Romulus Augustulus Julius Nepos or Glycerius was the last Western Emperor?

Who was the true last Western Emperor?


  • Total voters
    36
  • Poll closed .

Susano

Banned
Greek heretic?
Eastern romans were not heretics, unlike many germanic people (Arians).

...you know, it was meant as a joke, initially, but if you take it that serious Ill just repeat it. After all, His Holiness the Pope has decreed so in 1054 ;)
(Really, wtf? Are we living in the middle ages, or what?)
 
...you know, it was meant as a joke, initially, but if you take it that serious Ill just repeat it.

I took your reply half-serious because I see a significant difference between the authority of the eastern roman ruler and the authority of a local germanic ruler.

After all, His Holiness the Pope has decreed so in 1054 ;) (Really, wtf? Are we living in the middle ages, or what?)

No, but neither did Julius Nepos and his contemporaries.
 
I think Romulus Augustus is normally labeled as The Last because of the handy symmetry it created. First came Romulus... then Augustus... then lots of stuff happened... and finally, there war Romulus Augustus. The end. Now on to a description of life in a manor.
 
Little Romulus Augustus. Why? He had actual possession of Rome, and possession is 9/10 of the law.
Actually auctoritas (aka authority) is the 9/10 of the Roman Law...Romulus Augustulus never held auctortias outside Ravenna and parts of Italy.. while Nepos was still recognised in Gaul by Aegidius and in Dalmatia...
 
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The Holy Roman Empire was only Roman in name, and many times it did not even control Rome.
What does "Roman in name" mean anyway? Is there anything important here other than name? How does the Eastern Roman Empire (under the Ottoman dynasty) in 1918 have anything in common with the original empire of Augustus? Hell, the recognized Western Romans moved their capital out of Rome in the end.
 
What does "Roman in name" mean anyway? Is there anything important here other than name? How does the Eastern Roman Empire (under the Ottoman dynasty) in 1918 have anything in common with the original empire of Augustus? Hell, the recognized Western Romans moved their capital out of Rome in the end.

By Roman I mean the culture and military from the time of the Punic Wars till 476-480.
 
Well, the only basis for a Roman Emperor to be called that was that he had the backing of the Senate and the army, and he had no other effective challengers to that position who could realistically contest. Romulus/Orestes had the first two, but Nepos doggedly hung on with the second, albeit increasingly lamely. So I'd say it's a toss up really - I'd go for Romulus personally, as he was the last Emperor who could enforce his power within Italy, and Nepos' power was never such that he was able to enforce his claim again, even after Romulus and Orestes were gone.
 
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Well, the only basis for a Roman Emperor to be called that was that he had the backing of the Senate and the army, and he had no other effective challengers to that position who could realistically contest. Romulus/Orestes had the first two, but Nepos doggedly hung on with the second, albeit increasingly lamely. So I'd say it's a toss up really - I'd go for Romulus personally, as he was the last Emperor who could enforce his power within Italy, and Nepos' power was never such that he was able to enforce his claim again, even after Romulus and Orestes were gone.

Senate support was irrelevant since Diocletian's time... Whoever controlled the army was proclaimed Emperor... Senate merely confirmed the army's choice... Romulus never held auctoritas outside Ravenna and few other parts of Italy while Nepos had the support of the army and was recognised as Emperor in Dalmatia (where he had his court) and in Gaul by Aegidius and Syagrius... Plus Eastern Roman Emperors Basiliscus and Zeno recognised Nepos as their Imperial colleague (sic)...
 

Nikephoros

Banned
Plus Eastern Roman Emperors Basiliscus and Zeno recognised Nepos as their Imperial colleague (sic)...

Basiliscus was an usurper. How dare you call him Emperor:D;)

Sorry for being OT. But Zeno did eventually recognize Odoacer as King of Italy but not as Emperor. But by accepting the Imperial Regalia, doesn't that mean that Zeno recognized Romulus Augustulus as Emperor after Nepos lost Italy?
 
How does the Eastern Roman Empire (under the Ottoman dynasty) in 1918 have anything in common with the original empire of Augustus?

Since when has anyone claimed that the Ottoman Empire was a version of the Roman Empire? I don't believe that the Turkish sultan ever claimed to be the Roman emperor, unlike several of the barbarians in the West.
 
Basiliscus was an usurper. How dare you call him Emperor:D;)

Sorry for being OT. But Zeno did eventually recognize Odoacer as King of Italy but not as Emperor. But by accepting the Imperial Regalia, doesn't that mean that Zeno recognized Romulus Augustulus as Emperor after Nepos lost Italy?

No that means that Zeno recognised himself to be the sole Augustus of East and West (whats left of it anyway...)
Before Zeno realised that West was lost he was recognising Nepos as the legitimate Western Emperor and minted coins in his name... What Zeno did was simply to decline nominate a new Western Augustus (He would be titular anyway)
 
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