History Series: Fall of Rome

History of the Fall of the Roman Empire

The Short Version

Sack of Rome by the Visigoths led by Alaric I in 410, during the reign of Emperor Honorius. (Image credit: PHAS / Contributor via Getty Images)

On September 4, AD 476, Odoacer captured the city of Ravenna and deposed Emperor Romulus Augustus, marking the Fall of the Roman Empire.

What do we mean by the Fall of the Roman Empire?

First, what do we mean by the Roman Empire?

This part of the statement needs clarification first. When we say Roman Empire, we’re really only talking about the “Western Roman Empire.”

Was there another Roman Empire?

Yes. Kind of.

West and East Roman Empire during the reign of Theodosius I, end of 4th century. Image: Wikipedia

Since the time of Emperor Diocletian in the late 3rd century, the Empire was so large that two co-ruling emperors usually managed it:

• one in the Latin-speaking West, usually in Rome, but sometimes in Mediolanum (Milan) or Ravenna
• the other in the Greek-speaking East, in Constantinople or Nicomedia (Istanbul).

Following the time of Emperor Theodosius I, it was permanently divided into western and eastern spheres; the whole…