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire

No one can dispute that the Roman Empire is considered one of the most influential domains in the Western Hemisphere even to this day. The Romans provided many of the foundations to current institutions: language, customs, basis for law, architecture just to name a few. However, if one were to ask when did the Roman Empire fall, most people would think 476 CE, citing the fundamental historical tome on the subject, Edward Gibbons’ The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. However, while the western portion of the Roman Empire ceased to exist when the Germanic chieftain Odoacer forced Romulus Augustulus to abdicate his throne on September 4th, 476 CE, the eastern Roman Empire continued to exist until 1453 CE when the Turks captured Constantinople.

In 410 CE, Alaric and the Visigoths sacked Rome. However, by that time, the Western Roman Empire capital was moved from Rome to Ravenna four years earlier. Romulus Augustulus, the last emperor in the west, did abdicate in 476 CE, ceding the Italian province around Rome to the Germanic tribes. Yet Germanic tribe already occupied much of the Italian peninsula based on the fact that they had previously served as allies to the Roman armies. After the abdication, Odoacer did rule as a king in Italy vice as a Roman emperor. He also refused to accept the Eastern Roman Empire’s claim that their appointed ruler Julian Nepos, be recognized as the new emperor in the West. Odoacer refused and Julian Nepos died four years later