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Map of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, c. 480 CE
This map illustrates the gradual disintegration of the Western Roman Empire during the Migration Period (circa 400-800 CE), when waves of migrating and invading peoples reshaped Europe. After the death of Theodosius I (reign 379-395 CE), the last emperor to rule both East and West, the empire was formally divided, setting the stage for the Western Empire’s slow unraveling.
Although the conventional end date is 476 CE, with the abdication of Romulus Augustulus (reign 475-476), or alternatively 480 CE, with the murder of Julius Nepos (reign 474-480), Roman institutions persisted for decades. Latin remained the official language, Roman law and military structures endured, and coins still bore imperial portraits. Meanwhile, territories such as Italy, Gaul, Hispania, and North Africa fell under the control of groups like the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, and Franks, who both disrupted and adopted Roman traditions, contributing to a complex transformation rather than a sudden collapse.
