-
Odoacer, a German barbarian and mercenary leader, defeated Orestes at Piacenza and then took Ravenna, the capital of the Western Roman Empire.Then two days later, forced Romulus to surrender and sent him into retirement in Campania. The deposition of Romulus Augustus marked the end of the Western Roman Empire and the beginning of the Middle Ages in Western Europe. -
The Vandals are a Germanic people group who migrated across Europe during the late Classical period. During their migrations, the Vandals became infamous for their sack of Rome when they destroyed much of the city. -
The sack of Rome was the first time Rome had fallen to a foreign enemy. Even though Rome was no longer the administrative capital of the Western Roman Empire, it was still important for Christianity and Roman culture. -
The Roman Empire was officially divided into the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire upon the death of Emperor Theodosius I, with his sons Honorius ruling the West and Arcadius ruling the East. This held a significant turning point in Roman history as the two halves of the empire effectively operated as separate Empires. -
Constantine the Great moved the capital of the Roman Empire to the city of Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople. -
Diocletian divided the empire into four administrative regions, starting a split between the East and West. -
-
During this time, the empire faced rampant civil wars, economic decline, and external invasions, leading to a near collapse of central authority. This era is critical as it highlights the internal strife that weakened the empire and set the stage for further decline.
-
The Roman Empire's economic decline was primarily caused by a combination of factors including a shrinking tax base due to reduced conquered territory, overreliance on slave labor hindering innovation, inflation from excessive coin minting to fund military campaigns, a growing wealth gap between the elite and common people, disruptions to trade routes, and a decline in agricultural production, all culminating in a weakened economy that contributed significantly to the fall of the empire. -
The Western Roman Empire faced increasing fragmentation of political control, which severely impeded its ability to respond to external threats. This loss of authority is significant because it illustrates how internal divisions, coupled with continual barbarian invasions, ultimately rendered the empire incapable of maintaining its territory, culminating in its fall. -
Attila appears to have killed his brother and become the only ruler of the Huns. He would go on to rule for the next eight years, launching a raid on the Eastern Roman Empire.