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.

530-549 Justinian Attempts to Overthrow Goths in Rome

In my first twenty years Justinian was the eastern emperor. He was married to the Empress Theodora, (pictured), a former prostitute, who died in 548.

Famous for building the Church of Hagia Sofia in Constantinople, Justinian invaded Italy and by 540 he had moved the Ostrogoths out of Rome and Ravenna, but rather than recreating Rome's greatness he ruthlessly oppressed the Romans and enforced doctrinal orthodoxy.

His luck run out. In 542 there was an outbreak of bubonic plague and the Ostrogoths, under their new King Totila, regained rule in Italy and in 548 his beloved Theodora died.