Romulus Augustus

Flavius Romulus Augustulus (460s/470s – after 511), often called Romulus Augustus, was the last of the Western Roman Emperors.

Related Topics:
460s - 470s - 511 - Western Roman Emperors

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He was born Flavius Romulus to Flavius Orestes, a Roman politician considered to be at least partly of Germanic descent. Orestes was appointed "master of soldiers" by the Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos in 475. On August 28, 475, a coup d'état led by Orestes managed to take control of the government in Ravenna (the capital of the Western Roman Empire since 402). Julius Nepos had to flee to Dalmatia. He would continue to reign there till his death in 480.

Related Topics:
Flavius Orestes - Roman - Germanic - Master of soldiers - Julius Nepos - 475 - August 28 - Coup d'état - Ravenna - 402 - Dalmatia - 480

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Orestes became the de facto ruler of the Roman provinces west of Dalmatia. He was not however considered eligible for the throne himself, so he proclaimed his son Emperor on October 31, 475. The proclamation was not accepted by the rival Eastern Roman Emperors Zeno and Basiliscus.

Related Topics:
De facto - Roman province - October 31 - 475 - Eastern Roman Emperors - Zeno - Basiliscus

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Romulus was either a child or in his early adolescence at the time of his appointment, though he acted merely as a figurehead to his father's rule. Shortly afterwards, Orestes refused to grant lands for settlement to Heruli, Scirian and Torcilingi mercenaries, a decision which led to their revolt under the Germanic chieftain Odoacer. Orestes was captured near Piacenza on August 28, 476 and was swiftly executed.

Related Topics:
Child - Adolescence - Figurehead - Heruli - Scirian - Torcilingi - Mercenaries - Germanic chieftain - Odoacer - Piacenza - August 28 - 476 - Executed

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Odoacer advanced to Ravenna, capturing the city along with the youthful Emperor. Romulus was compelled to abdicate the throne on September 4, 476. Romulus wound up living in a monastery the rest of his life. This act was long considered the end of the Western Roman Empire, but the Eastern Roman Empire continued until 1453. By 476 however, Rome had already lost its hegemony over the provinces, and Germanic generals like Odoacer had long been the real power behind the throne. Since Germans by then had long staffed the "Roman" armies and many of the political offices in the region, this replacement did not cause much social disruption. Italy would be far more devastated in the next century when Emperor Justinian I re-conquered it.

Related Topics:
Ravenna - September 4 - 476 - Western Roman Empire - Eastern Roman Empire - 1453 - Hegemony - Germanic - Power behind the throne - Italy - Justinian I

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Odoacer eventually became a de facto ruler of Italy after the deposition of Romulus Augustus, despite not being recognized as such. He was later murdered by Theodoric the Great, who was in fact as well as legally King of Italy.

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He is frequently known by the nickname "Romulus Augustulus." The Latin suffix -ulus is a diminutive; hence, Augustulus effectively means "the Little Augustus." However, he ruled officially as Romulus Augustus.

Related Topics:
Latin - Diminutive

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Unlike many of the previous late Western Roman Emperors, Romulus' life after abdication seems to have been a good one. Because of his youth, Odoacer spared his life, and sent him to the district of Campania to live with relatives. He also granted him an annual pension, which was later confirmed by Odoacer's conqueror Theodoric the Great in 507 and again in 511. Romulus founded a monastery that lasted for hundreds of years, but he does not appear to have lived to see the restoration of Roman authority in Italy in 536.

Related Topics:
Campania - 507 - 511 - Monastery - Italy - 536

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His legitimacy as the last Roman emperor is often questioned. He never received recognition from the Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno who continued to recognize Julius Nepos as Roman Emperor till Nepos' death in 480. However, most modern accounts consider Romulus, not Nepos, the last Western Roman Emperor.

Related Topics:
Roman Emperor - 480

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It is interesting to note that Romulus was traditionally considered to be the founder of the city of Rome, and Caesar Augustus was the first Roman Emperor, and that the last (Western) emperor of Rome was coincidently named Romulus Augustus.

Related Topics:
Romulus - Caesar Augustus

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