Editing Romulus Augustulus (section)

== Background ==

=== Geopolitical background ===
{{See also|Fall of the Western Roman Empire}}
[[File:Western and Eastern Roman Empires 476AD-es.svg|left|thumb|300px|The [[Byzantine Empire|Eastern]] (orange) and Western (green) Roman Empires in 476]]
By the time of emperor [[Diocletian]] ({{Reign}}284–305), the idea that the [[Roman Empire]] had grown so large that it would be better managed by two co-ruling emperors, rather than one, had become established. After various divisions were made throughout the 4th century, the empire was firmly and permanently divided into a western and eastern sphere of imperial administration from the death of emperor [[Theodosius I]] ({{Reign}}379–395) in 395 onwards.{{Sfn|Corning|2015|p=32}} Though modern historians typically use the terms [[Western Roman Empire]] and [[Eastern Roman Empire]] to describe the new political situation, the Romans themselves never considered the empire to have been formally divided, still viewing it as a single unit, although most often having two rulers rather than one.{{sfn|Bury|2015|p=278}} Over the course of the 5th century, the western empire experienced a period of catastrophic decline. Not only were many of the rulers in the west generally lacking in competence, but they also faced enormous problems. In comparison with the eastern provinces, much of the west was more rural, with fewer people and a less stable economy. An increasing number of [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] [[barbarian]] invasions and settlements throughout the west only added to these issues.{{Sfn|Corning|2015|p=32}}

In 410, the [[Visigoths]] under [[Alaric I]] had [[Sack of Rome (410)|sacked]] Rome and in 455, the last western emperor of Theodosius' dynasty, [[Valentinian III]] ({{Reign}}425–455), was deposed and murdered. That same year, Rome was [[Sack of Rome (455)|sacked again]] for the second time in less than fifty years, this time by the [[Vandals]]. The Roman army became increasingly reliant on barbarian mercenaries and after Valentinian's murder, the most powerful barbarian generals, such as [[Ricimer]] ({{Circa}} 418–472), became politically dominant, ruling through proclaiming [[Puppet monarch|puppet emperors]].{{Sfn|Herrin|2019|p=77}} In the twenty years between the death of Valentinian and the accession of Romulus Augustus, eight different emperors ruled in the west.{{Sfn|Gibbon|1872|p=99}} By 475, the western empire was in critical condition. Outside of Italy, authority was only exercised in [[Raetia]] and some regions of [[Gaul]].{{Sfn|Mathisen|1997}}

The ruling emperor in 475 was [[Julius Nepos]], who had been in power for less than a year.{{Sfn|McEvoy|2012}} Nepos had been appointed western emperor in 474 by the eastern emperors [[Leo I (emperor)|Leo I]] ({{Reign}}457–474) and [[Zeno (emperor)|Zeno]] ({{Reign}}474–491), but had little real support in the west. In 475, Nepos named [[Orestes (father of Romulus Augustulus)|Orestes]] as a [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|patrician]] and ''[[magister militum]]'' ('master of soldiers'; effectively commander-in-chief), replacing the previous holder of that office, [[Ecdicius]]. Orestes was a distinguished late Roman figure, once having served as ''[[notarius]]'' (secretary) to the [[Huns|Hunnic]] king [[Attila]].{{Sfn|Mathisen|1997}} As ''magister militum'', Orestes was tasked by Nepos to lead an army against [[Visigoths]] and [[Burgundians]], ''[[foederati]]'' (barbarian allies of the empire) who were rebelling in southern Gaul.{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=439}} The army given to Orestes by Nepos was multi-ethnic, with many ''foederati'' soldiers. Heeding the grievances of his troops (among other things learning that Nepos had refused requests for land grants {{Sfn|McEvoy|2012}}), Orestes defied the emperor's orders and marched on [[Ravenna]], the capital of the western empire. On 28 August 475, Orestes entered Ravenna with his army and Nepos escaped across the [[Adriatic Sea]] to [[Salona]] in [[Dalmatia]].{{Sfn|Mathisen|1997}}{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=439}}{{Sfn|McEvoy|2012}}

=== Ancestry and family ===
[[File:Pannonia SPQR.png|thumb|300px|Romulus Augustus' family originated in [[Pannonia]]]]
There is little surviving concrete evidence in regards to Romulus' ancestry beyond Orestes being known to have been a Roman citizen from [[Pannonia]] and sparse information on his immediate family. Orestes' father was a Pannonian Roman officer by the name of Tatulus,{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=445}} and Tatulus had at least one other son, Paulus, who served as a ''[[comes]]''.{{Sfn|Jones et al|1980|p=950}} The name of Romulus' mother is not known,{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=442}} but it might have been Barbaria.{{Sfn|Nathan|1997}}{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=446}}{{Efn|Romulus' mother's name being Barbaria derives from two speculative assumptions concerning his life in exile after 476: that a "Romulus" with his mother mentioned in a 507/511 letter is the same person as Romulus Augustulus (indicating he lived alongside his mother in exile) and that a Roman noblewoman named Barbaria who is mentioned as founding a monastery at the location he was exiled to is his mother.{{Sfn|Nathan|1997|p=}} The identification is not without merit: Barbaria was a wealthy noblewoman, who lived in the building Romulus had been exiled to and was knowledgeable about affairs in Noricum (having venerated [[Severinus of Noricum]]), the province bordering Pannonia. In the past almost accepted as fact, recent research has emphasized that Barbaria being Romulus' mother is only a hypothesis.{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=446}}}} The name Barbaria, otherwise rarely attested, may derive either from the ''[[gens]]'' (family) Barbii, attested in Roman Pannonia, or it may simply be the feminine version of the name ''Barbarius'', attested from a few Roman individuals in southern Gaul.{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=|pp=446–447}} Another hypothesis identifies Romulus' mother as Flavia Serena.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Grant |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tRR3AAAACAAJ |title=Gli imperatori romani: storia e segreti : grandezza militare e debolezze umane, "vizi privati e pubbliche virtù" degli uomini che ressero le sorti della Roma imperiale |date=2000 |publisher=Newton Compton |isbn=978-88-8289-400-9 |pages=421 |language=it}}</ref> Romulus' maternal grandfather was a ''comes'', also by the name of Romulus, attested as alive in 449, when he was sent on an embassy to Attila by the general [[Flavius Aetius|Aetius]].{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=442}} Orestes and Romulus Augustus' mother married at some point before 449.{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=442}} It is believed that Romulus' mother, and thus perhaps her immediate family, were, like Orestes, from Roman Pannonia.{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=442}} 

It is possible that Romulus Augustus had older siblings,{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=442}} especially given that Romulus was born several years after the marriage of his parents. In ancient Rome, it was customary for the eldest son to be named after his grandfather. That Romulus was not named Tatulus thus indicates that he was not the firstborn boy.{{Sfn|Kos|2008|p=442}}