490-509 Ostrogoth King Theoderic Seizes Power in Rome

In this 20 year period the Ostrogoth King Theoderic (pictured) seized power in Rome and tried to legitimize his rule.

There was no longer any emperor in the west. In the east, Zeno was the Roman Emperor but he died in 491 and was succeeded by Anastasius -- both of whom were ineffective in holding back the Germanic invasion of the west.

The western empire fell, essentially, to the Germans who proceeded to carve it up into kingdoms

In 493 the Ostrogoth King Theoderic seized Italy from Odoacer. He reinforced the legitimacy of his rule by safeguarding roman customs and cooperating with the Senate.

Towards the end of his rule, Theoderic became suspicious of Boethius, a prominent Senator, and had him executed.

As much as he tried, Theoderic was not accepted as a ruler. To the Romans, he was a barbarian invader.

470-489 Germans Carve Western Empire into Kingdoms

During this 20 year period the Roman Emperors were: Anthemius in the West and Leo (pictured) in the East.

In 471 Leo had murdered not only the person who had put him into power, Aspar, but his family as well.

The Western Emperor Anthemius was a Greek appointed by Leo and he was not respected in the West. By 472 both he and his son-in-law Ricimer were dead.

The Romans appointed Glycerius in 473, but he was not recognized by Leo who appointed instead Julian Nepos who entered Italy in 474 (the same year Leo died, succeeded by his son-in-law Zeno, the Isaurian warrior chief) and negotiated the abdication of Glycerius.

Nepos appointed Orestes to deal with the troops, but he rebelled against Nepos and the emperor fled.

Orestes appointed his son, Romulus Augustus, as puppet emperor and when the German soldiers stationed in Italy demanded land grants according to the usual formula -- 1/3 of local land -- he refused, believing Italian soil to be different from other Roman lands.

Odoacer took control of German discontent to stage a revolt in 476 and Orestes fled.

Zeno, the new Eastern Emperor, made no attempt to help Nepos (who was assassinated in 480) and the western empire fell, essentially, to the Germans who proceeded to carve it up into kingdoms.