Odoacer dethrones Romulus Augustus, ending the Western Roman Empire

On September 4, 476, the Germanic leader Odoacer dethroned Romulus Augustus, the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire. This event is conventionally regarded as a major threshold marking the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages in European history.

The collapse followed decades of barbarian invasions and the decline of Rome, which had previously been sacked by the Visigoths in 410 and the Vandals in 455. Romulus Augustus, the son of the mercenary general Flavius Orestes, held the throne in Ravenna while his father maintained actual power. Odoacer led a revolt against Orestes due to disputes over land in Italy, eventually defeating him and besieging the young emperor in Ravenna.

While the Western Empire fell, Roman institutions continued to function in various regions. Odoacer governed Italy while formally recognizing the authority of the Emperor in Constantinople, ensuring the survival of the Eastern Roman Empire as a central political and cultural force for centuries.