Flavius Orestes (d. August 28, 476) was a Roman politician, who was briefly in control of the Roman Empire in 475–6. is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events August - The usurper Basiliscus is deposed and Zeno is restored as Eastern Roman Emperor. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ...

Born an aristocrat of Pannonia Savia, Flavius Orestes was probably at least partly of Germanic descent. He was son to Tatulus, and son-in-law to Comes Romulus, who served dux Norici. When Pannonia was ceded to Attila the Hun, Orestes joined Attila's court, reaching high position as a diplomat in negotiations between Attila and Emperor Valentinian III. Aristocracy is a form of government in which rulership is in the hands of an upper class known as aristocrats. ... Position of the Roman province of Pannonia Pannonia is an ancient country bounded north and east by the Danube, conterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. ... Comes (genitive: comitis) is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus (compare comitatenses), especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. ... The Misspeling of Ducks ... Noricum in ancient geography was a celtic kingdom in Austria and later a province of the Roman Empire. ... Attila (AD 406 - 453), also known as Attila the Hun was Khan of the Hun people from 434 until his death and leader of the Hunnic Empire. ... This page is about negotiations; for the board game, see Diplomacy (game). ... Solidus minted in Thessalonica to celebrate the marriage of Valentinian III to Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of the Eastern Emperor Theodosius II. On the reverse, the three of them in wedding dresses. ...

In 475, Orestes was appointed Magister militum and Patricius by Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos. This proved to be a mistake on the part of Nepos. By August 28, 475, Orestes, at the head of the foederati, managed to take control of the government in Ravenna, which had acted as the capital of the Western Roman Empire since 402. Julius Nepos fled without a fight to Dalmatia, where he would continue to reign until his assassination in 480. With the emperor far away, Orestes elevated his son Romulus to the rank of Augustus, so that the last Western Roman emperor is known as Romulus Augustus. See also 475 (number) Events Orestes forces western Roman emperor Julius Nepos to flee and declares his son Romulus Augustus to be emperor. ... Magister militum (Latin for Master of the Soldiers) was a top-level command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine. ... Patricians (patricii) were originally the elite caste in ancient Rome. ... The Western Roman Empire is the name given to the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian. ... Julius Nepos on a coin. ... is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also 475 (number) Events Orestes forces western Roman emperor Julius Nepos to flee and declares his son Romulus Augustus to be emperor. ... Foederatus early in the history of the Roman Republic identified one of the tribes bound by treaty (foedus), who were neither Roman colonies nor had they been granted Roman citizenship (civitas) but were expected to provide a contingent of fighting men when trouble arose. ... Province of Ravenna Ravenna is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. ... Events Stilicho recalls troops from the frontiers of the Roman Empire to defend Italy against the Visigoths. ... Dalmatia, highlighted, on a map of Croatia. ... Events Odoacer defeats an attempt by Julius Nepos to recapture Italy, and has Julius killed; Odoacer also captured Dalmatia. ... A Roman coin featuring the emperor Diocletian and the title Augustus on the right Augustus (plural augusti), Latin for majestic, the increaser, or venerable, was an Ancient Roman title, which was first held by Caesar Augustus and subsequently came to be considered one of the titles of what we now... This article is about the Roman Emperor. ...

The new administration was not recognized by the rival Eastern Roman Emperors Zeno and Basiliscus, who still considered Julius Nepos to be their legitimate partner in the administration of the Empire. But as they were engaged in a civil war with each other, neither emperor was about to oppose Orestes in battle. This is a list of the Emperors of the late Eastern Roman Empire, called Byzantine by modern historians. ... Flavius Zeno (c. ... For the genus of lizards, see Basiliscus (genus). ... A civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight against each other for the control of political power. ...

Orestes was free to issue new solidi in the mints of Arles, Milan, Ravenna and Rome, enabling him to pay the barbarian mercenaries who constituted most of the contemporary Roman Army. Julian solidus, ca. ... A mint is a facility which manufactures coins for currency. ... Coordinates Administration Country France Region Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Department Bouches-du-Rhône (Subprefecture) Arrondissement Arles Canton Chief town of 2 cantons: Arles-Est and Arles-Ouest Intercommunality Agglomeration community of Arles-Crau-Camargue-Montagnette Mayor Hervé Schiavetti  (PS) (2001-2008) Statistics Altitude 0 m–57 m... For other uses, see Milan (disambiguation). ... Province of Ravenna Ravenna is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... For other uses, see Barbarian (disambiguation). ... A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict who is not a national of a Party to the conflict and is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a... The Roman army was a set of land-based military forces employed by the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and later Roman Empire as part of the Roman military. ...

However Orestes denied the demands of Heruli, Scirian and Torcilingi mercenaries to be granted Italian lands in which to settle. The dissatisfied mercenaries revolted under the Germanic chieftain Odoacer, whom they declared to be their king on August 23, 476. Odoacer led them against their former employer. Orestes was captured near Piacenza on August 28 and was swiftly executed. Within weeks, Ravenna was captured and Romulus Augustus was deposed, the event that has been traditionally considered the fall of the Roman Empire, at least in the west for awhile, until it was resurrected as The Holy Roman Empire . The Heruli (spelled variously in Latin and Greek) were a nomadic Germanic people, who were subjugated by the Ostrogoths, Huns, and Byzantines in the 3rd to 5th centuries. ... Scirians (cf. ... In heathen times chieftains were both political and religious leaders, tasked to use their luck to secure the people fred (translated good times - nowadays actually the word for peace). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events August - The usurper Basiliscus is deposed and Zeno is restored as Eastern Roman Emperor. ... Piacenza (Placentia in Latin and old-fashioned English, Piasëinsa in the local dialect of Emiliano-Romagnolo) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. ... is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the historiography of the decline of the Roman Empire. ... The Holy Roman Empire should not be mistaken for the Roman Empire (31 B.C.–A.D. 476). ...

Early life

Born an aristocrat of Pannonia Savia, Flavius Orestes was probably at least partly of Germanic descent. He was son to Tatulus, and son-in-law to Comes Romulus, who served dux Norici. When Pannonia was ceded to Attila the Hun, Orestes joined Attila's court, reaching high position as a diplomat in negotiations between Attila and Emperor Valentinian III.

In 475, Orestes was appointed Magister militum and Patricius by Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos. This proved to be a mistake on the part of Nepos. By August 28, 475, Orestes, at the head of the foederati, managed to take control of the government in Ravenna, which had acted as the capital of the Western Roman Empire since 402. Julius Nepos fled without a fight to Dalmatia, where he would continue to reign until his assassination in 480. With the emperor far away, Orestes elevated his son Romulus to the rank of Augustus, so that the last Western Roman emperor is known as Romulus Augustus.

Short Reign

The new administration was not recognized by the rival Eastern Roman Emperors Zeno and Basiliscus, who still considered Julius Nepos to be their legitimate partner in the administration of the Empire. But as they were engaged in a civil war with each other, neither emperor was about to oppose Orestes in battle.

Orestes was free to issue new solidi in the mints of Arles, Milan, Ravenna and Rome, enabling him to pay the barbarian mercenaries who constituted most of the contemporary Roman Army.

However Orestes denied the demands of Heruli, Scirian and Torcilingi mercenaries to be granted Italian lands in which to settle. The dissatisfied mercenaries revolted under the Germanic chieftain Odoacer, whom they declared to be their king on August 23, 476. Odoacer led them against their former employer. Orestes was captured near Piacenza on August 28 and was swiftly executed. Within weeks, Ravenna was captured and Romulus Augustus was deposed, the event that has been traditionally considered the fall of the Roman Empire, at least in the West.

The last emperor: Romulus Augustus or Julius Nepos?

Julius Nepos on a gold Tremissis.Because Augustus was an usurper, Julius Nepos legally held the title of emperor when Odoacer took power. Some have argued that Nepos, who ruled in Dalmatia until his murder in 480, should be recognized as the last Western Roman Emperor, noting that Odoacer struck coins in Nepos' name and did not take the imperial title for himself. But few of Nepos' contemporaries in Italy (Dalmatia and Gaul had been always loyal to Nepos) were willing to support his cause after he fled this province. Following Odoacer's coup, the Roman Senate sent a letter to Zeno, saying that "the majesty of a sole monarch is sufficient to pervade and protect, at the same time, both the East and the West."[8] While Zeno told the Senate that Nepos was their lawful sovereign, he did not press the point. Upon Odoacer's demand to become Patrician of Italy, the eastern emperor answered that he (Odoacer) had been made Patrician by Nepos, and that this was still valid. When Odoacer sent the Imperial insignia to Constantinople, Zeno accepted them gratefully

See also

• Roman usurper

Usurpers were a common feature of the late Roman Empire, especially from the so-called crisis of the third century onwards, when political instability became the rule. ...

External links

• Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire part v, chapter xxxvi