what date did the roman empire fall?

Answer 1

476 AD is considered the official date - the Germanic tribes took over then. The empire continued in the east for several hundred more years, with Constantinople as the capital.


The last recognized emperor of the Roman empire, Romulus Augustus, abdicated his reign in 476 AD. That is how they arrived at that date. Unlike the Renaissance, which is an era in time, the Roman empire has a more defined timeline in history. Rome was founded in 753 BC and the empire officially ended with the last emperor. It had been in decline for several centuries prior to that, but once the emperor abdicated to the Germanic invaders, it was over. You can argue semantics about concept vs definable borders, but the Roman empire as we know it ceased to exist in 476 AD.

Answer 2

That question has no answer. It's like asking when did the Renaissance begin? These are concepts, history books might sometimes give a date just to help put it in context but there is no "official" date. Ask any history teacher and you will likely get multiple answers, anything from the date that the capital was moved to Constantinople to the date that Constantinople fell.

The Roman Empire itself was more of a concept that clearly definable borders.

To answer this question don't look for a date, look for an event. For example the Roman Empire fell under the reforms of Diocletian. The army became to much to support and large portions of the empire was laid waste to invading barbarians. After that the Roman Empire only existed in the minds of the people that inhabitated it. Even that answer has some problems but at least it's a start.

Answer 3

My birthday, March 15, the Ides of March