Timeline of Ancient Rome - 5th Century

5th Century

• 410– Rome is sacked by Alaric I
• 423– After a long and disastrous reign, Honorius dies; succeeded by the usurper Joannes
• 425– Valentinian III becomes Western emperor
• 447– Eastern Rome loses to Attila the Hun
• 452– Attila the Hun is turned away from Rome by Pope Leo I.
• 455– Valentinian III is assassinated and succeeded by Petronius Maximus as emperor. Rome is plundered by the Vandals, and Maximus is killed during mob violence. Avitus becomes emperor of the west.
• 457– Avitus is deposed by the magister militum Ricimer and killed. Majorian is installed as Western emperor.
• 461– Majorian is deposed by Ricimer. Libius Severus becomes Western emperor.
• 465– Libius Severus dies, possibly poisoned by Ricimer.
• 467– Anthemius becomes western emperor with the support of Leo I.
• 468– War against the Vandals by the joint forces of both empires. Naval expedition ends in failure.
• 472– Ricimer kills Anthemius and makes Olybrius new western emperor. Both Ricimer and Olybrius die of natural causes. Gundobad becomes magister militum in Italy.
• 473– Gundobad makes Glycerius new western emperor.
• 474– Gundobad leaves Italy to take part in a succession struggle among the Burgundians. Glycerius is deposed by Julius Nepos who proclaims himself western emperor.
• 475– Julius Nepos forced to flee to Dalmatia by his magister militum Orestes. Orestes proclaims his own son Romulus Augustulus as western emperor.
• 476– Germanic general Odoacer kills Orestes, forces Romulus Augustus to abdicate and proclaims himself King of Italy. Traditional date for the fall of the western Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire (later known as the Byzantine Empire) continues on.
• 480– Julius Nepos, still claiming to be emperor, is killed in Dalmatia.