The Western Roman Empire ended in 476 AD when the last emperor abandoned the throne. However, the city of Rome continued. So, what happened to the “eternal city” after it has stopped being one of the largest and most enduring empires ever seen?
In the century after the fall of the empire, multiple forces fought through Rome in a series of devastating wars. The city’s population collapsed, and one historical text claimed it had been abandoned for even a short period of time.
Rome was not built in one day. The Romans believed it was founded in 753 BC, but archaeological excavations suggested they had returned earlier. Regardless of when the city was established, it became the seat of power in a vast empire that stretches from the British Isles to North Africa.
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However, the empire was too big for one person to ultimately rule. The Roman Empire was divided permanently in the Gregorian calendar of the 5th century, with the Western Roman Empire ruled from either Rome or the Italian Ravenna from about 175 miles (280 kilometers) northeast of Rome. The eastern Roman Empire of Constantinople. The Western Roman Empire faced multiple invasions by various “wild people” groups in the 5th century, losing much of its territory before it officially fell.
The empire ended after the last Western emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was forced to abdicate with the Roman ruler and other parts of Italy by a German warrior and a man named Odo Arthur, the “Wild Man.” However, he refused to name him Emperor, and the Western Roman Empire no longer existed officially. Instead, he brought the envoy to the Imperial Regalia to the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire as a gesture to improve relations.
Between AD 488 and 493, Odo Arthur’s army was defeated in a series of campaigns launched by Theodoric, the leader of Ostrlogos, a “wild man” group that invaded both the eastern and western parts of the Roman Empire. Odosar was killed and Theodoric, along with much of Italy, became ruler of Rome. He reigned until his death in 526.
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Surviving records and archaeological evidence suggest that Theodoric took care of Rome. “The Roman citizens were so loving him. He paid for the maintenance of the monument, paid for games at the circus and the Colosseum, providing free or grant grain, and the list was told by John Arnold, an associate professor of ancient and medieval history at the University of Tulsa, to Live Science via email.
Rome was not attacked by external groups during Theodoric’s reign, but suffered from internal problems. The Roman population was primarily Christian and the Pope was based there, but the election of the new Pope was sometimes controversial.
“In 498 there was a controversial pontiff election that led to the division of Rome,” Arnold said that the two popes ruled simultaneously between about 501 and 507. “It led to violence on the streets, and the Romans actually sued. [Theodoric] He reluctantly. ”
There was also intense hatred of the Jews that led to the riots. “It seems that the Italian Romans were more concerned about Jews than Goths. Throughout this period, there have been many cases of anti-Semitic riots in Rome and other cities,” Arnold said. Anti-Semitic riots were not confined to Rome, but occurred in other cities throughout the region during this period, Arnold said.
It is not clear how many Jews were in Rome during this period, but they lived in Rome for centuries before this. By this time most Romans had converted to Christianity, and the tension between the two religions may have contributed to the riots.
Byzantine invasion
Things changed dramatically for Rome after Theodoric’s death. This was caused by Justinian I, the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire or the Byzantine emperor, invaded Italy in 535. Rome is at the forefront, and the city’s control has changed several times between Justinian and Ostologos’ forces.
One text from the Eastern Roman Empire known as “The Chronicle of Marcelin is Coming” claims in AD 547 that the Roman state reached a “point where neither man nor beast remains there” and was abandoned for 40 days (translated by Bertrand Lancon). Although modern historians tend to view this as an exaggeration, it is generally agreed that by this point, Rome had lost much of its population.
In 554 AD, the Justinian troops finally recaptured Rome, and the city was firmly under the control of the Byzantine Empire. However, even this did not bring peace for a long time, as a group called the Lombards, a central European group, attacked Italy in 568. They took up a large amount of Byzantine territory, but were unable to conquer Rome.
“Lombard has surrounded several times, but never took Rome itself,” wrote Hendrick Day, a professor of art and art history, in his book, The Making of Medieval Rome: A New Profile of the City, 400-1420 (Cambridge University Press, 2021).
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Very small city
During the fourth century, the city of Rome had a population of about 1 million. However, the number fell to around 80,000 in the early sixth century, and then fell far short by the time Justinian’s campaign ended, Yale University’s classics and history professor Noel Rensky told Live Science in an email. Enslaved people formed part of their population, Renski pointed out.
In addition to war and enslavement, the Romans experienced other issues, such as natural disasters and health crises.
“During this same period, we witnessed widespread hunger, major climate events that led to global cooling, and the outbreak of the bubonic plague. “By the end of the century, some people believed that the end of the world was approaching,” Arnold added, pointing out that Pope Gregory I (who ruled 590-604) was one of them.
However, the “City of Seven Hills” has remained a religious and cultural center for centuries. This is because the Pope is based in Vatican City. Today, Rome is a popular city visited by tourists.
Roman Emperor Quiz: Test your knowledge of the rulers of ancient empires
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