The commonly accepted date for the fall of the Western Roman Empire is 476 AD. This is when the Germanic king Odoacer deposed the last Western Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, marking the end of central political control in the Western Roman Empire. Odoacer then declared himself king of Italy and sent the imperial insignia of the West back to Constantinople. This event is widely seen as the formal end of the Western Roman Empire, although some historians note that it was not viewed as a dramatic or catastrophic moment by contemporaries. There are other significant dates sometimes considered as crucial moments in the fall of Rome:
- 410 AD : The Visigoths sacked the city of Rome, which was the first time in nearly 800 years that Rome had been captured by an external force. This event symbolized the weakening of Roman power but was not the full collapse of the empire.
- 1453 AD : The Eastern Roman Empire (also known as the Byzantine Empire) fell with the capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks. This marked the final demise of the Roman imperial lineage.
Overall, the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD is the most widely recognized date for the Roman Empire's fall, while the Eastern Roman Empire continued until 1453 AD.
