Valentine Dynasty
From AD 364 to 392, the Western Roman Empire was ruled by the Valentinian dynasty, whose capital was Rome. After the death of Julian, Valentine (I) was elected king by the Roman army in AD 364. He reigned for about 12 years. From AD 367 to 383, the son of Valentin (I) Gratian became the king of Rome. Two important events took place during his reign.
The first is that in AD 375, the second group of the Roman army declared the other five-year-old son of Valentin (I) Valentin (II) as king. Thus the Western Empire also split into two parts. The second important event during the time of Emperor Gratian was that in AD 378, the Visigoth clan made a fierce attack on Rome. The divided Roman power could not bear the ferocity of the Visigoths.
The Roman army was defeated in the Battle of Adrianople. The Visigoths entered Rome and looted Rome fiercely. In AD 383, the Roman emperor Gratian was killed by a rebel group of his own army. He was followed by Valentine (II) emperor. He ruled his territory for more than sixteen years, but in AD392 at the age of just 21, he either had to commit suicide or was killed by the rebel forces.
Legal and Illegal Rulers
From AD 379 to AD 392, Theodosius (I) became the lord of the Eastern Roman Empire. He recognized Magnus Maximus and his son Victor as emperors and co-emperors of the Western Roman Empire from AD 383 to 388 and accepted them as rulers of England and Gaul (France). Thus, in the Western Roman Empire from AD 379 to AD 392, two rulers named Valentine (II) and Magnus Maximus existed, they maintained their power over different parts of the empire. This situation is also seen in the time of other rulers.
Therefore, in Roman history, the question of legal ruler and illegal ruler arises again and again and historians try to show legal to the same ruler who has been recognized by the ruler of Kustantunia, but there were many such rulers who were not recognized by Kustuntunia. But they were successful in maintaining their single authority over Rome and they were more sovereign rulers than the rulers called legal.
Theodosius Dynasty
In AD 392, Theodosius (I) attacked and suppressed the Goths and other barbarian tribes and brought the Western Roman Empire back to the Eastern Roman Empire. He died in AD 395 but his descendants continued to rule Rome till AD 455. Honorius in AD 395 and then Constantine (III) in AD 409 became the king of Rome.
Demolition of Rome by the Goths
On August 24, 410, King Alaric of a German tribe named Visigoths invaded Rome and caused so much destruction in Rome that the word Gothic in Rome came to be synonymous with darkness, negativity and blackness. The Roman poet named Renaissance 'Goth' The word is used as a synonym for barbaric, uncivilized and cruel.
Emperor of Rome at the age of five
Constantius (III) in AD 421, Joanus in AD 423 and Valentinian (III) in AD 424 became emperors of Rome. Valentinian (III) became king at the age of five and ruled for 31 years. He was the longest reigning king of the Western Roman Empire. Rome became more vulnerable during his reign.
Orgy of Vandals
A barbarian tribe called the Vandals lived in northern Italy. It came from Germany in very ancient times. Between AD 429 and 435, the Vandals defeated the Roman armies and snatched North Africa from them. The Vandals attacked the Roman Empire several times, but the ancient Roman kings were successful in keeping them away from Rome. Yet the Vandals savagely plundered and destroyed the Roman state.
Huns' havoc on Rome
The Huns were residents of a country called Mongolia in Central Asia. They entered the Eastern Roman Empire by crossing the Danube River and began to live by force in the northern and western parts of the empire. Attila, the leader of the Huns, used to extort huge sums of money from the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire only by making threats. Between AD 440 and 445, there were many invasions of the Huns, but the armies of Valentinian (III) could not face them.
The Huns captured a large part of the Roman Empire. They were rapidly spreading all over the world and writing new definitions of violence and barbarism. In AD 451 the Huns under the leadership of Attila besieged the Western Roman Empire. At this time the barbaric German tribes called Goths and Franks sided with the Roman imperial army.
Thus this battle took the form of a huge war in which about one and a half lakh human beings were employed. In the end Atila was defeated and the Huns were pushed back.
After some time Attila again gathered the power of the Huns and attacked Italy. There he plundered and burned many cities in the north. He died a few days after this attack. Even today in Europe he is remembered for his ruthlessness and cruelty, as in India, the Mongol invader Timur Lang is remembered with great hatred for his violent acts.
After the death of Attila, the Huns of Italy became cold. Their armies were scattered and they started farming. Over a period of hundreds of years, they mingled with the people of Italy and became like them. The Goths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals and Huns were very rude and ruthless people. Their invasions weakened the Western Roman Empire so much that in due course of time it fell apart like a palace of cards.
Assassination of two Roman emperors
In AD 455, the Roman emperor Valentinian III was killed by his bodyguard army at the age of only 35. After that Patronius Maximus became the king of Rome, but only after 75 days he was beaten to death by the people of Rome. With this, the rule of Theodosius dynasty from Rome came to a sad end. It was the same dynasty that saved Rome by driving the Goths and other barbaric tribes out of Rome in AD 392, but politics does not remember past favors.
Risimer's Terror
Location of foreign tribes in the Roman Senate
On 9 July 455, the Roman senator Aevitus became the new emperor of Rome. He held high positions in civil administration and military administration and was also bishop of the Church of Piacenza. He was an intelligent and experienced politician. His plan was to establish peace in Rome by establishing friendship with the barbaric German and French tribes living in northern Italy. For this purpose, Avitus made some people of the Frank clan made senators of Rome. This turned the people and army of Rome against the new emperor Avitus. The Roman people could not easily forget the destruction and humiliation done by the Vandals in Rome shortly before.
Rise of Magister Resimer
In the days when the Huns and Vandals had kept the condition of the Roman Empire thin and no emperor was able to secure his power and life in Rome, a very ambitious young man named Flavius Risimer emerged as a major power in the politics of the Western Roman Empire. .
He was the commander of a German tribe living in northern Italy for the past hundreds of years who were considered hostile to the Roman Empire, but Risimer succeeded in becoming a benefactor of some high officials of the Western Roman Empire and held the honorable post of magister militum in the empire. got appointed. From here he started his political career afresh.
The assassination of Emperor Avitus
Rissimer was looking for some major political opportunity that would increase his stature in the Roman Empire. Soon he got the opportunity. Senator Aevitus became emperor of Rome in AD 455. As soon as Avitus made some French members of the Senate of Rome and dissatisfaction arose among the Roman senators, Risimer made his move. He persuaded a Roman general named Majorion to replace Avitus and become emperor himself. Majorian agreed to this task and in AD 456 he rebelled against the new emperor.
In this rebellion, Risimer fully supported Majorian. Majorian's army broke into the emperor's palace and took Emperor Avitus captive. Avitus proposed to Majorion and Risimer that if his life was not taken, he himself would leave the office of emperor and go to the church of Piacenza and spend the rest of his life as bishop. Majorian and Risimer accepted the offer of Emperor Avitus and removed him from the post of emperor and sent him to Piacenza. A few months later, Rissmer got him murdered.
The assassination of Emperor Majorion
In AD 456, Majorian became emperor. He continued to rule Rome till AD 461. Risimer wanted the Majorian to work under the control of Risimer, but the Majorian wanted to get rid of Risimer and replace him under the tutelage of the Eastern Roman Emperor. At the request of Majorian, the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire declared Majorion the official king of Rome. A few days later, Majorian removed some of his suspected bodyguards who were of German origin and had been hired by Rissimer. At this, Risimer became enraged by the emperor Majorion and asked for an appointment with the emperor on the banks of the Iria River.
When the emperor met the Mejorian general Risimer, Risimer's soldiers captured the emperor. The emperor was severely beaten, his royal clothes and emblems were taken away, and he was severely humiliated and imprisoned. Five days later the emperor was beheaded. The place where the erstwhile emperor Avitus was assassinated was also not far from here.
Poison to Emperor Libius Severus
By now Risimer had eliminated two emperors of Rome. Now he is looking for someone who will rule under Risimer's control. Three months later, he decided to make Roman senator Libius Severus emperor. Libius Severus was a native of Luciania. He was made emperor of the Western Roman Empire on 19 November 461. He was a merciful ruler who followed Christianity but could not hold firm on his rule. During his reign, the reins of governance remained in the hands of Magister Risimer.
This turned other senators against Libius and the Roman governors also started disobeying his orders. Due to this, there was unrest in Rome and the fierce attacks of the Vandals started again. Nevertheless, Emperor Libius Severus, with the help of Magister Militum Resimer, ruled Rome until 15 August 465. In AD 465, Risimer poisoned Libius Severus and himself became the de facto ruler of Rome.
Being the general of the Berber tribe of German origin, he did not dare to declare himself emperor of Rome. So he was declared still magister militum, but he minted some coins in the Roman mint on which he had his portrait inscribed as that of the emperor.
The assassination of Emperor Anthemius
In AD 467, Risimer made Anthemius emperor of the Western Roman Empire. During his time 'Uric', the leader of the Visigoths and 'Geseric', the leader of the Vandals, became a headache for the Roman Empire. Emperor Anthemius took a terrible front from these two enemies, but in April 472, Risimer killed Anthemius and made a Roman general named Olybrius the emperor of Rome.
Goonbad's hooliganism
Olybrius was a man of religious views. He was not much interested in politics but he became the emperor of Rome by writing of fate. During his time all the power of governance remained in the hands of Risimer and his nephew Gundobad. Gundobad was such a bad person that the Italian and English languages 'Punk' and 'Bad' The Word 'evil' began to be used in the sense of.
Emperor Leo (I) of Constantinople did not recognize Olybrius as the ruler of Rome. Emperor Olybrius died in October 472, only six months later, unfortunately for Rome. Rissimer also died a few days after this incident.
Julius Niepo
After the death of Olybrius, there was once again a struggle for power among the members of the Senate, and a Roman noble named Glycerius became the king of Rome by force. Emperor Leo (I) of Constantinia also did not recognize him as the ruler of Rome and sent Julius Niepo to attack Rome with a huge army.
Niepo drove Glycerius out of Rome and himself became the ruler of Rome. Since Glycerius was an old and trusted feudatory of Kustuntunia, he was pardoned and appointed bishop in the church of Salona. While working peacefully there, he breathed his last.