August 28, 0475
The Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos was forced to flee Ravenna after a coup led by the Roman general Orestes, who declared his own son, Romulus Augustulus, as emperor.
Ravenna, Italy | Western Roman Empire
On August 28, 475, a significant political upheaval occurred in the Western Roman Empire when Emperor Julius Nepos was forced to flee Ravenna due to a coup orchestrated by the Roman general Orestes. This event marked a pivotal moment in the waning days of the Western Roman Empire, leading to the brief reign of Romulus Augustulus.
Julius Nepos became the Western Roman Emperor in 474, succeeding Glycerius. His rule was marked by attempts to stabilize the crumbling Western Empire, which was plagued by internal strife and external threats from barbarian groups. Nepos was recognized by the Eastern Roman Emperor, Leo I, which lent legitimacy to his reign, but he struggled to maintain control over the Western territories.
Orestes, a former secretary to Attila the Hun and a prominent military leader, played a crucial role in the coup against Nepos. Orestes had been appointed as a magister militum (master of soldiers) by Nepos, but he harbored ambitions of his own. On August 28, 475, Orestes led a rebellion against Nepos, capitalizing on the discontent among the Roman military and the political instability of the time.
Faced with the insurrection, Julius Nepos fled to Dalmatia, a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, where he retained a semblance of power and continued to claim the imperial title until his assassination in 480.
Following the coup, Orestes declared his young son, Romulus Augustulus, as the new emperor. Romulus, often referred to as the “last Roman emperor,” was a figurehead, with real power residing in the hands of his father, Orestes. The reign of Romulus Augustulus was short-lived, lasting less than a year.
The deposition of Julius Nepos and the installation of Romulus Augustulus are often seen as precursors to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. In 476, just a year after the coup, the Germanic chieftain Odoacer deposed Romulus Augustulus, marking the end of the Western Roman Empire and the beginning of the Middle Ages in Western Europe.
Julius Nepos’s forced departure from Ravenna underscores the fragility of the Western Roman Empire during its final years, characterized by internal power struggles and the increasing influence of barbarian leaders. The events of August 28, 475, highlight the complex interplay of military power and political legitimacy that defined the late Roman Empire.
Source: en.wikipedia.org