thumb|300px|eastern hemisphere at the end of the 5th century ad.  the 5th century is the time period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the julian calendar in anno domini / common era. ==overview== the 5th century is noted for being a time of repeated disaster and instability both internally and externally for the western roman empire, which finally collapsed, and came to an end in ad 476. the west was ruled by a succession of weak emperors, and true power began to fall increasingly into the hands of powerful generals. internal instability and the pressing military problem of foreign invaders resulted in the ransacking of rome by a visigoth army in 410. some recovery took place during the following decades, but the western empire received another serious blow when a second barbarian group, the vandals, occupied carthage, capital of the extremely important province of africa. attempts to retake the province were interrupted by the invasion of the huns under attila. after attila's defeat, both eastern and western empires joined forces for a final assault on vandal north africa, but this campaign was a spectacular failure. ==events== thumb|300px|romulus augustus, last western roman emperor * 399 â 412: the chinese buddhist monk faxian sails through the indian ocean and travels throughout sri lanka and india to gather buddhist scriptures. * 401: buddhist monk and translator of sutras, kumarajiva into chinese arrives in chang'an * early 5th century â baptistry of neon, ravenna, italy, is built. * 5th century - north acropolis, tikal, guatemala, is built. maya culture. *405 or 406: mesrop mashtots introduces number 36 of the 38 letters of the newly created armenian alphabet * 406: the eastern frontier of the western roman empire collapses as waves of suebi, alans, and vandals cross the then frozen river rhine near mainz and enter gaul. * 407: constantine iii leads many of the roman military units from britain to gaul and occupies arles (arelate). this is generally seen as rome's withdrawal from britain. * 410: rome ransacked by the visigoths led by king alaric. * 411: suebi establish the first independent christian kingdom of western europe in gallaecia. * 413: st. augustine, bishop of hippo, begins to write the city of god. * 426: k'inich yax k'uk' mo' re established copan.  * 430: the ilopango volcano erupts, thereby devastating the mayan cities in present-day [[e
1st_millennium 5th_century Centuries