Odoacer's Successor

Provided that Zeno doesn't send over the Ostrogoths, how is a successor chosen for Odoacer's Italy.

Would the East nominate a new Western Emperor?
Would the senate elect a new governor of Italy?
Or does Odoacer simply appoint a successor?
 
Odoacer would certainly try to appoint his successor, but the senate, ERE, and even the Pope are no doubt going to try to influence things. It really depends on who wins out in the power struggle, or if Odoacer's Italy even survives his death without their strong charismatic leader.
 
Provided that Zeno doesn't send over the Ostrogoths, how is a successor chosen for Odoacer's Italy.

I don't think you end up with a shared imperialship again. You simply didn't have the geopolitical motivation to do so, and while the Senate may want to do so, it wouldn't have been appointed by Constantinople (and therefore, return to "Send it the Goths").

I think that a military-appointed patriciate may appear, with Tufa as a very possible successor (he was ambitious enough) acknowledged by Constantinople (in exchange of Illyria, possibly); or Livilia if supported by Odoacer (he was the master of the militia IOTL, something that implies not only a strong position but a closeness to power).

I don't see Hunulf being appointed, in spite (or maybe because) related to Odoacer. But he could try something.

Eventually, giving the short-lived rule of Odoacer, it's hard to really give names and situations.

Overall this Patriciate Italy would look a lot like the late WRE, meaning a Roman politely supported by Romano-Barbarian armies, rather than a Romano-Barbarian kingdom, and based on charismatic military leadership.
It may be a bit unstable, and favour court intrigues. Unless it strengthen somehow, this Italy would be relativly vulnerable to other entities (either Romans or Barbarians).
 
What about the mob, surely they'll have some say in this?
Or is the populace of Rome too apathetic by the 480's?
 
What about the mob, surely they'll have some say in this?
Or is the populace of Rome too apathetic by the 480's?

I'm really wary about the XIXth trope "Romans became apathetic and so uncitizens". What happened was a political shift from elites that were more tied to the imperial power and then translated to the Barbarian legitimed imperium that eventually take their cliens with them.

And for what matter Italy, remember that the armies that Odoacer led were the same Roman armies than during the WRE, and Odoacer a Roman general. You won't have much opposition based only on the novelty of not having puppetised emperors (something generally seen as degrading for the purple).

Overall, you had more a focus for local and "everyday" management, even in Rome, based on strong ties with ERE but refusal of imperial interventionism : if the papacy (something reserved to roman nobility) is to be a clue about the relationship between Romans and Barbarians in Post-476 Italy, anyway.

The Roman factions would probably be divided, generally supporting candidates "appointed" by Constantinople as long the emperor doesn't try to impose his policies in the peninsula too strongly.
In this case, it would mean a relative desinterest : not meaning a general political desinterest, but rather attentism in face of their contradictions (support of Romanity, but wariness towards ERE).

I'd think that, safe a Zeno's move as IOTL (Acacian Schism) or obvious ERE tentative of puppetisation, "Constantinople's candidate" would be favoured but not outright supported.
 
Bump because this subject still interests me and I need more candidates plus, it'd be better to continue the conversation with the above context.
 
Top