LEADERS*1
West Roman Emperors |
East Roman Emperors |
Non-Romans |
Valentinian I (364–75) |
Valens (364–78) |
Athanaric, iudex of the Gothic Tervingi (c. 360–75, d. c. 381) |
Gratian (375–83) |
Theodosius I (379–95) |
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Maximus (383–8) |
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Valentinian II (383–92) |
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Eugenius (392–4) |
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Honorius (395–423) |
Arcadius (395–408) |
Alaric, creator and leader of the Visigoths (c. 395–411) |
Constantine III (c. 406–11) |
Theodosius II (408–50) |
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Flavius Constantius (421) |
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John (423–5) |
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Valentinian III (425–55) |
Geiseric, leader of the Vandal-Alan coalition (427–77) |
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Petronius Maximus (455) |
Marcian (451–7) |
Attila the Hun (c. 440–53) |
Avitus (455–6) |
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Majorian (457–61) |
Leo I (457–74) |
Valamer, leader of the Pannonian Goths (c. 455–67) |
Libius Severus (461–5) |
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Anthemius (467–72) |
Euric, creator of the Visigothic kingdom (467–83) |
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Olybrius (472) |
Zeno (473–91) |
Gundobad, king of the Burgundians (474–?) |
Glycerius (473–4) |
Basiliscus (474–6) |
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Julius Nepos (474–5) |
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Theoderic, leader and creator of the Ostrogoths (474–526) |
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Romulus Augustulus (475–6) |
Odovacar, king in Italy (476–93) |
EVENTS
c.350 |
Hunnic attacks on Alans east of River Don and Gothic Greuthungi west of Don destabilize area north and east of Black Sea |
375 |
autumn(?) – After death in battle of a second leader, one major group of Greuthungi moves west into territory of neighbouring Gothic Tervingi |
376 |
late(?) summer – Greuthungi and ‘larger part’ of Tervingi arrive on Danube requesting asylum inside Roman Empire |
377–82 |
Gothic war south of Danube |
377 |
late winter/early spring – Initial revolt of Tervingi; Greuthungi force their way across Danube |
377/8 |
1st phase of Gothic war, confined to eastern Balkans |
378 |
24 Aug. – Battle of Hadrianople; death of Valens |
379/81 |
2nd phase of Gothic war spreads to western Balkans |
382 |
3 Oct. – Peace treaty ends the war; Tervingi and Greuthungi settled in Balkans on relatively generous terms |
386 |
More Greuthungi try to cross Danube; defeated by Theodosius and settled on harsh terms in Asia Minor |
387/8 |
Theodosius I defeats Maximus; Balkan Goths involved in war and some revolt |
392/3 |
Theodosius I defeats Eugenius; Balkan Goths again involved in war and further revolt |
c.395–411 |
Alaric reigns over Tervingi and those Greuthungi encompassed by 382 treaty |
395/6 |
First major Hunnic attack on Roman Empire, via Caucasus (Persian Empire also heavily affected) |
395–7 |
Alaric’s 1st revolt |
397 |
Treaty between Alaric and Eutropius; Alaric becomes Roman general commanding in Illyricum |
399 |
Fall of Eutropius; end of treaty |
401/2 |
Alaric’s 1st invasion of Italy; battles of Pollentia and Verona |
c.405–8 |
2nd wave of Hun-inspired invasions of Roman Empire, affecting areas west of the Carpathians |
405/6 |
Treaty between Alaric and Stilicho |
Radagaisus invades Italy through Austrian passes, is defeated and killed; many followers sold into slavery, elite warriors drafted into Roman army |
|
406 31 |
Dec. (?) – Rhine invaders – Vandals, Alans, Suevi and smaller groups – break over Rome’s Upper Rhine frontier |
407 |
Constantine III leads Roman forces stationed in Britain and Gaul against Rhine invaders |
407–9 |
Rhine invaders ravage Gaul, then cross Pyrenees into Spain |
408(?) |
Minor Hunnic leader Uldin invades eastern Empire |
408–11 |
Alaric’s 2nd invasion of Italy; creation of Visigoths by addition of Radagaisus’ followers to Tervingi and Greuthungi encompassed by 382 treaty |
410 |
20 Aug. Alaric sacks Rome |
c.410/11(?) |
British provinces revolt against Constantine III (?) |
411–21 |
Flavius Constantius dominates western Empire |
411 |
Alaric dies, is succeeded by Athaulf; Olympiodorus goes on embassy to main body of Huns now established in central Europe(?) |
Fl. Constantius suppresses Constantine III and related usurpers |
|
412 |
Rhine invaders divide Spanish provinces between them |
412/13 |
Honorius sends letter to British provincials telling them that central Roman forces can no longer defend them |
413–16 |
Fl. Constantius undermines Athaulf (killed in coup in 415) to force Visigoths into renewed alliance with western Empire; Visigothic settlement begins in Aquitaine |
416–18 |
Combined Visigothic-Roman campaigns destroy independence of Alans and Siling Vandals in Spain; survivors unite behind Hasding Vandals to create new Vandal-Alan supergroup |
421 |
Promotion to the purple, then death, of Fl. Constantius |
423 |
Death of Honorius; usurpation of John |
422–9 |
Free hand for Vandal-Alans in Spain culminates in their transfer to Morocco; from 427 led by Geiseric. Suevi establish control in north-western Spain (Galicia) |
425 |
East Roman army puts Valentinian III, aged 6, on western throne |
425–33 |
Struggle for domination at court of Valentinian III, ending with Aetius’ defeat of rival generals Felix and Boniface; partial eclipse of influence of emperor’s mother Galla Placidia |
433–54 |
Aetius dominates western Empire |
435 |
Vandal-Alans granted land in Numidia and Mauretania |
436 |
Aetius’ forces suppress Bagaudae in north-west Gaul |
436/7 |
Destruction of Burgundian kingdom on both sides of Upper Rhine by Huns; Aetius’ resettlement of survivors on Roman territory around Lake Geneva |
436–9 |
Aetius’ war with Visigoths in south-west Gaul ends in renewed treaty |
438–41 |
Suevi under King Rechila seize provinces of Baetica and Carthaginiensis |
439 |
Sept. Vandal-Alans seize Carthage, capital of Roman North Africa, and provinces of Proconsularis and Byzacena |
c.440–53 |
Attila becomes supreme leader of Huns |
441/2 |
Attila’s 1st invasion of east Roman Balkans leads to recall of eastern army sent to participate in Sicilian expedition to recapture lost North African provinces |
444 |
Treaty between Geiseric and western Empire recognizes his control of Proconsularis, Byzacena and Numidia |
445(?) |
Attila murders brother Bleda to take sole control of Huns |
446(?) |
Final appeal of British provincials for central Roman assistance against Saxon and other invaders |
447 |
Attila’s 2nd invasion of east Roman Balkans; heavy Roman defeats on River Utus and in the Chersonesus |
448 |
Priscus participates in embassy to assassinate Attila |
450 |
Attila grants Constantinople a generous treaty |
451 |
Attila invades Gaul; defeated by Aetius’ coalition force of Romans, Burgundians, Visigoths and Franks at the Catalaunian fields c. end June(?) |
452 |
Attila invades Italy, sacks cities including Milan; retreats as disease and Roman harassment weaken army |
453–69 |
Attila’s Hunnic Empire collapses |
453 |
Attila dies |
454 |
summer(?) – Battle of Nedao; Gepids first subject group to reassert independence from Hunnic domination |
21 or 22 Sept. – Murder of Aetius by Valentinian III |
|
455 |
16 Mar. – Murder of Valentinian III by Petronius Maximus, declared Augustus next day |
late May – Geiseric’s forces sack Rome, Petronius Maximus killed fleeing city (31 May); Geiseric adds Tripolitania, Sardinia and Balearics to his kingdom |
|
9 July – Avitus declared western emperor by Gallo-Roman senators with support of Visigothic king Theoderic II |
|
late 450s(?) |
St Severinus starts work in Noricum |
456 |
17 Oct. – Battle of Placentia and deposition of Avitus |
457 |
1 Apr. – Majorian becomes emperor of west |
459 |
Pannonian Goths of Valamer, now united and independent of Hunnic control, invade east Roman territory to extract annual subsidy of 300 lbs of gold |
461–72 |
Ricimer dominates central imperial politics in west |
461 |
summer – Defeat of Majorian’s North African expeditionary force in Spain, followed on 2 Aug. by his deposition and on 7 Aug. by execution; Ricimer’s domination of Italy uncontested |
19 Nov. – Nominated by Ricimer, Libius Severus becomes western emperor |
|
465 |
14 Nov. – Libius Severus dies |
466 |
Euric kills and deposes Theoderic II to become king of Visigoths |
467 |
Dengizich, son of Attila, makes war on eastern Empire |
12 Apr. – After long negotiations between Ricimer and Constantinople, Anthemius declared western emperor |
|
468–76 |
Western Empire unravels |
468 |
June(?) – Defeat of final joint east-west Roman expedition against Vandal kingdom |
469 |
Dengizich’s head publicly displayed in Constantinople; Hernac, Attila’s last surviving son, finds asylum in east Roman territory south of Danube |
Euric’s forces advance boundary of Visigothic kingdom northwards to Loire |
|
472 |
Apr. – Olybrius declared western emperor by Ricimer |
11 July – Murder of Anthemius by Gundobad, Ricimer’s ally, after civil war |
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18 Aug. – Ricimer dies |
|
2 Nov. – Olybrius dies |
|
473–5 |
Sidonius and friends try to preserve Auvergne against Visigothic annexation within a rump western empire |
473–89 |
Campaigns of Theoderic the Amal, nephew of Valamer, in east Roman Balkans, lead to creation of Ostrogothic supergroup |
473 |
3 Mar. – Glycerius declared western emperor Euric’s forces seize Tarragona in Spain |
474 |
pre-June – Gundobad abandons imperial politics to become joint king of Burgundians |
19 or 24 June – Glycerius deposed by Julius Nepos and made Bishop of Salona; Nepos declares himself western emperor |
|
475 |
28 Aug. – Attacked by Orestes, Nepos retreats to Dalmatia |
31 Oct. – Orestes declares his son Romulus Augustulus western emperor |
|
476 |
After executions of his father Orestes (28 Aug.) and uncle Paul (4 Sept.), Romulus Augustulus, last western Roman emperor, is deposed. Odovacar returns imperial vestments to Constantinople, telling emperor Zeno that no emperor is any longer required in the west |
Euric’s Visigothic kingdom now controls entire Hispanic peninsula except for north-west corner, and annexes Arles and the rest of Provence |
|
481/2–507 |
Campaigns of Clovis bring both Frankish unification and extension of Frankish control over all of former Roman Gaul |
482 |
Jan. – St Severinus dies |
489–93 |
Theoderic the Amal conquers Italy, defeating and deposing Odovacar |