Zeno (425-491 AD, reigned from 474) was an emperor of the eastern half of the Roman Empire. His reign was notable for being contemporaneous with the fall of the Western Roman Empire to Odoacer and with a significant monophysite controversy, which he resolved through the promulgation of an act of henotikon. Alongside these, Zeno had to deal with usurpers, such as Basiliscus (who supported the miaphysites, to the chagrin of the chalcedonian populace of Constantinople), Marcian, and Ilius.
Now, what if Zeno had died early and been unable to take back these throne from one of these usurpers, depending on when he'd die?
What would the ERE end up like without Zeno? And how would one usurper's reign differ from the others?
Basiliscus? Could he end up flaring tensions between chalcedonians and monophysites?
Marcian? Ilius?
How would these emperors react to the ostrogothic threat?
 
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His reign was notable for being contemporaneous with the fall of the Western Roman Empire to Odoacer

See the thing is, the Western Roman Empire is in a terminal decline at this point and no one can stop it without divine intervention. Even if all its outside threats take a hike and give them three generations to sort out themselves, it's doomed and lost most legitimacy even within Italia, one of the few places it controls. And it lost Africa, one of its few provinces giving it an economy.
 
See the thing is, the Western Roman Empire is in a terminal decline at this point and no one can stop it without divine intervention. Even if all its outside threats take a hike and give them three generations to sort out themselves, it's doomed and lost most legitimacy even within Italia, one of the few places it controls. And it lost Africa, one of its few provinces giving it an economy.
...I did not ask if an emperor other than Zeno would be able to salvage the WRE.
 
See the thing is, the Western Roman Empire is in a terminal decline at this point and no one can stop it without divine intervention. Even if all its outside threats take a hike and give them three generations to sort out themselves, it's doomed and lost most legitimacy even within Italia, one of the few places it controls. And it lost Africa, one of its few provinces giving it an economy.
At least maybe the new emperor can send an expedition to kick Odoacer out and install Nepos back on the throne?
 
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