History of the Fall of the Roman Empire
On this date, September 4, 476 AD, 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?
What do we mean by 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.”
There was another Roman Empire?
Correct. Kind of.
Since the time of Emperor Diocletian in the late 3rd century, the Empire was so large that it was usually managed by two co-ruling emperors, one in the West, the other in the East. Following the time of Emperor Theodosius I, it was permanently divided into western and eastern spheres, the whole still referred to as the Roman Empire with two co-equal rulers rather than one.
You’ll remember from our discussion of the story of Easter and the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste how Emperor Constantine became the first Christian emperor of Rome in the early 4th century. Subsequently, in 324 AD, he moved the capital of the Empire to the east, to…
