What happened after the Roman Empire ceased to be in 476?
29 June 2026
My favorite figure in the post-Roman period is Theoderic — ruling 493 to 526, twenty years after the “fall” of Rome. He took over the structure of the Roman Empire and ruled it as a functionally emperor-like figure. He was a Goth and an Arian Christian, or in other words, a barbarian and a heretic.
I never gave much thought to day-to-day life in Rome, previously the seat of the (western) Roman Empire, after the last emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed in 476 by Odoacer, a Germanic general. Odoacer became the ruler of Italy, but was killed by Theodoric the Great, in 493, who assumed the role of the king of Italy, until 526.
Despite the bloodshed surrounding these events, life went on as usual, for the most part, as far as inhabitants of Rome and Italy were concerned, during this period.
It seemed a little like a change in the governing party following an election, particularly in a parliamentary democracy. There were new senior government figures in place, but that was about it.
But back to Romulus Augustulus. He was only fourteen when he became emperor in 475, and reigned for about ten months. He was more of a figurehead though, having been placed in the role by his father, Orestes, a Roman general.
Orestes deposed Julius Nepos, who became emperor in 474. Nepos went into exile, but continued to regard himself as emperor until his death in 480.
On account of his age, Romulus Augustulus was exiled to Naples by Odoacer. It is believed he lived for at least another twenty years, but little is known of him after 506.
There’s a whole lot more to unpack here of course, but the story is far from a simple end to one state of affairs, and the beginning of another.
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