Julius Nepos
Emperor of the Western Roman Empire
430 CE to 480 CE
Julius Nepos (circa 430-480) is Western Roman Emperor de facto from 474 to 475 and de jure until 480.
He is also the ruler of Roman Dalmatia from 468 to 480.
Some historians consider Nepos to be the last Western Roman Emperor, while others consider the western line to have ended with Romulus Augustulus in 476.
In contrast, the Eastern Roman Empire and its line of Emperors survives this period of history relatively intact.
World
The Middle of The Earth
View →Related Events
Showing 10 events out of 16 total
Tarasis, employed by Emperor Leo as commander of the Isaurian guard to check German influence in Constantinople, had married Leo's daughter Ariadne and changed his name to Zeno.
In October 473, Leo appoints their seven-year-old son his colleague and successor, as Leo II.
Glycerius, elevated to the position of Western Emperor by his magister militum by Gundobad, king of the Burgundians, is not recognized as a legitimate ruler by the Eastern emperor, who regards him as a usurper.
Leo sends against him a fleet commanded by Julius Nepos, nephew-in-law of the empress Verina and nephew of the late patrician Marcellinus, ruler of Dalmatia, and sent to govern Italy as augustus (emperor).
Zeno's seven-year-old son reigns as Leo II following Leo’s death from dysentery early in 474.
Zeno, as co-Emperor with his young son, continues the official position of Constantinople to deny any recognition of Glycerius, whom the court continues to view as a usurper.
Regardless, Glycerius tries to reconcile with the Eastern court or, at least, to avoid conflicts with it.
For example, he does not choose a second consul in order to allow Leo II to be consul alone for the year 474.
The Italian ports had reopened in spring 474 and Julius Nepos had crossed the Adriatic Sea to depose Glycerius, who probably left Ravenna for Rome to resist the invader; he has a silver coin minted in Rome, claiming himself as Emperor together with Leo II and Zeno, and not recognizing Julius Nepos.
Nepos, however, disembarks at Portus in July 474 and deposes Glycerius, who offers no resistance; neither do the Senate nor the Gallo-Roman aristocracy, and Nepos accepts the imperial purple.
Glycerius is sent to Dalmatia as Bishop of Salona.
Glycerius' deposition is thus without any bloodshed, and historians have investigated the possible reasons why the Western Emperor, who had Gundobad and his army at his command, did not try to resist.
One possible reason is that Glycerius' elevation, not recognized by Eastern court, received the support of neither the Roman Senate nor the Gallic-Roman aristocracy; resisting Nepos without the support of the Senate would have been a bad choice for Gundobad.
It is possible that Gundobad, who was absent from Italy when Glycerius was deposed, had gone to Gaul to gather some more troops or to receive the legacy of his late father Gundioc as King of the Burgundians, thus effectively leaving Glycerius alone.
The Fall of Clermont-Ferrand to the Visigoths (471–475 CE)
The city of Augusto Nemetum (modern Clermont-Ferrand) had long been an important Roman administrative and religious center, becoming the seat of a bishopric in the early fifth century under Bishop Namatius (Saint Namace). He is credited with building a cathedral, later described by Gregory of Tours, marking the city's growing role as a Christian stronghold in late Roman Gaul.
Visigothic Expansion and Repeated Sieges
Between 471 and 475 CE, Clermont-Ferrand becomes a frequent target of Visigothic expansion, as King Euricseeks to consolidate his kingdom by absorbing Auvergne, one of the last major Roman-held territories in Gaul.
- The city is repeatedly besieged by the Visigoths, facing continuous assaults.
- It is defended by Sidonius Apollinaris, a former Roman aristocrat, poet, and bishop of Clermont, and by the patrician Ecdicius, a Roman noble with a small but determined force.
- Despite their efforts, the Western Roman Empire is too weak to provide meaningful reinforcements, leaving the defenders increasingly isolated.
The Roman Cession of Clermont to the Visigoths (475 CE)
By 475 CE, the Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos, recognizing his empire's declining military strength, formally cedes Auvergne, including Clermont-Ferrand, to the Visigoths in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to preserve what remains of Roman control in Provence and Italy.
- The city's fall to the Visigoths marks the effective end of Roman rule in central Gaul.
- The Visigoths integrate Auvergne into their expanding kingdom, further strengthening their dominance over southern Gaul and Hispania.
The Fate of Sidonius Apollinaris
- As a prominent defender of Clermont, Sidonius Apollinaris is briefly imprisoned by King Euric, due to his active role in the resistance.
- However, he is later restored to his bishopric, allowed to continue governing his diocese until his death.
- His writings provide valuable firsthand accounts of the last days of Roman Gaul, including a surviving letter to Riothamus, where he requests assistance against rebellious Bretons.
The Decline of Roman Influence in Gaul
- The loss of Auvergne to the Visigoths accelerates the collapse of Roman authority in Gaul, leaving only Syagrius' Domain of Soissons as the last significant remnant of Roman rule.
- The Franks, still consolidating their power to the north, will soon become the only major force capable of opposing the Visigoths.
The fall of Clermont-Ferrand is one of the final milestones in the transformation of Roman Gaul into a land ruled by barbarian successor states, signaling the emergence of the early medieval world.
Nepos, a year after ascending the Western throne, is obliged to recognize the independence of the Visigothic kingdom centered near present Toulouse, France.
Orestes, born an aristocrat of Pannonia Savia, is probably at least partly of Germanic descent.
He was the son of Tatulus, a pagan, and son-in-law to Romulus, who had served as comes in the Western Roman Empire.
After Pannonia was ceded to Attila the Hun, Orestes had joined Attila's court, reaching high position as a secretary (notarius) in 449 and 452.
In 449 Orestes had been sent by Attila twice to Constantinople as envoy to Emperor Theodosius II.
In 475, Orestes had been appointed magister militum and patricius by Julius Nepos.
This proves to be a mistake on the part of Nepos.
By August 28, 475, Orestes, at the head of the foederati, manages to take control of the government in Ravenna, which has served as the capital of the Western Roman Empire since 402.
Julius Nepos flees without a fight to Dalmatia, where he will continue to reign until his assassination in 480.
Orestes, with the emperor far away, on October 31 elevates his son Romulus to the rank of Augustus.
Thus he is known as Romulus Augustulus, meaning "little Augustus", as this last Western Roman emperor is only a twelve-year-old boy.
The new administration is not recognized by the rival Eastern Roman Emperors Zeno and Basiliscus, who still consider Julius Nepos to be their legitimate partner in the administration of the Empire, but as they are engaged in a civil war with each other, neither emperor is about to oppose Orestes in battle.
Orestes is free to issue new solidi in the mints of Arles, Milan, Ravenna and Rome, enabling him to pay the barbarian mercenaries who constitute most of the Roman Army at this time.
However, Orestes denies the demands of Heruli, Scirian and Turcilingi mercenaries to be granted Italian lands in which to settle.
Before he overthrew Nepos, the Roman general had promised his barbarian soldiers a third of Italian territory in exchange for assisting with the deposition of the emperor.
After being turned down by Orestes, the dissatisfied mercenaries revolt under the Germanic chieftain Odoacer, whom they declare to be their king on August 23, 476.
Odoacer leads his tribesmen against their former employer, ravaging every town and village in northern Italy and meeting little resistance.
Orestes flees to the city of Pavia, where the city's bishop gives him sanctuary within the city walls.
Despite the protection he receives from the bishop, Orestes is forced to flee for his life when Odoacer and his men break through the city defenses and ravage the church, stealing all the money that the bishop had collected for the poor and razing many of the city buildings to the ground.
After making good his escape from Pavia, Orestes rallies the few surviving units of Roman troops stationed in northern Italy and is able to move his small army to the city of Piacenza.
The forces of Odoacer and Orestes finally meet on the battlefield.
The inexperienced Roman commander and his few and sparse Imperial troops, disorganized and unprepared, stand no chance against the savagery of Odoacer's mercenary army.
The majority of the Roman soldiers are either killed, captured, or driven off, while Orestes is on August 28 apprehended near the city and swiftly executed.