Romulus Augustus

[Antiochus of Seleucia]

Romulus Augustus

 

Romulus Augustus was the son of Orestes, at one time the ambassador of Attila to Constantinople. He had chosen to serve the Romans rather than follow Atilla's successors to the Scythian steppes. His talent and experience as a soldier quickly elevated him through the ranks of the army. When Julius Nepos was appointed by Zeno (emperor in the east), Nepos appointed Orestes as the “Master of Soldiers” of one of the last armies the Western Empire had. It consisted mostly German mercenaries. Since Orestes was of German ancestry, the troops were more loyal to him than the Empire. Orestes saw his opportunity and marched on Revanna, the seat of the Emperor.

 

August 28, 475 AD Julius Nepos fled Revanna on a ship to Dalmatia. Orestes waited roughly two months for recognition from the East. The East refused to recognize him, but on October 31, 475 he robed his son Romulus, a fourteen year-old boy, not himself, to the throne. Orestes might have done this because his wife, the mother of Romulus, was a Roman and thus Romulus would be more acceptable to the Roman people. However, the father would still be the power behind the throne. It must not have helped, for the Romans publicly disrespected Romulus. He was commonly referred to as “Momyllus,” or “Little Disgrace.” The “Augustus” was his given name, not the commonly added surname of new emperors. Nonetheless it was distorted to “Augustulus” or “Little Augustus” which we still refer to in “Romulus Augustulus”. Even though his father basically ruled in his name, there are really no records of any laws or administrative achievements known during his reign. There were also relatively few coins issued for there ware scant rescources by this time.

 

The reign did not last long as the property donative promised to the German troopers when they took Ravenna was withheld by Orestes. To his credit, Orestes refused to allow these troopers to despoil Italy. As there were no longer any provinces left in the West with which to honor the pledge, the German troopers revolted under the leadership of Odoacer (a barbarian chieftain of Hunnish/Scirian background), and besieged Ticinum where Orestes had taken refuge. The town was captured, looted and Orestes was slain on August 28, 476 AD, exactly one year from the date he drove Nepos from Ravenna. On September 4, or very shortly thereafter, Odoacer dethroned Romulus and exiled him to the Lucullan Castle in Campania. He was, however, given a 6000 solidi yearly allowance. Odoacer sent the senators with the Imperial Regalia to Constantinople. The Western half of the Empire had come to an inglorious end. Italy was now a kingdom ruled by a barbarian.

 

There is some controversy as to who was really the last emperor. The Eastern Empire never recognized Romulus. When the senators asked Zeno who their sovereign was, Gibbons states that Zeno replied, “The first you have murdered, the second you have expelled; but the second is still alive and whilst he lives he is your lawful sovereign.”

 

Nonetheless, Romulus Augustus created one of histories greatest ironies by being the last Roman ruler who also bore the names of the legendary founder and beloved first emperor. He was never very popular, and Gibbons claims he was, “A youth only recommended by his beauty.” There is some evidence he lived to about 507 – 511 AD; records of him founding a religious center and negotiating with Theodoric the Goth for his yearly allowance. Sadly, Romulus Augustus was no more than the child of one of a long list of usurpers who witnessed the end of the Western Roman Empire.

 

 

Gibbon, Edward. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. New York: Modern Library, 2003.

 

Grant, Michael. The Roman Emperors. Michael Grant Publications, 1985.

 

Mathisen, Ralph W., and Geoffry S. Nathan. Romulus Augustulus. 20 Aug. 2006 <http://www.roman-emperors.org/auggiero.htm>.

 

Romulus Augustus. 20 Aug. 2006 <http://www.roman-empire.net/collapse/romulus.html>.

Edited August 29, 2006 by Antiochus of Seleucia

[Antiochus of Seleucia]

Edited and bib added.

[Antiochus of Seleucia]

Second edit and special thanks to Gaius Octavius for a great job editing my inglish. Not quite done yet. If anyone reads this and finds an error PLEASE post it.

Edited August 28, 2006 by Antiochus of Seleucia

[phil25]

Was he not Romulus Augustulus - the diminutive being so appropriate. You do mention this, but I have not come across your version before (not my period really, but I like to know these things!!).

 

And was "Augustus" truely his REAL name and not a title?

 

Phil

[Primus Pilus]

And was "Augustus" truely his REAL name and not a title?

 

Phil

 

Based on the notion that he was mocked for the irony even as a child for having such a presumptuous name, I suppose its possible that it was in fact his given name. This is probably one of those obcurities of history that we can never be quite sure of though.

 

My question:

There were also relatively few coins issued; there ware scant rescources and there was trouble fitting a long name like

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Romulus Augustus

 

 

(a barbarian chieftain of Hunnish/Scirian background), and besieged Ticinum where Orestes had taken refuge. They besieged Ticinum where Orestes had taken refuge.

 

 

Think you may have repeated yourself here mate think you might have repeated yourself here mate

[Antiochus of Seleucia]

Haha thanks! Fixed.

Edited August 29, 2006 by Antiochus of Seleucia