Western Roman Empire

The Western Roman Empire is the name given to the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 286 AD. It would exist intermittently in several periods between the 3rd Century and the 5th Century, after Diocletian's Tetrarchy and the reunifications associated with Constantine the Great and his later successors, and is generally held to have ended with the abdication of Romulus Augustus on September 4, 476, under pressure of the Germanic chieftain Odoacer. Its counterpart, the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire, survived for another 1,000 years.

Reunification, Eastern focus, and re-division

Once again the Roman Empire was ruled by a single ruler, but with the death of Constantine in 337, civil war erupted among his three sons, dividing the Empire into three parts. The West was reunified in 340, and the final reunification of the entire Empire occurred in 353, under Constantius II.

Related Topics:
Roman Empire - Constantius II

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Notably, Constantius II focused most of his power in the East, and he is often regarded as the first Emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Under his rule, the city of Byzantium, only recently refounded as Constantinople, was truly developed as a capital.

Related Topics:
Byzantine Empire - Byzantium - Constantinople

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In 361 Constantius II took ill and died, and Constantius Chlorus' grandson Julian, who had served as Constantius II's Caesar, took power briefly. Julian was killed carrying on Constantius II's war against Persia in 363, and was replaced by an officer named Jovian who ruled only until 364. These deaths marked the end of the reunified Empire.

Related Topics:
Julian - Caesar - Persia - Jovian

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