Romulus Augustulus - wikipedia Romulus Augustulus This article is about the Roman Emperor. For the comics character, see Tyrannus ( comics ). Romulus Augustus Tremissis of Romulus Augustus Emperor of the Western Roman Empire Reign 31 October AD 475 -- 4 September AD 476 Predecessor Julius Nepos Successor Office Abolished c. AD 460 Unknown, after AD 476 Unknown, possibly Castellum Lucullanum Full name Romulus Augustus Father Orestes Romulus Augustus ( Latin : Romulus Augustus ; born c. AD 460 -- died after AD 476, and was apparently still alive as late as 507 ) was a Roman emperor and alleged usurper who ruled the Western Roman Empire from 31 October AD 475 until 4 September AD 476. His deposition by Odoacer traditionally marks the end of the Roman Empire in the West, the fall of ancient Rome, and the beginning of the Middle Ages in Western Europe. He is mostly known by his nickname `` Romulus Augustulus '', though he ruled officially as Romulus Augustus. The Latin suffix - ulus is a diminutive ; hence, Augustulus effectively means `` Little Augustus ''. The historical record contains few details of Romulus 's life. He was proclaimed as emperor by his father Orestes, the magister militum ( master of soldiers ) of the Roman army after forcing Emperor Julius Nepos to leave Italy. Romulus, little more than a child, acted as a figurehead for his father 's rule and reigned for only ten months. His legitimacy and authority were disputed beyond Italy and Romulus was soon deposed by Odoacer, who had defeated and executed Orestes. Odoacer sent Romulus to live in the Castellum Lucullanum in Campania, after which he disappears from the historical record. Contents 1 Life 2 Later life 2.1 Last Western emperor 3 Legacy 4 Notes 5 Sources 6 External links Life Romulus ' father Orestes was a Roman citizen, originally from Pannonia, who had served as a secretary and diplomat for Attila the Hun and later rose through the ranks of the Roman army. The future emperor was named Romulus after his maternal grandfather, a nobleman from Poetovio in Noricum. Many historians have noted the coincidence that the last western emperor bore the names of both Romulus, the legendary founder and first king of Rome, and Augustus, the first emperor. The Western and the Eastern Roman Empire in 476 Orestes was appointed Magister militum by Julius Nepos in 475. Shortly after his appointment, Orestes launched a rebellion and captured Ravenna, the capital of the Western Roman Empire since 402, on 28 August 475. Nepos fled to Dalmatia, where his uncle had ruled a semi-autonomous state in the 460s. Orestes, however, refused to become emperor, `` from some secret motive '', said historian Edward Gibbon. Instead, he installed his son on the throne on 31 October 475. The empire Augustus ruled was a shadow of its former self and had shrunk significantly over the previous 80 years. Imperial authority had retreated to the Italian borders and parts of southern Gaul : Italia and Gallia Narbonensis, respectively. The Eastern Roman Empire treated its western counterpart as a client state. The Eastern Emperor Leo, who died in 474, had appointed the western emperors Anthemius and Julius Nepos, and Constantinople never recognized the new government. Neither Zeno nor Basiliscus, the two generals fighting for the eastern throne at the time of Romulus ' accession, accepted him as ruler. Romulus Augustus resigns the crown. Drawing from the Young Folks ' History of Rome, 1880. As a proxy for his father, Romulus made no decisions and left no monuments, though coins bearing his name were minted in Rome, Milan, Ravenna, and Gaul. Several months after Orestes took power, a coalition of Heruli, Scirian and Turcilingi mercenaries demanded that he give them a third of the land in Italy. When Orestes refused, the tribes revolted under the leadership of the Scirian chieftain Odoacer. Orestes was captured near Piacenza on 28 August 476 and swiftly executed. Odoacer advanced on Ravenna, capturing the city and the young emperor. Romulus was compelled to abdicate the throne on 4 September 476. This act has been cited as the end of the Western Roman Empire, although Romulus ' deposition did not cause any significant disruption at the time. Rome had already lost its hegemony over the provinces, Germans dominated the Roman army and Germanic generals like Odoacer had long been the real powers behind the throne. Italy would suffer far greater devastation in the next century when Emperor Justinian I reconquered it. After the abdication of Romulus, the Roman Senate, on behalf of Odoacer, sent representatives to the Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno, whom it asked to formally reunite the two halves of the Empire : `` the west... no longer required an emperor of its own : one monarch sufficed for the world ''. He was also asked to make Odoacer a patrician, and administrator of Italy in Zeno 's name. Zeno pointed out that the Senate should rightfully have first requested that Julius Nepos take the throne once more, but he nonetheless agreed to their requests. Odoacer then ruled Italy in Zeno 's name. Later life The ultimate fate of Romulus is a mystery. The Anonymus Valesianus wrote that Odoacer, `` taking pity on his youth '' ( he was about 16 ), spared Romulus ' life and granted him an annual pension of 6,000 solidi before sending him to live with relatives in Campania. Jordanes and Marcellinus Comes say Odoacer exiled Romulus to Campania but do not mention any financial support from the Germanic king. The sources do agree that Romulus took up residence in the Castel dell'Ovo ( Lucullan Villa ) in Naples, now a castle but originally built as a grand sea - side house by Lucullus in the 1st century BC, fortified by Valentinian III in the mid-5th century. From here, contemporary histories fall silent. In the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon notes that the disciples of Saint Severinus of Noricum were invited by a `` Neapolitan lady '' to bring his body to the villa in 488 ; Gibbon conjectures from this that Augustulus `` was probably no more. '' The villa was converted into a monastery before 500 to hold the saint 's remains. Cassiodorus, then a secretary to Theodoric the Great, wrote a letter in 507 to a `` Romulus '' confirming a pension. Thomas Hodgkin, a translator of Cassiodorus ' works, wrote in 1886 that it was `` surely possible '' the Romulus in the letter was the same person as the last western emperor. The letter would match the description of Odoacer 's coup in the Anonymus Valesianus, and Romulus could have been alive in the early sixth century. But Cassiodorus does not supply any details about his correspondent or the size and nature of his pension, and Jordanes, whose history of the period abridges an earlier work by Cassiodorus, makes no mention of a pension. Last Western emperor Julius Nepos on a gold Tremissis As Romulus was an alleged usurper, Julius Nepos claimed to hold legally the title of the emperor when Odoacer took power. However, few of Nepos ' contemporaries were willing to support his cause after he ran away to Dalmatia. Some historians regard Julius Nepos, who ruled in Dalmatia until being murdered in 480, as the last lawful Western Roman Emperor. Following Odoacer 's coup, the Roman Senate sent a letter to Zeno stating that `` the majesty of a sole monarch is sufficient to pervade and protect, at the same time, both the East and the West ''. While Zeno told the Senate that Nepos was their lawful sovereign, he did not press the point, and he accepted the imperial insignia brought to him by the senate. Legacy This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( September 2016 ) As the last Western Roman emperor before the traditionally agreed - upon end of the Western Roman Empire, Romulus has been portrayed several times in film and literature ; the play Romulus the Great ( 1950 ), by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, focuses on the reign of `` Romulus Augustus '' and the end of the Roman Empire in the West. The 2007 film The Last Legion, and the novel on which it is based, includes a heavily fictionalized account of the reign and subsequent life of Romulus Augustus ; escaping captivity with the aid of a small band of loyal Romans, he reaches Britain, where he eventually becomes Uther Pendragon. Notes Jump up ^ Nepos maintained a claim to the position until he was murdered in 480. ^ Jump up to : For a famous example, cf. Gibbon, p. 405. Jump up ^ Burns, Thomas, A History of the Ostrogoths, p. 74 Jump up ^ Older literature ( appr. up to 1850 ) also refers to him as Romulus Momyllus, Momyllus Augustulus, etc., Momyllus being a corruption of Romulus. Cf. Gibbon, Decline and Fall, 4.36. ^ Jump up to : De Imperatoribus Romanis Jump up ^ Gibbon, Edward, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, David Womersley, ed. London ; Penguin Books, 1994. Vol. 3, p. 312. Jump up ^ Gibbon, pp. 391, 400. ^ Jump up to : Gibbon, p. 402. Jump up ^ Hollister, C. Warren, Medieval Europe : A Short History. New York ; McGraw - Hill, 1995, 32. Jump up ^ `` Romulus Augustus -- The Last Roman Emperor ''. Rome Across Europe. Retrieved 2016 - 04 - 19. Jump up ^ Bryce 1961, p. 25 ^ Jump up to : Bryce, James, The Holy Roman Empire ^ Jump up to : Gibbon, p. 406 Jump up ^ Gibbon, p. 407 Jump up ^ Cassiodorus, Variae, iii, 35. Jump up ^ Duckett, Eleanor Shipley, `` I '', The Gateway to the Middle Ages, p. 1, ISBN 978 - 0 - 472 - 06051 - 1 ^ Jump up to : Gibbon, p. 404. Sources Bryce, James Bryce. The Holy Roman Empire, Schocken Books, 1961. Gibbon, Edward. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 3, David Womersley, ed. London ; Penguin Books, 1994. Heather, Peter. The Fall of the Roman Empire, 2005 Hollister, C. Warren, Medieval Europe : A Short History. New York ; McGraw - Hill, 1995. Murdoch, Adrian, The Last Roman : Romulus Augustulus and the Decline of the West, Stroud ; Sutton, 2006. Norwich, John Julius. Byzantium : A Short History. New York, Vintage, 1997 Sandberg, Kaj. The So - Called Division of the Roman Empire. Notes On A Persistent Theme in Western Historiography, Arctos 42 ( 2008 ), 199 - 213. Ralph, and Geoffrey Nathan, `` Romulus Augustulus ( 475 -- 476 A.D. ) -- Two Views '', De Imperatoribus Romanis External links Media related to Romulus Augustus at Wikimedia Commons Project Gutenberg : Cassiodorus, Variae Regnal titles Preceded by Julius Nepos Western Roman Emperor 475 -- 476 with Julius Nepos in Dalmatia ( 475 -- 476 ) Succeeded by Julius Nepos As Western Roman Emperor Odoacer as Roman governor Julius Nepos Roman Emperor in Dalmatia Roman and Byzantine emperors Principate 27 BC -- 235 AD Augustus Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasian Titus Domitian Nerva Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Commodus Pertinax Didius Julianus ( Pescennius Niger ) ( Clodius Albinus ) Septimius Severus Caracalla with Geta Macrinus with Diadumenian Elagabalus Severus Alexander Crisis 235 -- 284 Maximinus Thrax Gordian I and Gordian II Pupienus and Balbinus Gordian III Philip the Arab with Philippus II Decius with Herennius Etruscus Hostilian Trebonianus Gallus with Volusianus Aemilianus Valerian Gallienus with Saloninus and Valerian II Claudius Gothicus Quintillus Aurelian Tacitus Florian Probus Carus Carinus and Numerian Gallic Emperors : Postumus ( Laelianus ) Marius Victorinus ( Domitianus II ) Tetricus I with Tetricus II as Caesar Dominate 284 -- 395 Diocletian ( whole empire ) Diocletian ( East ) and Maximian ( West ) Diocletian ( East ) and Maximian ( West ) with Galerius ( East ) and Constantius Chlorus ( West ) as Caesares Galerius ( East ) and Constantius Chlorus ( West ) with Severus ( West ) and Maximinus Daia ( East ) as Caesares Galerius ( East ) and Severus ( West ) with Constantine the Great ( West ) and Maximinus Daia ( East ) as Caesares Galerius ( East ) and Maxentius ( West ) with Constantine the Great ( West ) and Maximinus Daia ( East ) as Caesares Galerius ( East ) and Licinius I ( West ) with Constantine the Great ( West ) and Maximinus Daia ( East ) as Caesares Maxentius ( alone ) Licinius I ( West ) and Maximinus Daia ( East ) with Constantine the Great ( Self - proclaimed Augustus ) and Valerius Valens Licinius I ( East ) and Constantine the Great ( West ) with Licinius II, Constantine II, and Crispus as Caesares ( Martinian ) Constantine the Great ( whole empire ) with son Crispus as Caesar Constantine II Constans I Magnentius with Decentius as Caesar Constantius II with Vetranio Julian Jovian Valentinian the Great Valens Gratian Valentinian II Magnus Maximus with Flavius Victor Theodosius the Great ( Eugenius ) Western Empire 395 -- 480 Honorius ( Constantine III with son Constans II ) Constantius III Joannes as Western usurper in Ravenna Valentinian III Petronius Maximus with Palladius Avitus Majorian then Libius Severus then Anthemius then Olybrius Glycerius Julius Nepos ( de jure ) Romulus Augustulus ( Usurper ) Eastern / Byzantine Empire 395 -- 1204 Arcadius Theodosius II Pulcheria Marcian Leo I the Thracian Leo II Zeno ( first reign ) Basiliscus with son Marcus as co-emperor Zeno ( second reign ) Anastasius I Dicorus Justin I Justinian the Great Justin II Tiberius II Constantine Maurice with son Theodosius as co-emperor Phocas Heraclius Constantine III Heraklonas Constans II Constantine IV with brothers Heraclius and Tiberius and then Justinian II as co-emperors Justinian II ( first reign ) Leontios Tiberios III Justinian II ( second reign ) with son Tiberius as co-emperor Philippikos Anastasios II Theodosius III Leo III the Isaurian Constantine V Artabasdos Leo IV the Khazar Constantine VI Irene Nikephoros I Staurakios Michael I Rangabe with son Theophylact as co-emperor Leo V the Armenian with Symbatios - Constantine as junior emperor Michael II the Amorian Theophilos Michael III Basil I the Macedonian Leo VI the Wise Alexander Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos Romanos I Lekapenos with sons Christopher, Stephen and Constantine as junior co-emperors Romanos II Nikephoros II Phokas John I Tzimiskes Basil II Constantine VIII Zoe ( first reign ) and Romanos III Argyros Zoe ( first reign ) and Michael IV the Paphlagonian Michael V Kalaphates Zoe ( second reign ) with Theodora Zoe ( second reign ) and Constantine IX Monomachos Constantine IX Monomachos ( sole emperor ) Theodora Michael VI Bringas Isaac I Komnenos Constantine X Doukas Romanos IV Diogenes Michael VII Doukas with brothers Andronikos and Konstantios and son Constantine Nikephoros III Botaneiates Alexios I Komnenos John II Komnenos with Alexios Komnenos as co-emperor Manuel I Komnenos Alexios II Komnenos Andronikos I Komnenos Isaac II Angelos Alexios III Angelos Alexios IV Angelos Nicholas Kanabos as usurper chosen by the Senate Alexios V Doukas Empire of Nicaea 1204 -- 1261 Constantine Laskaris Theodore I Laskaris John III Doukas Vatatzes Theodore II Laskaris John IV Laskaris Eastern / Byzantine Empire 1261 -- 1453 Michael VIII Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos with Michael IX Palaiologos as co-emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos John V Palaiologos John VI Kantakouzenos with John V Palaiologos and Matthew Kantakouzenos as co-emperors John V Palaiologos Andronikos IV Palaiologos John VII Palaiologos Andronikos V Palaiologos Manuel II Palaiologos John VIII Palaiologos Constantine XI Palaiologos Italics usually indicate an usurper or co-emperor. VIAF : 32932293 LCCN : n79077166 GND : 124521940 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Romulus_Augustulus&oldid=807895196 '' Categories : 461 births Monarchs who abdicated 5th - century Roman emperors 5th - century Christians Ancient child rulers Rulers deposed as children Flavii Hidden categories : Articles containing Latin - language text Articles to be expanded from September 2016 All articles to be expanded Articles using small message boxes Good articles Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Year of death unknown Talk Contents About Wikipedia Alemannisch Ænglisc Aragonés Azərbaycanca Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Български Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ქართული Қазақша Kiswahili Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Bahasa Melayu Mirandés Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Occitan Polski Português Română Русский Scots Sicilianu Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Yorùbá 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 30 October 2017, at 18 : 20. 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Question: when was the last western roman emperor overthrown
Answer: 31 October AD 475