4 settembre 476 – Il condottiero germanico Odoacre conquista Ravenna, depone l’imperatore Romolo Augusto e si proclama “re d’Italia”, segnando la caduta dell’Impero romano d’Occidente.

Romulus Augustulus (little Augustus) is known to history as the last of the Western Roman emperors (475–476). In fact, he was a usurper and puppet not recognized as a legitimate ruler by the Eastern emperor.

Romulus was the son of the Western empire’s master of soldiers Orestes. His original surname was Augustus, but it was changed to the diminutive because he was still a child when his father, after driving the Western emperor Julius Nepos from Italy, elevated him to the throne on 31 October 475.

For about 12 months Orestes ruled Italy in his son’s name, but eventually his troops mutinied and found a leader in the German warrior Odoacer. Odoacer’s forces captured and executed Orestes on 28 August 476. Then the Roman Senate sent the imperial insignia to the Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno.

Romulus, however, was spared because of his youth; Odoacer gave him a pension and sent him to live with his relatives in Campania, a region of southern Italy. His subsequent fate is unknown.

A comment by Cassiodorus may suggest that he survived until the rule of Theoderic (ad 493–526).

My beloved rome

Considering how dysfunctional Rome was by that point, it was for the best.
Archeology (average height etc) shows that people were living better lives after Rome fell.