The Man Who Officially Ended The Roman Empire
Rome’s final fall was from within, not from without
The Fall of Rome is one of the most talked about events in history. The date is well known, 476CE, and the causes have been endlessly debated. Despite the amount of attention this historical event has received over the centuries, many do not know about the man who officially brought down Rome.
Out of the last great gasp of the Western Roman Empire rose a man who would be the first King of Italy. He was a German and a Roman who had risen through the ranks of the waning Imperial Legion and would emerge at the top following the last messy struggle for Rome’s fate. His name was Flavius Odoacer and his legacy is one often forgotten next to the blinding light of the Roman Empire’s final implosion.
Three Emperors, A Commander, and A King
By 475CE, the Western Roman Empire was beginning to show signs of final degradation. There were two emperors ruling now. One from Rome and one from Constantinople.
The Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I appointed Julius Nepos to be the emperor of the Western Roman…
