In 395, on the death of Emperor Theodosius the Great, the immense Roman Empire was definitively divided in two, divided between the West and the East, each of the parts being directed by his sons (respectively Honorius for the West and Arcadius for the East). This split plunged the Roman Empire into a period of turmoil. Order is also often maintained by the generals of barbarian origin who are at the head of the Roman troops. But one of them, Alaric, who was hardly happy with his fate, decided to attack Italy in the year 402. Then, proclaimed king of the Visigoths, Alaric 1 st and his army plunder Rome and put the city to fire and blood in 410. The sack of Rome marks a decisive turning point for the Western Roman Empire because the city had not been taken since the year 390 before J. -C.
In 412, the Roman Emperor Honorius diverted the barbarians to Aquitaine and Spain, which offered some respite for Italy. But the threat of the Huns, unified by Attila, persists. They crossed the Rhine in 431. They attempted to invade Italy in 452, but fell back on the death of their leader in 453. However, instability remained and Italy, which was only the shadow of itself offers little resistance to barbarians attacking it.
476
Characters
Romulus Augustus
Orestes
Honorius
Arcadius
Alaric I er
Attila
Julius Nepos
Procedure
But the danger is not only external. Orestes, appointed commander-in-chief of the Roman emperor Julius Nepos, overthrows the latter to put his son, Romulus Augustus, on the throne with the help of the barbarian Odoacer. But their lack of experience and their inability to lead the Empire sign their loss and Odoacer, poorly compensated for his help, finally gang up on them. He thus had himself proclaimed king and killed Orestes on August 23, 476. Then, on September 4, 476, he dismissed the Emperor Romulus Augustus and ordered the Senate to return the imperial insignia to the Emperor of the East, Zeno, in order to mean that he is now the only emperor to reign. By this act, the Western Roman Empire is extinguished and takes Antiquity with it.
In a nod to history, the deposed Roman emperor bears the names of the founder of Rome and that of the first Emperor... Now reunited, although considerably diminished compared to its peak, the late Roman Empire is gradually becoming the Byzantine Empire whose capital is Constantinople.
Consequences
The collapse of the Western Roman Empire is a landmark in history, not only because the Empire had lasted about 500 years but also because the so-called period of antiquity ended with it. However, the ancient culture does not disappear and mixes with the different Eastern cultures, which will give rise to a brilliant civilization rich in these many influences. In the West, the year 476 opens the beginning of the Middle Ages.